Healing through dance: Taiwanese dancer performs for mothers of Nova music festival victims

Dr. Shen Jia-ru, a Taiwanese choreographer, performed on Tuesday at the Taiwan Maritime Rehabilitation Center in Kibbutz Palmahim in front of 15 mothers whose children were murdered at the Nova music festival on October 7. 

The performance, “Love, the Law of Attraction," followed Dr. Shen's aim of connecting movement and spirituality and allowed the audience to interact with the performer.  

The event was held in conjunction with the maritime center and the Taiwan Mission in Israel.

Ya-ping (Abby) Lee, Taiwanese Representative to Israel, said of the event, “Dance has the power to transcend language barriers and touch the deepest parts of the human soul.

"Our goal is to create a space where these grieving mothers can find moments of peace and connection through movement," she further noted. 

She spoke of the goals of the Maritime Rehabilitation Project and said its purpose was "to heal and empower the victims of October 7 through ocean therapeutic activities and innovative approaches." 

'Israel is not alone'

“We want the resilience center to stand as a beacon of hope. With our partners, Taiwan aims to forge stronger bonds and peoplehood with Israel while providing meaningful support to those in need. Israel is not alone in this testing time,” she affirmed. 

The Maritime Resilience Center has offered treatment to those who have been impacted by the October 7 massacre.

The treatment focuses mainly on nautical activities, such as ocean therapy, while other activities under the resilience programs include yoga, meditation, swimming, and diving. 

The programs are set to be adjusted to the various age groups and audiences and will be guided by professionals such as social workers and clinical psychologists.