In a powerful testament to resilience and healing through art, Yuval Raphael, one of the survivors featured in the upcoming documentary SATURDAY October 7, was selected to represent Israel at Eurovision 2025.
Yuval’s shared her harrowing story from October 7th, 2023 with JIJ. That morning, she and her friends attended the Nova Music Festival near Re’im, Israel. When Hamas terrorists attacked, Yuval found herself trapped in a roadside bomb shelter with dozens of others. For eight horrifying hours, she had to play dead among the deceased as terrorists repeatedly returned to spray the shelter with gunfire and grenades.
Only 11 people in that shelter survived.
In the documentary, Yuval shares the devastating details of that day – the initial confusion as rockets filled the sky, the moment they realized terrorists had infiltrated the festival grounds, and the unbearable hours spent in silence, wondering if each breath would be her last.
Her testimony provides crucial firsthand evidence of the events of October 7th.
What makes her Eurovision selection and victory of the popular vote particularly moving is that prior to competing on HaKokhav HaBa (The Next Star), Yuval had never performed professionally.
The 24-year-old from Ra’anana was known for being shy about her voice. Yet somehow, in the aftermath of unimaginable trauma, she found the courage not only to speak out about what happened, but to sing.
Her journey from surviving one of Israel’s darkest days to representing her country on Europe’s biggest musical stage serves as an inspiration. It reminds us that even in the wake of horror, the human spirit can find its voice – sometimes quite literally.
Yuval’s voice is reaching millions, and her courage started with our supporters’ belief in this film.