Unbroken Spirit: 5 Ways Israeli Hostages Embody Jewish Heroism

In the darkest tunnels of Gaza where hope seemed impossible, a profound Jewish heroism emerged. Not the heroism of physical strength, but the heroism of the Jewish spirit that has sustained our people through millennia of hardship. In a recent interview featured on 60 Minutes that included a tour of a destroyed Israeli kibbutz, freed Israeli hostages and their family members demonstrated timeless Jewish values that have preserved our nation through countless trials.

1. The Heroism of Human Connection

The power of human connection among hostages demonstrates the Jewish value of areivut – our mutual responsibility for one another. As Keith Siegel described it: “A very strong bond. Being able to look after each other, physically or mentally, emotionally, psychologically, being supportive, having somebody to share thoughts, worries, concern, fear.”
Even in the most dehumanizing circumstances, they formed family-like bonds. “From time to time I felt like a father to them,” says Tal Shoham about fellow hostages Guy and Evyatar.
Physical touch became a crucial source of comfort: “So we used to just like hold our hands like this and look at each other in such, so much fear, but we were together,” said Aviva Siegel of her time in captivity with freed hostage Agam Berger. During bombings, this connection was literally lifesaving: “There was a very, very intense bombing. Agam was especially afraid… I held her hand and she helped me and I helped her,” she recalled.
This reflects the Jewish understanding that even in our lowest moments, we are never truly alone. Just as our ancestors found strength in community during exiles and persecutions, these modern heroes found family in fellow captives.

2. The Heroism of Resourcefulness

Describing how hostages bartered with guards to improve their conditions, Tal said that the hostages would give daily massages to one of the terrorists in exchange for more much-needed food. This ingenuity recalls how Jews throughout history maintained dignity against all odds – from secret Passover Seders during the Inquisition to Torah study in concentration camps.
Tal continues, “You don’t need too much to stay alive. You can eat only one bread every day, and if have like, 200 mL of water every day and you will stay alive.”
Humor became another survival tool. When one hostage fell into depression, others noted that “he must come back to himself because he used to make them laugh and he used to joke about things with them.” Even in darkness, they found ways to create light.

3. The Heroism of Selflessness

Even after unimaginable personal tragedy, Yarden Bibas demonstrates perhaps the most profound Jewish value – caring for others despite your own suffering. Having lost his wife and two young sons, his thoughts remain with his captive friend: “I lost my wife and kids. Sharon must not lose her husband.”
This selflessness reflects the highest Jewish ideal that even in our own suffering, we must see the suffering of others. It reminds us of countless Jewish stories where individuals placed community needs above personal comfort.

4. The Heroism of Bearing Witness

The parents of hostages display another form of Jewish heroism – the courage to face painful truths while maintaining hope. When told difficult details about her son’s captivity, Galia David responds with remarkable courage: “I want everyone to listen because this is the reality.”
Throughout Jewish history, bearing witness has been a sacred obligation. From the Holocaust to contemporary suffering, Judaism teaches us not to turn away from difficult truths but to face them with compassion. These families embody the difficult balance of acknowledging suffering while refusing to surrender to despair.

5. The Heroism of Enduring Memory

For released hostages, freedom hasn’t meant forgetting. When asked if his mind is still with those in captivity, Keith Siegel answers plainly: “It is, every day, most of the day.”
This commitment to remembrance is deeply Jewish. We are commanded to remember our exodus from Egypt, to remember Amalek, to remember Jerusalem. Keith’s inability to forget those still suffering reflects the Jewish obligation to carry others in our hearts even after our own salvation.

Finding Humanity in Inhumanity

Ilan Dalal, father of a current hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, describes the conditions as “worse than how they treat animals.” Yet even in this dehumanization, the freed hostages have shared incredible stories of how they maintained their essential humanity – a profound testament to the indomitable Jewish spirit.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once observed that “Jewish history is not merely a story of physical survival, but moral survival.” These hostages, in maintaining their humanity in inhuman conditions, exemplify this moral survival in our own time.
Their example calls us to embody these same values in our own lives – to strengthen our connections with others, to face difficult truths with courage, and to never forget those who still suffer. In doing so, we honor not only their heroism but the timeless Jewish values they so powerfully embody.

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