Yonatan “Shafik” Richter

Per The Times of Israel/Ma'ariv, Shafik was attending the festival as a volunteer with the Elem-Youth in Distress organization, which sent a delegation there to provide counseling and emotional support to anyone undergoing a mental health crisis. The organization’s volunteers are known for attending such types of parties and gatherings in their recognizable blue shirts, which read “Good Guy,” to provide services to anyone experiencing distress, which can be common at raves where drug use is widespread.

There were nine Elem volunteers at the Supernova music festival near Re’im on the morning of October 7. Only six made it out alive.

Shafik is survived by his partner, Doron Yehudai, his two daughters, and his mother, Elli.

Per Moshe Elad, the director of Elem’s “Good Guy” project: 

“People always felt comfortable talking to him and opening up to him. He came to our world from the trance scene. It’s very painful to lose friends who came to do good and to help.”

A fellow volunteer wrote:

“May his memory and life’s work be a blessing. My heart is broken into a million pieces. We lost one (of many) of the good guys. Rest in peace, dear Yonatan. You are in our hearts… at his funeral, I will wear my blue shirt in his honor.”

The Elem organization said that Richter was “a good guy with a big heart and tremendous strengths, with a smile, a hug, authenticity and love for everyone. We don’t have enough words to describe this horrible pain.”

“I’m sorry to Yonatan, a good guy like you — sorry that you left us too early when you tried to be a safe anchor for partygoers. Rest in peace.”