Eli Sharabi: The Meaning of Freedom

Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here tonight. It's an incredibly special opportunity. What an honor, what a privilege. Ellie, thank you for being here. It means so much to us, to our community. Thank you, Magali and Massoud, thank you, Rabbi Moscowitz, for putting all of this together. It's an incredibly special night. It's an incredibly special way to get ready and prepare for Pesach together. Pesach, a holiday that we celebrate from slavery to freedom, from darkness to light. In most of my life, we spoke about slavery, certainly Holocaust survivors, what they went through. But in our modern times, contemporary times, in my lifetime, I didn't know people. And now that you represent, you are a symbol for us as somebody who was held hostage, the name of your book, somebody who was enslaved against your will, and who's found this freedom and you're using it to bring light, light to Israel, light to the Jewish people everywhere, light to decent and good people everywhere. And that choice that you've made to do that, it means the absolute world to us. It's an inspiration. We are in awe. We admire and we so deeply, deeply appreciate. So, first and foremost, if nothing else, just thank you for being here tonight. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Like so many others here, as soon as you published your book, I got a copy. I first opened it as most of my reading is on Friday night. And I intended to go to sleep early that night, but I didn't because I couldn't put the book down. I couldn't close it. I read it essentially almost in one in one time. Because it was so vivid, so real, so detailed, so compelling, and ultimately so incredibly, incredibly inspiring. So, tell us maybe to begin with, what has been the reaction to your book? The level of detail that you remember, how you thought of, and the names you gave to each terrorist, each person who held you captive, every detail that you remembered all that time that you tracked. You you gave us a window into what it was like, something that few others, no others have the way you have. What's been the reaction to the book so far? >> Um Can you hear me? Yeah, good. Good evening. Um You know, this book it's not a story, it's a it's a testimony. So, um for me writing this book was um just, you know, to [clears throat] remember all the details and just talk about it. And um And after I've been in UN and made this my speech there, it was very very important for me and very impactful um on loads of people. Um in this very hostile place for um Israel, uh it was very important um to speak there and have my wife, my daughter's photo and my brother's Yossi Achem Yacob Damo. Uh >> [clears throat] >> And um you know, so for me um writing this book was >> [snorts] >> uh something very natural and uh very important. And the reactions about this book was um overwhelming for me about loads of how much impact it's made on loads of Israelis, about Jewish people around the world um you know, uh influenced them uh for good. And it's means a lot for me for me just to have an influence on one person, it's amazing. And um you know, people with disabilities or people that didn't read even one book in their lives said to me that uh they wrote they read that book. It's amazing for me. >> We should send a copy of the book to the media personalities and podcasters and the people who don't understand how right and righteous Israel's war in Gaza and against Iran in the world is. Your book should be required reading for them. They should see it. They should understand it. What When you were being held hostage and you were living each day, of course, fighting and trying to survive, were you thinking then already that you would write a book if, please God, you got out and these are the things that you wanted to tell the world? >> What do you think 50 m underground 491 days? It's just to go back to your family and hug them again. And every decent meal um with your loved ones, and that's what you want. You don't think about uh somebody that's going to recognize you or you're going to read a book to write a book or something like that. Uh it didn't cross my mind. >> So, let's before the book and before October 7th, what do you wish Elisha Rabi, of course, was a person and had a family? Today, you're you're I don't want to use the word celebrity. You're well known for your heroism. You're well known for your survival. You're well known, unfortunately, for your loss. But before that, what do you wish people knew about your life before October 7th? What can you tell us about your family that is so important for you for us to know and to remember? >> So, I arrived to Barry to this amazing, supportive, and caring community on H16. And after the army, I knew um I knew my wife, Lianne, that arrived from England to be a volunteer only for 3 months. And we fell in love and she stayed. And um we both worked in the kibbutz um and building our life, got married and raised amazing two daughters, Noya and Yahel. Um Leanne was very proud British woman that loves her um loves her music. She liked to sing. She loved to read. Um she always, you know, um was upset with me about not, you know, for me not reading enough. And eventually, in the end, I wrote the book. So, [snorts] it's very ironically. And uh I hope she's she's proud of me. And uh and [clears throat] Noya was all heart. And uh she loved her her friends. Loved the activities in the kibbutz. Uh but specially loved to help others. Um she went only for 20 hours from school to volunteer with the kids with special needs, but she stayed for 3 years. And she loved every minute of that. And Yahel Yahel was very challenging, very hyperactive um girl. She used to play soccer. She used to play She used to uh jump from airplanes. And um did a scuba diving course. And we actually planned our trip together to Thailand um to do the the scuba diving together. Um And that was my family and they had a great um childhood like we dreamt for them. And we had a really peaceful uh family life uh in our piece of heaven in Be'eri until this heaven turned to hell. >> So, tell us about that. I I asked Ellie what I could ask not ask, and he said ask about anything. If he doesn't want to answer, he'll just But he invited and asked that we ask about anything. So, the day that everything changed forever, the moment it all changed forever. >> So, it was morning of October 7th, started in 12:30. We jumped from our bed. It was alarm in Be'eri. We picked up our girls from their room to the safe room with our dog. And we were sure it's going to be for 5 minutes, but the alarms didn't stop until we got there this announcement from the emergency team of the kibbutz that asked from us to stay in the safe room because it's a possibility that Hamas terrorists infiltrated Be'eri. It was very strange for us. It didn't happen before. And of course, we stayed. And I think after an hour, we start to see these videos from the road and the and the Nova festival of young people running for their lives. And we start to understand that the situation is not really in control. The emergency team all the time update us that the army on its way. And we waited for them. And around 9:00, more than 2 and 1/2 hours in the safe room. Um Kids start to write in the WhatsApp group of the kibbutz. Somebody shot mom. Somebody shot dad. Our house is burning. And And of course, we know these kids, and it was very very difficult to read that. We know their parents, some of them were friends. And um think slowly and we start to understand this message is coming very uh close to our neighborhood in the kibbutz. Um that was the moment I approached Lianne and we whispered to each other that um it's the best way that not to resist if they're coming to our house. And that's the best way to protect Noya and Yahel. We assume that I'll be kidnapped but their British passports will protect them. We believed in that and that was was our plan. And around 11:00, more than 4 hours in the safe room, um 10 terrorists invaded our to our house, start to break things, opened the safe room door very easily. And our dog barked and probably stressed them and they start to shoot in the safe room. Lianne jumped on Noya, I jumped on Yahel. We covered them with our body. And I shout them to stop in Arabic. And they stopped and they ordered us to give them their our cell phones. We did it, of course, and Lianne immediately said to them about their British passport and they understood. And it wasn't any panic in the house, just loads of fear that I could see in Noya and Yahel's eyes. Four terrorists took them to the kitchen area and two of them grabbed me in my hands and the rest waited that Lianne will get dressed because we were jumping from our bed and she wasn't dressed. And after three or four minutes um I understood the leadership of this terrorist um uh this leader that uh told them the terrorists that told me to take me out of the house. I understood that was the moment that uh they are going to kidnap me. And I just uh succeeded to turn my head back to the kitchen area and just uh promised Noya and the girls shout them that I'll be back. And that was the last time I've seen Noya and the girls and Lianne. Unfortunately, 5 minutes later they uh they've been murdered in our house. And uh >> [clears throat] >> And I was uh I was driving outside from the house. The first thing I've seen it's uh our friends Yonatan and Doron's house uh burning. Um Apparently, they've been murdered 5 minutes before and I kidnapped and their kids been uh kidnapped as well. And they start to uh take me towards the fence, 200 m from my house. And I've seen in that time something like 100 150 terrorists coming in and out from every house. Celebrating, filming themselves, laughing. Some of them tried to hit me on the way to the car. And eventually I arrived to the car. They pushed me in the back of the car and put a blanket on me. And immediately I did two things. First of all I searched my Israel. I don't know why. But I said that for 491 days every day. And the second thing that uh I was in my surviving mode so I wanted some control of the situation. So, I started to count the minutes of driving because I want to understand if they take me far away from Barry. And it was um not more than 25-30 minutes driving, very slow drive. Um until the first stop. And that stop um some of civilians and their kids, some children trying to lynch me. Um Fortunately, um the guys that hold me succeed to take me into the mosque and dressed me and start to interrogate me. Um and they were very surprised I know Arabic and I answered them fluently to their questions. Um >> How do you know where where's the Arabic from? >> It's a good story and I studied in high school, I studied in university later a bit Arabic, but um a year two years before that I used to help Noya, my oldest uh daughter with her homework. She studied Arabic as well. And for our study we start to watch Fauda without subtitles just to make better Arabic. But we didn't speak between us Arabic or something like that, but Um on October 7th it just came to >> jointly. >> Mhm. >> And um it was a big advantage in um in all captivity time. Um but they were sure in the beginning that I'm from the Mossad or Shabak, they said to me. So, they interrogate me more and more about that because of my Arabic. Um and um they didn't believe my age. Um that I said to them I'm 51 years old and they were showing I'm much younger. And at the end of that day after we change another three or four stops, changing teams and cars, they tried to confuse to confuse the I the IDF. They were sure that the IDF um tracking them from the from the air. Um we arrived to a Palestinian family house. And I stayed there for 52 days. >> Mhm. Uh one of the things that really struck me in the book and it really made me think, it really gave me pause. You mentioned it just now. You describe in the book that when you were first taken into captivity the very people, the terrorists, the evil, wicked people who were holding you all of a sudden became the people who were protecting you. >> Yes. >> And you write in the book that several times when you moved locations each time you were exposed to the civilians, they would have lynched you and killed you. And the Hamas evil Yemach Shemam terrorists were the ones who took you in those moments transformed to become the people protecting you. And I read that, it really struck me. It for you the emotional shift and change and how you related to those people who took your life from you, but then also were helping protect your life. Could you elaborate or speak a little bit more about what that was like? >> Um it didn't surprise me because I understood from the first moment I'm a big asset for them. Uh all the hostages were a big asset for them, so they need to protect us. Uh they keep us alive. This is the order they got. If you know, they try to get their prisoners back and these exchanges. Um so we were very important for them. And that was our basic um you know, assumption about all this situation. And this is the way we tried to convince them to give us food, to keep us alive. Um you know, in very very difficult moment of starvation, we kept saying to ourselves that we are going to die in a few, you know, weeks if we continue like that. And that's the most fear for them, especially when we were we are above ground, that the civilians will, you know, identify that we are not local and we are Israelis and they will come to lynch us. And that were to us the the most fear of the of Hamas. >> Were you surprised living in Be'eri hoping and wishing that the people on the other side of that fence wanted peace with you, did it surprise you to see the so-called innocent civilian population acting that way? >> You know, October 7th was a very brutal and cruel wake-up call for all the kibbutzim in the >> [clears throat] >> all the envelope communities around Gaza. So, because we really really believe that we need peace with with our neighbors. We've done very active things for that. We donate money and food and clothes for them. We used to take some kids from the border to Israeli hospitals. We've done many things all the kibbutzim in this area. So, for me to understand and what I've seen in Gaza in all that time, it was very sad. It wasn't shocking, but it was very sad. I've met kids really brainwashed and doesn't know anything about Israeli state or Israelis. And just, you know, saying things that they heard in school or in in the mosques. >> So, we said we're not going to about politics and we're not. But do you, because of your experience, feel any responsibility or or motivation to actually get involved in the world understanding who's on the other side of that fence? And so much of the world who are ignorant and to say innocent civilians in a population and rights and Israel's the oppressor as a first-hand witness to what you lost and who they took from you, but also what you experienced and saw. Again, that's what struck me when I read how you described that Hamas were defending you from the innocent civilians. Do you or any of the other hostages that you've spoken to feel as a group that there's an opening or opportunity or even obligation to share that with the world? >> Yes, it was uh you know, after my release I started to advocating for the rest of the hostages, of course. But um you know, talking to the media, uh the world media. Um automatically you speak about your experience and um I spoke a lot about um the civilians that just tried to uh kill me. And um and Hamas terrorists become our protectors. Um So some of them try you know, it's hard for them to um believe that. Um But as I said in before in the the in the first question about the UN and about the book and how much it was important this um this speech is they can say lots of things there. No one of them tried to argue with me about my facts and about my experience. And because of that they cannot argue with me. I'm not a diplomat. I just came there to be a survivor and um talk about what I had. And they they couldn't argue with me about that. So, because of that it was very important. >> Thank you. Thank you for speaking up and having the courage and the focus after everything you've been through for doing that. Um in the book you also, as I mentioned, you talk about knowing the names or or giving a name a nickname to each of the people who kept you. Some of the conversation, having the Arabic um and and a relationship. Could you give us a glimpse of what what that's like? The very people who are evil, what they're doing to you, but there are moments of maybe humanity or connection. Again, the Hamas people who protected you from civilians. The person who gave you a little bit more food because you asked because you were hungry. Did it ever become you had to reset yourself and remember who they are so you don't feel like they're human beings? Um you have to be very very careful not to confuse. Uh it's very easy to get confused because um you're living with them 24/7. Um so we tried to remember to remind each other that uh they're still terrorists and if they get the order to kill us, they will do it in 1 second with no hesitation. Um but you live with them 24/7. Sometimes next to each other. Um and um you have to have a a kind of relationship with them if you want to survive. If you want to have the ability to ask from them food, to beg for food, um and for other things, for blanket or for pillow or toothpaste and all soap or things like that that is very basic, but it will help you to survive um you know, with a reasonable way. Um and of course, when you live with someone 24/7, you have conversation as well. And um eventually you see that it's still human being. Very twisted sometimes with all this brainwash they have in about Jihad Islamic opinion. And I remember that we had many conversations about their life, about the cousin's life, about their families, about Israel, about other things as well, about films. They they >> They didn't have orders that they couldn't talk to you and shouldn't talk to you. They were in danger. >> Sometimes sometimes they it was it was depend how much the bad that the situation is very bad outside or not. If it was negotiation time and they were much more easy with us. If it was just um war and I remember that every morning one of them used to get the phones and they were counting how many shahids they have, how many killed from them. Every morning they got this um this information from someone. Um so it's depend on what mood they we got them. But in in many many conversation I had with them, it always was ended with two things. First of all, they will come back. It doesn't really matter if we were released or not. They will come back in '26, '27, '28. They promised that. And they will kill all the Israelis again. And the second thing after that, they will come to UK, to US, France, Germany because all the world should be Muslims. Islam is the only religion religion in the world. >> Mhm. That's how they ended every conversation. >> Every conversation. It doesn't really matter what I talked to them. I could talk with them about the kids, about the film they watched um 5 years ago. It doesn't really matter. All the time it's finished like that. Uh that was very sad. >> Mhm. >> Also in the book, it seems somewhat clear you were the adult among the hostages, had a little bit more of a perspective and a little bit more of a strategy. When to speak, when not to speak, what to ask for, when to let it go. Is there something in your life and your background, are there people that you think prepared you for how you went through this experience in the way that you did? >> At the end of the day, it's situation that you need to manage. And I had behind me 20 years of managing in very brain, in other places I worked. And it's almost unfair to expect from people that 24, 25 years old to have this experience. So, I I used with what I had and you know, to give to this group that we can survive together. And and that was it was a process to get this, you know, um um the place that people can listen to you and count on you and trust you and um it's not easy. Um so, we tried to do the best. It was a process, like I said, it wasn't very smooth in the beginning. Um but we I'm very happy that we survived together. All four of us most of the time. Uh unfortunately, three guys um three Israeli hostages that were with us only three days in the beginning from November 27, I think November 29, 2023. Um Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, and Almog Sarusi were been with us and they moved to other tunnels and they've been murdered 10 months later. >> How did you track time while you were being held particularly underground? You talked about counting the minutes when you were first taken. How did you track time? >> Um, I used to be a CFO in my past. I love numbers. I am you know it's it's numbers is something that give you control. Um, so for me counting days it was easy job. Um, I used to wake up every morning and say I'm 154 days in captivity and the date is like that and that. It was very important for me. We we even knew the the time at the day um, because they have five prayers a day and we asked them loads of questions about these prayers and they were sure that we are interested in Islam but we just wanted information and they gave it to us. And the only mistake they've done with us they told us about um in February 2024 it was 29 days not 28. And so we didn't mistake about that as well. >> Do you know the fate of the people who kept you? Do Does Israel let the hostages know what happened to the people who were holding them captive whether they were eliminated? >> Um the people that hold me um most of the hostages were in central of Gaza. So um the Israeli the Israeli army didn't try not to attack in these places. They were very very careful about us. Um, so until the last minute the last agreement people still been there. So the people that hold me I know they're still alive. Otherwise I would get some information about that but the one that hold me in in the stage that you all seen the the day of my release one of them was killed yeah. Should get the rest of them please God we should hear that they were eliminated too. You survived remarkably an extraordinary amount of time with your hope your optimism your light your faith there must have been dark moments was there a particularly dark moment that you almost couldn't pull yourself back from? It was moments like that but not from you know I didn't let myself to be in that state there for more than some moments. >> [clears throat] >> We suffered from humiliations on daily basis. It's it's not very easy not to answer you know for these humiliations but you let yourself to understand that it's you have to have zero ego to survive. We were chained 24/7 in our legs with iron chain with locks. I I was chained for 485 days only a week before my release they took it off. They used to search on us and addressed us every week every two weeks and searched on our body if we made something to attack them. They used violence against us from time to time. One time was um they broke [clears throat] my ribs and again it was very difficult moment. I couldn't breathe properly for two or three months. My friends needed to help me to go to the toilet in the beginning but nothing compared to the starvation Um, that was since we arrived most of the time we when we arrived to the the tunnels we ate only two meals a day. Meals it's not a meal that you like you think. It's a bowl of rice or bowl of pasta or a one and a half pita bread a day. So, but in the beginning it was two of them. But in the last six, seven months it was only one meal a day. They reduced the meals. Uh, in the meantime they ate five meals a day. Um, dozens of boxes from humanitarian aid arrived to the tunnels every week, every two weeks. We've seen the signs on the on the boxes. So, it was very difficult um, to see them eating five meals a day and you eat one meal a day. It's not very easy. Um, so um, to stay optimistic in that moment uh, it's not very easy. But hope is something that um, you work on and optimism it's like a muscle. Um, so specially it was very necessary to keep on that and working on this optimism. It was in the last six months in the starvation. So, I started to force them the other hostages to say at least one thing good thing that happened to them in the same day. And um, and they look at me in the beginning like I lost it. But again, I reinforced them and um, try to convince them it will be good for them. >> What were some of the things they said? What what In that situation what's something someone could find in that >> all connected to a basic things about Usually it was about food if you got more or not. Or if we got you know, if we if was a salt in the food or not in oil or not. Or um, or we got a tea or tea with the sugar, it was a very good day. Um if we if some of them um some of the captors that were very cruel to us left the the tunnel for 2 or 3 days, it was amazing days for us. So, things like that. And after 2 or 3 weeks, each one of the hostages um said at least three or four um good things that happened to him in the same day. And every day we just we finish with that at that at night. It gave you a lot of strength to wake up the the the next morning and um to hope that it will be a better day. >> I I hate to be the rabbi in this moment, but I hope everybody's listening, including me, that you don't have to be a hostage to appreciate the little things. The sugar in the tea, to be grateful for the little things that happen every day, and that if that gave you the will to survive and the hope and the optimism, then everyone going through a hard time just every day having a little gratitude, finding something can bring you back from the darkness. What a powerful powerful message and image. Take us in the other direction. What were the some of the things, the small things, optimism and hope and gratitude? But what what do you credit with surviving 491 underground, held, chained? What do you think were the the elements or components that helped you survive? It was very two strong things um one of them is very natural, of course. Um We talked about it. Who survive we was we surviving for? And immediately everybody said about their families. So, it's something that you would want um very strong um to come back to to your loved ones. And um but the second thing that helped us uh a lot. It's faith facing God. Um as I said about the Shema Yisrael every day. Um and um 50 m underground when we had this routine at the every day after the first ceasefire finished um it was we started the day with Birkat Hashachar. Um and we all all four of us not religious but we all waited for Friday night to have to have Kiddush. And I started with Eshet Chayil to my mother, to my sisters, to my wife. And and we did Kiddush on water cuz we didn't have wine of course and we used to keep a quarter of pita bread from a day before and we can we can say Hamotzi Lechem. And all these blessings all these 15-20 minutes that we're talking about that it was very emotional for us. We could imagine our family gathering around the table on Friday night praying for us thinking about us. Um it was very very good. It was very emotional but very good. >> I don't know how you could describe yourself that you weren't religious by reciting Birkat Hashachar, Shema, Kiddush, saving bread for Hamotzi, Eshet Chayil. In the darkest darkest place you had the most most faith. That's that sounds very religious to me. A different definition of religious. >> Probably. >> So can we talk about this for a moment? There are people who go through much much much less circumstance and they say why God and where are you and how could you and I don't see you and I want nothing to do with you. And you didn't only do that when you were surviving which maybe someone would say well he needed to They needed to in order to survive." But even after you came out to discover who you lost and what you lost, you're still talking about God and faith. And you're still holding on to him even after the reality of everything you lost. Could you speak to us a little bit about that? How do you have faith after everything? >> Um >> [snorts] >> for me um not every hostage 60 people came back. So, for me um to be still alive it's a miracle. And to get my freedom back it's it's priceless and amazing. And I appreciate that. And in 491 days in captivity houses, buildings around me uh were bombed by the Israeli uh air force. And it didn't touch me. Um many, many times our captors were very close to kill us uh with their weapons. And still I was alive. So, I really feel that all my prayers um all my prayers was like somebody um protect me. Uh so, I had hashgacha pratit. And and I'm you know, I was released and I heard about my grief and my loss and um it was very, very difficult, of course. But um to have supportive [clears throat] family that fought for me for 500 days and to have amazing friends um so, all these things not coming, you know, without faith and something. Um And when you hear about all the Israelis and Jewish around the world that you know, didn't know me before October 7th, but still I was um you know, in the poster around the tables in holidays. Um And they prayed for me. And they light the candles around the world for me and for the other hostages. It's amazing. And um when I hear my brother Shaul that fought for me, that is here tonight, fought for me um for 500 days all around the world. Um He went um to New York on February 9th to the oil the rabbi >> [clears throat] >> and prayed for me and for my brother Yossi um to be released. And someone just approached him after I saw him and said to him, "I don't know what you pray for, but I saw that you pray very strongly and um and I'm quite sure it will be um your wish will fulfill in in 1 year." >> Wow. >> And that was February 9th, 2024. And I was released on February 8th, 2025. >> Wow. >> So so for me, I felt it all the time. My prayers [clears throat] and Am Yisrael and the Jewish world praying for me and my brother. So it's for me, it's connected all. >> Mhm. What in your life or your background were the role models who planted that faith in you that you drew from? Be'eri is not most religious kibbutz. We went our our community went on several trips. I was in Be'eri 6 weeks later, it wasn't even cleaned up yet. And on another trip we actually went to the Beit Knesset in Be'eri, which was still set up from Simchat Torah, and we sang and we danced Hosha'ana Rabbah to finish the hakafot that you and the others couldn't. But Be'eri wasn't known as a very religious kibbutz. So where where did that faith that you drew from, where did it come from? >> I born and raised in traditional family Tel Aviv. Uh my mom from Morocco, my father's from Yemen. Uh for us going to a synagogue on Fridays and of course Jewish holidays and kiddush every Friday was always there. So [clears throat] I knew all by heart. Um in Be'eri I did kiddush to my family on Fridays. It was something for me like not religious but family together Shabbat. And my brother Yossi um zichrono livracha used to be one of the head of the synagogues in Be'eri. So for us you know it's not religious but to be traditional and to know the blessings and all this was something that we're familiar. Yeah. >> Being Sephardi Moroccan is helpful there. >> I don't know. >> Very traditional, very faith, very even >> Ashkenazi is good as well. >> Ashkenazi were [laughter] >> You know. >> Not as good as Sephardi. We're work we're working on it. We're working on it. But the Moroccan Moroccan's especially. Tell us something that you you want everyone to know about Yossi. How should he be remembered? >> Wow. He did all good. Anyone that need help in anything, Yossi was there first. Um He loved life. Um he was very serious at work all the time. Um And uh he loved the sea. He used to surf. Um especially um on the weekends, and he loved every minute of that. Um he loved his family, his daughters. He was an amazing father, always there for them. Um we miss him a lot, a lot. He was um very important part of our family. Um we always remember him, for sure. >> Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. And now we will too. The orange phantom moment you described. Maybe you can tell that a little bit in in more word, the courage come from. For that moment. >> Stupidity had a noise of his courage. Um we just after um 39 days in the first tunnel, it was um January 5th, uh 2024, Friday morning, um the Israeli Air Force bombed um the mosque that we got in from um to the tunnel from, and um the terrorists were really afraid that uh the army on his way to the inside the tunnel. So, they got the decision to leave this tunnel and to move to other one. And um it was um a few hours of um preparing ourselves, and we left the first tunnel, moved to the other tunnel. It took us something like between half an hour to an hour, um to find other place that we can climb uh up and go to outside, and start to climb on on buildings that was on the on the road. Um And finally, we arrived to a the second tunnel. And before they understood what happened, it took them an hour just to understand what happened in the other tunnel and to organize things for us and all this. And we've seen this Fanta bottle in the corner. We hoped that they they didn't pay attention and we were very very thirsty. We didn't have much, you know, sugar in uh you know, in the food or or things that we really really miss them. So, we got a decision to drink it and we put the empty bottle in the in the other corner. Unfortunately, someone of them that called in the in the book the circle one, he he noticed that and he looked for that. And he started to accuse us that we drank that. And of course, we said we didn't see that and we drank just water. We don't know what he's talking about. It was amazing moment to drink that. And felt really like heaven to drink something sweet and feel human again. Um >> And the fine. >> But again, it was very very stupid thing to do. I not recommend that. Really. Um it could finish much worse. >> Yeah. >> Someone pointed out that um the book doesn't use the word Holocaust once. And even though there are a lot of comparisons one could make, your experience and how you were tortured and what you lost, was that intentional? >> Of course. I've been in March of Living as well with uh the Israeli president Hertzog. Um And I was asked in Auschwitz, you know, about all this kind people start to compare between us and the Holocaust survivor. Uh I suggest them to be very very careful with this uh with this comparison you know, comparison and I know there's some things that it look like similar and it's right. But in 1940s in Germany, in Poland and in all these places that Holocaust happened the Jewish um people didn't have a state and army uh that protect them and houses. Um so I and you know it was many for many many years they've been in concentration camps and all this so I'm I suggest that nobody will do this to compare between us. Um I think we need have to have a lot of respect of um the Holocaust survivor. Um we are not the same. >> When you look back at the book, are there things that you regret you didn't include? >> Uh if I didn't include some details it's because uh to respect the other hostages. Um I don't think it was to some um some something very very different uh um about the book about um this testimony. Um so I tried to include most of it. >> You confronted you faced evil straight on. How does that change the way you see evil? Are people born that way? Is it nature? Is it nurture? Are they redeemable? Can we bring them back if we change in education and a curriculum? When you look right now as we're sitting here missiles are coming down on our brothers and sisters in Israel. Many of us most of us almost all of us have family there. These are evil people shooting at civilian populations using missiles that are against international law evil. How does how did it change the way you think about or view evil? >> I understand that to look at that like you know pure evil and all this but for me um I don't believe people born like that. um Some people with evil interests uh influence these people. um and brain you know doing all this brainwash uh to them and using them for their own interests. And it's um really really bad. um Unfortunately our enemies uh you know trying uh you know hate the Jews and um trying to vanish us and all this but so they're using their people to do that to us. Yes, I'm confronted with the really really cool people. But they could be other people if they would born in other place in other religion maybe um that's what I believe. >> So does that inform what we should do? Policies is it about changing education and leadership or are people hopeless? They're not hopeless. If we can change >> Definitely. Um I want to believe that one day one day in the future it will take many years unfortunately. Um If you can live in peace with our neighbors um it was like that long long time ago. um Definitely the organization cannot control people um if we want peace with them and uh second thing to re-educate all the young people will take at least a generation or two. >> The young people in Gaza also the young people, some of them, too many of them in America. And you when you when you see or you came out to see and you've seen on college campuses and elsewhere people who should know better siding with Hamas calling for free Palestine or from the river to the sea. How do you as somebody who confronted that evil and survived it, how do you feel about the future of young people in America, Europe, and other countries that you see them so badly misunderstanding and siding with the wrong people? >> If you go to these marches that uh the pro-Palestinian that call this free Palestine and all this if you go to 90% of them and ask them where is Israel and where is Gaza, they don't know. They are most influenced about from the social media with loads of fake um facts. And um so except of you know to try to explain um and you know to say our things and try to to um to fight with all this social media fake um you cannot do anything else. Uh unfortunately um Israel losing these battles time after time. Um we have to do better um you know advocacy and explaining explaining that and talking with these guys. Um I know the situation in campuses are very very bad. But we have to do it. >> It's a lot of work to do and you're doing it. Thank you. You spoke about what helped you survive was faith and family and the hope that you were going to be reunited with them. And that wasn't obviously the case, and I'm not going to ask you when you found out and what that was like. I I want to respect you and not ask you. Um but the healing from that Here you've you've spoken in many, many places, and [clears throat] almost right away you spoke online, on podcasts, and interviews, and many people they would have trouble getting out of bed in the morning after lost and what you went through. And here you are, and we're so grateful for it because you're I know inspiring every single person in this room, and you've inspired people across the world. Where does that healing come from? What are some of the elements of healing that other people can learn from as well? >> After a week in of my release, I was in the hospital still in the hospital in Sheba Hospital. I asked for my my therapist to go to the graveyard. Um I needed the closure. I knew I needed if I want to rebuild my life and continue with my life and wake up every morning with uh you know with with hope and believe that I can I can do it. Um so first of all, I went to apologize for the annoyance I had that I didn't protect them well. And second >> [clears throat] >> I promised them that I will not let anyone to forget them anymore. Until my last day. And third I promised them that I will do loads of things that they will be proud of me. Um so from there I could move on and rebuild my life. Um They are with me. Leah, Noa, and Yoel, and Yossi, my brother, with me in every moment in my life. Um So, but I promised myself they will be alongside of my life, not instead of them. So, um for me uh to stay in bed and cry all day it's not something that I can do. It's not me, first of all, and I don't think it's fair for my family and my friends that fought for me for 500 days. Uh so, I don't this don't have this privilege. And I really love life. And I really want to do things uh that will help others. And um that's what I'm doing. >> You're doing an amazing way. You're such an inspiration, pal. >> [applause] >> You came out to learn who you would not be reunited with, but you also were reunited with family. What was that experience like? >> Amazing. Amazing to hug my mom and my sister in Ram Camp. My oldest sister was not. And then um to meet Eli and Sharon. Um in the hospital. And after that um my brothers and sisters-in-laws and my nephews and my nieces. Um It was amazing. It was amazing. They support me. Um They give me lots of strength. Um so for me again, I'm I'm having amazing moments with them. I'm really having a life again. Um and I'm quite sure because of their support I will um rebuild my life. >> Mhm. When did you first feel free? Did it take a little while to really know that you were free? >> [sighs] >> I felt free I think the first moment I opened the fridge and I could choose what what to eat. And the first coffee I made myself and all these basic things that um I couldn't do that for 16 months. >> Mhm. Do you have a message for us going into Pesach about slavery and freedom >> [sighs] >> and what that means? >> First of all, freedom is pri- priceless. Appreciate every moment um that you can do everything you want without asking permission from anyone. Appreciate every moment with your family and friends. I will always say that 15 m underground you never miss um material things. You don't miss your car, you don't miss your house, you don't care if it's big or small house. You don't care if you have $10,000 or million dollar in your bank. You just want another 5 minutes with your family and friends. So hug them in every moment you can do um that's what I can say to you. >> And then what does the future hold for you? What do you think? >> To come back to be anonymous. >> Mhm. >> One day. >> One day. Will happen. >> Yeah. >> You have to believe that. >> Well, we're not helping you tonight, but we do we do hope it happens for you. Um I can't thank you enough, but I I can't close without asking one more question with tremendous gratitude to Migal and myself to incredible work we saw um the video and and we We the impact that it's having. Could you talk to us about what it means to you? The the parallels of being a lost at-risk youth and being lost, not knowing who you are or where you are. Why is it important to you that tonight you're here with Magaluf? >> Magaluf represent um exactly that moment that um these kids um that need them the most in very, very dark moments and that look like everything is um is lost. And that's, you know, sometimes I could feel that in in captivity. But um as I said all the times in all these dark moments, you just need to look for some light. And sometimes it's outside, but I think most of the time all this light inside you. And and you have to remember that to see the light it's something you choose. Um exactly like Dor just we saw this um this video of Dor and he choose differently from his from his friends. And in that choice, he changed his life. So everything in life we can choose. It's always in our hands. >> Eli, I can't thank you enough. You're such an inspiration to all of us. Thank you very much. [applause] Ladies and gentlemen, Eli Chouraqui. Thank you.