Every living hostage seized from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has been freed from the Gaza Strip to the jubilation of the nation. Families torn apart by terror are embracing once more, marking a moment of joy and relief. The images of the hostage reunions with their families sparked an outpouring of emotions for Jews around the world.
Omri Miran was recently reunited with his family, including his wife, Lishay Miran-Lavi, and two young daughters, Roni, 4, and Alma, 2. He was photographed playing with his children at a Tel Aviv hospital after his release—a heartwarming image of resilience. His youngest daughter learned to say abba, “daddy” while he was in captivity.
On the morning of Oct. 7, Palestinian terrorists attacked Kibbutz Nahal Oz. They threatened to shoot a neighbor of Miran’s in the head if he refused to open the door of his home, where he was hiding with his family. As he was dragged away by his tormentors, his wife told him: “I love you, and I’ll take care of the girls. I’ll wait for you.” She waited 738 agonizing days.
Miran-Lavi and Omri’s dad, Dani Moran, were vocal advocates of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Hostage families and freed hostages traveled around the world to raise awareness and urge politicians to pressure Hamas to release their loved ones. For two years, his family lived with empty chairs at the table and unanswered bedtime questions. That silence has finally been broken.
Brothers separated in captivity, reunited after two torturous years
Ziv and Gali Berman, 28, saw each other for the first time in two years. They shared a touching moment caught on camera. They were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel near the border with Gaza. Their family waited a grueling week after Oct. 7 to find out that they survived the terror onslaught but were taken hostage. They weren’t even confirmed to be alive until February.
Freed Israeli-American Israeli Keith Siegel reported that they were both “injured” after he was released in July. The brothers worked as lighting technicians and helped care for their dad, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
Jewish values: Honoring the dead, redeeming the captives
Behind each reunion was a deeper truth about the Jewish people: that even in loss, Jews are commanded to remember, redeem and return.
Israel embodies the historic Jewish duty of redeeming captives and honoring the dead. The commitment to bring everyone home—living or deceased—reflects the Jewish belief that the value of a person does not end with life itself. Also, many feel a deep connection to each other and the value derived from the ethos of military service to never leave anyone behind.
After the release of all living Israeli hostages, the bodies of two dozen remain after Hamas reportedly transferred the bodies of four hostages. Hamas brutally murdered more than 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, and dragged 40 of their bodies into Gaza to use as bargaining chips. Hamas murdered another 40 hostages in captivity, including the young, red-headed Bibas boys, Ariel and Kfir. Israeli forces recovered 53 bodies during the war.
The duty to redeem captives (pidyon shvuyim) and to honor the dead (kevod hamet) are among the oldest commandments in Judaism. Both teach that every life and every body must be treated with dignity. These principles have shaped Israeli policy since the state’s founding. And this is why Israeli governments have agreed to release dozens of terrorists for the body of just one Israeli.
Israel honors American president with highest civilian award
In recognition of U.S. President Donald Trump’s achievement in securing the release of the hostages and pursuing peace, Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that he will honor him with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour.
Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law and former senior adviser Jared Kushner were instrumental in the final diplomatic push in Egypt to finalize the ceasefire negotiations along with leaders of Qatar, Turkey and Egypt.
The American president spoke at Israel’s Knesset (parliament) shortly after the remaining living hostages were released. He stated: “Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.” Speaking later in Egypt, he called on the other Muslim nations to join the 2020 Abraham Accords along with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: ‘The spirit of Israel’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke at the Knesset: “With indomitable courage, we set out to defend our people, to defeat our enemies and to release our hostages. We achieved amazing victories over Hamas and the entire Iranian terror axis.”
He also recognized American-Israeli Ari Spitz, who was the most critically injured Israeli soldier to survive the Gaza war; he was presumed dead after losing three of his four limbs. Netanyahu addressed him to thunderous applause: “Ari, you are the spirit of Joshua, the spirit of David, the spirit of the Maccabees. Ari, you are the spirit of Israel. I salute you.”
The Jewish community responds
From the kibbutzim of Israel’s south to synagogues around the world, Jews are exhaling together—grateful, grieving and determined that no life and no memory be left behind.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations released a statement:
“Moments such as this remind us that the strength of the Jewish people lies in our unity, our compassion and our unshakable commitment to one another. We express our profound gratitude to the Almighty for bringing us to this day of relief and renewal.”
Points to consider:
1. The world witnesses Jewish resilience.
Across Israel and around the world, Jews are celebrating the return of the final living hostages. Families once united in fear now embrace in gratitude, joined by global Jewish communities that kept empty yellow chairs, hung ribbons and refused to forget. From Jerusalem to New York and Sydney to London, the moment embodies endurance: a people traumatized yet unbroken, bound by faith, memory and the conviction that no one is ever abandoned.
2. No one left behind: American and Jewish values.
For Americans and Jews, bringing everyone home is a sacred promise. The U.S. military’s pledge that “no one is left behind” mirrors Judaism’s commandment to redeem captives and honor the dead. Israel’s demand that Hamas return every living hostage and body reflects that shared moral creed: a life is never expendable and dignity does not end with death. It is a value written in both faith and freedom, and an enduring measure of national character.
3. Israel’s duty to bring everyone home.
The return of the remaining 20 living hostages is a moment of relief, but the mission is not complete. Dozens of families still wait to bury their loved ones with the dignity that Jewish law demands. Hamas now claims that it cannot locate the bodies of two dozen hostages—an evasion that deepens the pain. In Judaism, the dead must be returned for burial, memory and closure. Until every soul is accounted for, Israel’s work is unfinished.
4. The Jewish value of remembering each name.
Judaism teaches that every life carries infinite worth. From the hostages who survived to those murdered in captivity, each name is sacred and must be remembered. Families continue to recite prayers, light candles and share stories so that their loved ones are not reduced to numbers. In a faith built on memory, forgetting is the greatest loss. Remembering every victim affirms what Hamas tried to erase—that every human life is created in God’s image.
5. Every rescue is a reminder of life’s sanctity.
Each hostage who returns home is a testament to the Jewish belief that saving one life is like saving an entire world. Their survival serves as a reminder to the world of what Israel’s enemies brutality sought to destroy—the value of human life itself. The reunion of families torn apart by terror affirms that even after unbearable loss, life and love endure. Every rescue is not just a victory over violence, but a reaffirmation of the sacred value of being alive.
6. Simchat Torah: A return to life and joy.
The release of the hostages comes just before Simchat Torah, the festival that celebrates the end and the restart of the annual Torah reading. Two years ago, that day was marked by slaughter and despair. This year, it brought renewal and reunion. Families once broken by captivity now danced again with loved ones—circle completed, grief giving way to joy.
7. Trauma does not end with freedom.
For the hostages and their families, freedom is only the beginning of recovery. Years of captivity leave wounds that cannot be seen. Many will face post-traumatic stress, survivor’s guilt and lifelong scars. Last week, a Nova music festival survivor and the mother of a murdered victim died by suicide—reminders of deep, enduring pain over the past two years. Healing requires patience, professional care and a community willing to stand with them long after the cheering stops.
