How an Off-Day in Toronto Changed Alex Bregman’s Life

Red Sox star Alex Bregman’s off-day on April 28 turned into a life-changing experience, as he visited the Nova Exhibition in Toronto, a powerful and emotional display dedicated to the victims of the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre.

Bregman, a Jewish member of the Boston Red Sox, was invited by Blue Jays broadcaster Dan Shulman to visit the Nova Exhibition, a traveling installation aimed at shedding light on the horrific events that took place during the massacre perpetrated by Hamas. The exhibit chronicles the destruction caused in southern Israel and the Nova Music Festival, which was targeted during the attacks.

“I had no idea really what to expect,” Bregman admitted. “The experience was super intense and honestly, life-changing.”

The exhibit takes visitors through the peaceful festival atmosphere, transformed by violence, hatred, and terror. Hamas invaded southern Israel at dawn on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 civilians and taking hundreds of hostages. Many of the victims were from Nova, the site of the massacre, where 411 festival-goers lost their lives and 43 others were kidnapped. Over a year later, 59 hostages are still being held, with many unaccounted for.

Bregman’s visit was deeply impactful, especially after learning that the tour guide, a woman his age, had survived the attack and was part of the group that had experienced the horrors firsthand. “A lady who’s my age who survived October 7, a survivor, took us around on a tour of the exhibit, and showed us many of her friends who didn’t make it, her friends who made it, told us her story,” Bregman recalled. “It just made the experience that much more real and intense.”

Bregman was confronted with the remnants of the attack: cars wrecked and burned by Hamas, portable toilets and tents with bullet holes, and the personal belongings of the victims—shoes, clothes, and items that belonged to those who didn’t survive. “Just seeing that, seeing (bullet holes) in actual tents, or the cash register at the bar, or where the DJ was, it was nuts,” Bregman said. “I got (back to the hotel), called my wife and talked to her for an hour and a half and told her about everything and the stories we heard there. Heartbreaking and really eye-opening.”

The Nova Exhibition first opened in Tel Aviv, traveling through New York, Los Angeles, and Miami before reaching Toronto. Although Bregman and the Red Sox won’t be back in Canada until September, he hopes the exhibit will make its way to Boston or another location where he can visit with his teammates and share the experience.

“Once I finished the tour, I said, ‘Wow, we need to get more people to see this and see what happened,’” Bregman said. “I told a lot of the guys, and a lot of them are interested in going whenever they can. They were super interested in it, and I spent 30 minutes explaining it and could’ve gone on for hours more.”

Bregman’s visit also inspired a greater commitment to speaking out for the Jewish community. He expressed a stronger resolve to use his platform to raise awareness and advocate for the people of Israel. He also left a message on the wall at the exhibition, where visitors can leave tributes to the victims: “Am Yisrael Chai, Alex Bregman.” The message translates to “The People of Israel live.”

Bregman’s experience in Toronto not only gave him a deeper understanding of the tragedy but also strengthened his desire to stand as a vocal, involved member of the Jewish community.