ZAKA unveils 'Galeed' virtual exhibit for communities to commemorate October 7

ZAKA has announced “Galeed,” a spatial computing and augmented reality exhibit commemorating the tragic events of October 7, 2023. The project's goal is to preserve and build collective and individual memories of that day. Galeed was developed in cooperation with Kibbutz Be’eri, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the Israel Trauma Coalition, and the October 7 Memorial Organization. 

The Galeed exhibit is accessible to any community worldwide and can be deployed without installation or additional resources. Visitors can engage with the memories using smartphones or tablets, with customizable sequences and viewing durations, while ensuring ease of use. The exhibit is being offered to communities worldwide free of charge. It can be set up in open spaces that accommodate 100-150 people, such as public parks, parking lots, community centers, or school grounds.  Visitors can share their impressions on social media in real time, engaging both local and global communities. 

The exhibit’s name—Galeed—reflects the Biblical event described in the Book of Genesis. In this event, Jacob and Laban built a heap of stones to signify a covenant between them, naming the location “Galeed” as a testament to the memory of their covenant. The Hebrew word ‘gal’ means a heap, and ‘ed’ means a witness.

One of the spatial computing exhibits, “Safe Room,” invites visitors to ‘enter’ a safe room in Kibbutz Kfar Azza and track the WhatsApp correspondence of the family of Ofir Libstein, z” l, head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, who was murdered on that day. The exhibit shows the safe room, the kibbutz, and WhatsApp communications through a 360-degree photography experience.

Another exhibit, “No Time,” raises awareness of the urgent need to release the hostages. Visitors enter a virtual tunnel where a clock displays the seconds, minutes, hours, and days since October 7. Upon exiting the tunnel, a circle of photos of the abductees is displayed around the visitor.

The project was designed by architect Jonathan Zisser, who "sought to capture a fleeting moment from one of the darkest periods in the history of the Jewish people, and yet, to express the presence of a faint, small, and fragile light on the horizon. To see beyond the darkness, to glimpse the light, and to pray for a better world."

The technology for the exhibit was developed by Mixed Place, a company that develops augmented reality, virtual reality, and metaverse technologies and experiences. Their patented infrastructure was ideal for enabling this exhibit.

Communities interested in hosting “Galeed” can contact ZAKA at the website.