Tech Initiatives Launch GPS Navigation and Musical Legacy for October 7 Memorials
A new Wix-developed GPS navigation system debuts at the Re'im memorial site ahead of the October 7 anniversary, while tech firm Simply adds songs by fallen soldier Aner Shapira to its apps.
Three years after the October 7 tragedy, a new digital navigation system has been launched at the Re'im parking lot memorial site, where the Nova and Mushroom festivals took place. Developed with the assistance of Wix and artist Amir Chodorov, the system allows visitors to search for names on their mobile phones, locate memorial spots within the compound, and navigate to them using GPS.
"It is very difficult to find your way around the compound because there are hundreds of people commemorated in various ways and locations. There is no information desk or organized system to help find what and who you are looking for," said Chen Rodomin, national projects manager at Wix, who visited the parking lot near Kibbutz Re'im during volunteering tours in the Gaza envelope.
Digital Innovation for Memorial Sites
Rodomin and Michal Sarig Kaduri, VP of Government Relations at Wix, reached out to Chodorov, who created the central memorial site alongside Jojo Rabi'a, father of the late Noam and Yuval Rabi'a, and Meir Zohar, father of the late Bar Zohar. The initiative was carried out in cooperation with KKL-JNF, which manages the site and supports infrastructure development.
"Ahead of the third anniversary of the disaster, it was important for us to create a convenient and accessible solution in this meaningful place," said Sarig Kaduri.
Expanding Commemoration Through Music
Another tech initiative comes from Simply, which has partnered with the Aner Association to integrate songs by the late Staff Sergeant Aner Shapira into its learning applications. Shapira, a Nahal Brigade soldier who fell on October 7, 2023, at the age of 22, famously saved numerous lives at the Re'im shelter by deflecting eight grenades thrown by terrorists before being killed by the ninth.
As part of the project, Simply added special arrangements of three of his songs—"Introduction to Anerchism,Why I Think of You" (a duet with Esther Rada), and "Come Let's Travel Here" (featuring Yehudit Ravitz)—to the Simply Piano and Simply Guitar libraries, allowing users in Israel to learn and play his music.
