Dream Leads Grieving Mother to Message From Nova Victim

A remarkable story surrounding Nova festival victim Eden Naftali HY”D and a decades-old book by a Chabad Mashpia has deeply moved her family and friends - and impacted her mother.

By COLlive reporter

A remarkable story surrounding Nova festival victim Eden Naftali HY”D and a decades-old Chabad book about finding joy through hardship, has deeply moved her family and friends, after a dream led directly to the discovery of a book which gave her mother strength.

Writing in Sha’ar Hashomron publication, Moshe Ganoz recounted how in September 2024, while staying with his daughter, he received a WhatsApp message from his friend asking about a book titled “The Chassidic Approach to Joy” that he had lent him a while back.

Inside the book was a sticker bearing a photo of Eden Naftali, the 23-year-old from Rishon Lezion who was murdered by terrorists at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.

Eden is remembered by friends and family as a vibrant young woman filled with joy, kindness, and love for others. Known for her bright smile and golden curls, she loved traveling, surfing, music, and spending time with friends. Her friends described her as the one who could always lift everyone’s spirits and fill every gathering with positive energy.

Her personal motto was “Spread the Love” — a value she lived by every day.

Giving to others was central to Eden’s life. She worked devotedly with children with special needs. Friends described her as a true friend and mentor who always knew how to encourage others and make every person feel important.

Ganoz replied to his friend that the book had once been in his library, but he had not seen it in a long time. Since he was visiting his daughter Yifat at the time, he asked if she remembered the book.

Yifat immediately recognized it, telling her father that it was impossible to forget such a special book. She recalled reading it eagerly before someone from her community later borrowed it, but she could not remember who.

Ganoz then asked his friend why he was asking about this particular book, and he explained:

Meirav, a friend of Eden’s mother Rina Naftali, dreamed about Eden a few weeks ago. In the dream, the Nova victim asked to go to her bedroom, take a specific book from there, and give it to her mother. Meirav went to the home of Rina Naftali, told her about the dream, and they both entered her room.

Sitting on the shelf was the exact book Meirav had seen in the dream: “The Chassidic Approach to Joy.”

The book was edited by Rabbi Shlomo Majeski of Crown Heights and published approximately 25 years ago. It includes a large collection of guidelines and explanations on how a person can be in a state of joy, even, and despite, severe crises they are going through. Moshe Ganoz’s copy from his friend had gone to his daughter, and somehow, to Eden’s room.

When Rina read the book, she understood that this was the message that Eden left for her. She and her family must overcome the huge tragedy they experienced, live in joy despite the great sadness, and even rise up and continue with greater vigor the good deeds that Eden did in the short days of her life.

The book deals, among other things, with a mother of a kidnapped child (page 28), the redemption of captives in the context of the Simchat Torah holiday (page 71), and connects joy with a deep commitment to life, mutual responsibility, and redemption – even when reality is unbearably difficult.

Even more shocking to Rina’s mother was the verse that ends the book: “Then our mouth will be filled with laughter and our tongue with singing – Rinah.”

Ganoz concludes: “I met this week with Eden’s beloved family. I heard amazing stories about the noble, heroic, and principled Eden. I saw and heard how Eden’s spirit accompanies her family and friends to this day. And I understood where Eden inherited these traits and the strength to do and increase good and joy in the world.”

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