Maccabi Tel Aviv’s veterans team met the ‘Nova Tribe’ team last Tuesday in a moving friendly match in memory of Barak Davidi, a devoted supporter of the club who was murdered at the Nova festival.
The game, which ended with the veterans winning 6–2, was held at Kiryat Shalom with the participation of Barak’s family and close friends. The ‘Nova Tribe’ is a team composed of Nova survivors, established with the target of helping them rebuild through sport and providing ongoing support.
The Maccabi Tel Aviv Foundation joined at the family’s request, assisting in organizing the event and contributing to its production, together with the ‘Nova Tribe community association’. The event highlighted the power of community to build resilience and continuity, even out of deep pain, and served as a reminder of Barak Davidi and all the victims of the Nova massacre.
Reef Peretz, chairman of the ‘Nova Tribe community association’ and a former Maccabi Tel Aviv player, said:
“The association’s football team is a symbol for remembrance, legacy, rehabilitation, and hope. The team meets every week, going through moving processes of healing and recovery together. This memorial match for Barak Davidi was especially meaningful for me, as it brought together two teams I am deeply connected to, The Nova tribe and Maccabi Tel Aviv Veterans. On a personal level, there’s also a profound layer: Barak was a passionate Maccabi fan, and I myself grew up in this club from a young age. I closely followed the efforts to commemorate him and the ways his family and friends have coped. In my eyes, sport is a powerful tool that connects people.”
Barak Davidi (28) , the youngest son of Nitzchia and Hertzel, brother to Sharona, Tamar, Avi, and Tomer. He arrived at the Nova festival early in the morning, danced and enjoyed himself for about an hour before the alarms began. Barak left for his car and drove until the “Olamim” junction, where he reached a police checkpoint. The officers told him to turn back towards the festival. On his way back, he reached the deadly shelter, where a police car was parked outside. A policeman told him to enter the shelter (the one marked with the drawing of a dog) to protect himself.
Barak was among the first to enter the shelter before terrorists arrived and murdered him in cold blood.
Barak was a magical soul who loved life, loved to laugh, travel, enjoy, and always brought people together. From a young age, he was a devoted Maccabi Tel Aviv fan, insisting on attending every match, even if it sparked funny sibling quarrels with his sister Sharona, a fan of the rival team. They would always accompany each other to matches, but he would always say, “One day I will get you to sit in Maccabi’s stands.”
After the horrific tragedy, he truly did, Sharona now attends Maccabi’s matches in his memory”.
