Not only did Nimrod Palmach live to tell the story of how he confronted Hamas terrorists on October 7, now he is bringing his experience to others using virtual reality (VR) technology.

Palmach, the CEO of ISRAEL-is, an organization that advances dialogue between young Israelis and their peers worldwide, was an Israel Defense Forces reserve officer who, after being called up on October 7, defied the orders of his commander by going south to where he felt he was most needed that fateful day.

“I let go of life on that morning,” said Palmach, a father of two young children who, armed only with a pistol, drove to Kibbutz Alumim near the border with Gaza. He and other soldiers he randomly met up with spent three hours fighting the terrorists there, and “we killed all of them.” He then drove to hard-hit Kibbutz Be’eri to help its residents.

Palmach would certainly be forgiven if he decided he wanted to put the experience behind him, but he chose a different tack. “I thought the story needs to go so much more viral,” he said. Knowing people around the world would dispute Hamas’s barbarism, “I promised myself I’d do everything in my power” to tell the story.

Through the Survived to Tell initiative launched by ISRAEL-is, the Be the Witness VR experience—produced by Stephen D. Smith, former executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation—brings the stories of Palmach and four survivors of the Nova music festival to life. The immersive platform puts the viewer, wearing a headset and headphones, in the middle of actual events from that day and the ensuing weeks, and provides access to never-before-seen footage, text messages and live discussions powered by AI technology.

Since its debut in May, Palmach and his team have brought the series to over 15,000 viewers at American university campuses, in world parliaments and in Israel itself.

Through the VR experience, “you can be in Atlanta, Ga., and actually ‘be’ in Be’eri a week after the massacre” to see what happened there, Palmach said. “It’s not just hearing my story; it’s being with me at the same location” where it happened.