In a moving tribute to courage and friendship forged under harrowing circumstances, released hostage Eliya Cohen has fulfilled a solemn promise made to his fellow captive Ori Danino.
The promise, made during their shared captivity before Danino’s death, culminated in the dedication of a Torah scroll bearing Danino’s poignant words: “I want to be good enough for the world to be the person I would want to spend time with.”
The emotional ceremony brought together Danino’s parents and Cohen, who used the occasion to share previously unknown details about their time in captivity. These revelations painted a picture of extraordinary heroism in the face of brutal treatment by their captors.
“We sat there, each of us telling our story,” Cohen recounted at the ceremony.
On Oct. 7, 2023, though he had escaped from the Supernova music festival, Danino decided to return to help others. This act of bravery led to his capture while attempting to save Maya and Itay Regev, along with Omer Shem Tov.
“He told me, ‘Eliya, I left the party and managed to escape. Someone I didn’t know called me for help. Nothing mattered to me. I went there to save them, not knowing if I would return.'”
Cohen described Danino’s remarkable resilience.
“He was incredibly strong. He had a bullet in his shoulder. When I reached the tunnel, he asked me to sit beside him. We became really good friends. ‘I love you, and it’s an honor for me to tell you these things,'” Cohen told Danino’s family.
According to Cohen’s testimony, Danino demonstrated extraordinary courage during their captivity. He reportedly confronted one of his captors physically, causing significant injury. In the first days of captivity, Danino also fought to ensure proper medical treatment for fellow hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who had suffered a severe hand wound during the kidnapping.
“Ori Danino punched the terrorist who kidnapped him, breaking his skull and causing him to lose his sight,” Cohen revealed. “In the first few days, Ori physically fought with the terrorists so that they would treat the hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose hand was blown off during the kidnapping. Thanks to his struggle, the wound was closed. The terrorists were afraid of him.”
Danino was executed by Hamas, along with Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov and Almog Sarusi, days before they were found by the IDF in Gaza and their remains returned to Israel.
Danino was buried on Sept. 1, 2024, in the Mount Herzl Cemetery in Jerusalem. Cohen was released in a hostage exchange deal on Feb. 22, 2025.
The Torah scroll will soon be introduced to a synagogue of the Danino family’s choosing.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.