Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Friday, but it is being republished March 24 due to technical difficulties.

On March 14, Shalev Biton, a 25-year-old survivor of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack in Israel, shared his experience in the McGee Theatre with New Trier High School’s Hebrew classes, Jewish Affinity Group members, and Jewish staff during the school day.

After being contacted by a New Trier alum who is connected with a group called Faces of October Seventh, Hebrew teacher Kimberly Hafron decided to coordinate this event with Associate Superintendent Dr. Chris Johnson. 

Faces of October Seventh aims to educate and humanize the experiences of those impacted by the Oct.7 terrorist attack through speakers sharing their stories at various college campuses and communities in North America.

The number of attendees for this event was limited, which was an intentional decision made by Hafron. 

“I did not advertise [this event] because I did not want to provide any opportunity for negativity or protests surrounding this event,” Hafron said. “It was meant to be a personal account about survival and hope for a specific group of students. It was not a place for politics or opinions about the current situation in Gaza and Israel.”

Biton told his story using photos and videos from his experience on Oct.7, giving the audience a timeline of his day and what he was doing before and after Hamas began to attack Israel.

He is from northern Israel and is pursuing studies in music production and sound design in Tel Aviv. Prior to that, he served in the Israel Defense Forces as a staff sergeant. Following his military service, he embarked on a year-long journey around the world, visiting places such as South America, Colombia, Peru, and Australia before returning to Israel a couple weeks before the attack.

Biton attended the Nova Festival on Oct.7, an outdoor trance music festival, with his five friends whom he had not seen for a few years. It was supposed to be a chance for them to reunite and spend time together.

After arriving at the festival early in the morning, building his campsite, and exploring the area, Biton returned to his tent to fall asleep. He woke up a couple hours later to the sound of an explosion. Sensing something unusual but seeing no news headlines on Israeli websites, he initially ignored the loud noise. Less than an hour later, he heard missiles, describing them as a “unique sound that you cannot miss.” 

An announcement at the festival declared a “red alert,” indicating violence in the area. Biton and two of his friends decided to split from the other three, attempting to take the main road to Tel Aviv. During their attempted escape, they heard numerous gunshots and roads were blocked by the Hamas terrorists. 

While in the car, his cousin, a police officer, called, urging him to leave his car and hide. He ran fast, eventually reaching a large field where he and his friends were fired upon by the terrorists. They all laid on the floor and crawled until the shots stopped and then they continued running.

After journeying five miles through the desert, they came across a farm where a man provided them with food, water, and necessities. They rested there until Hamas terrorists approached the property, causing him and his friends to hide under the building in a cramped space.

The owner of the farm convinced the terrorists that no Jewish people were nearby, and fortunately, the terrorists then fled. Afterwards, Biton and his friends managed to escape and drive home safely while seeing broken and flipped cars along the road.

Biton was grateful for the opportunity to share his story, emphasizing that he wants everyone to understand the reality of the attacks and not deny any part of it. He also mentioned that this tragic experience taught him the importance of cherishing every moment since he could have seen his life end that day.

“Love the people around you, your family, your friends, and be kind. We want to make the world better and not let the terrorists win,” Biton said.

Biton also expressed his sympathy for Jewish individuals in the U.S considering the rise of antisemitism ever since the Oct.7 attack and beginning of the Israel-Hamas War. 

Senior Zach Yulish found the speaker intriguing, pointing out how the first-hand perspective made everything more poignant and impactful.

“When he showed us the photos and videos and made the stories all real, it was hard to look at because it made me think of all of those who died,” Yulish said. “I’m glad I got to hear his story. First-person sources are super important in today’s day and age.”

Junior Natalie Weiner also felt moved by Biton’s story and hoped that the audience could take away valuable insights from listening to his narrative.

“It was great to have another perspective to the conflict we are facing and hear what it was like to not only be in Israel during this time, but to be where the conflict originated,” Weiner said. “Since October 7, as you know, school has felt like a different place and it was nice to be validated and to know that we are not alone and that we will fight this together.”

New Trier was one of the only schools in the North Shore that invited Biton to speak during the school day and allowed him to share his story.

“I appreciate the support of our administration with this event,” Hafron said. “New Trier should be proud to have supported a school-day event of this nature.”