As news broke of the upcoming release of captive IDF soldier Edan Alexander, former hostage Agam Berger joined Independence Day celebrations in New York Sunday night, marking 77 years since the founding of Israel.
"482 days, 700,000 minutes — I was held by a brutal terror group responsible for crimes against humanity witnessed by the entire world," Berger told the crowd of about 800, which included Jewish community leaders, media figures, influencers and elected officials. Fellow former hostage Andrey Kozlov was also present.
Berger, who was abducted from the Nahal Oz base on the morning of October 7 while serving as a lookout, described the conditions of her captivity and her efforts to maintain Jewish observance.
"When the murderers broke into the shelter, I prayed the ‘Shema’ prayer over and over. I fasted on Yom Kippur, Tisha B’Av and the Fast of Esther — even when I didn’t know when the next meal would come," she said.
She also recalled refusing to violate the Shabbat, even when her captors pressured her and insisted on keeping kosher despite the severe food shortages. "I refused to cook for my captors on Shabbat and wouldn’t eat meat for kosher reasons. When I realized Passover had arrived, I refused to eat leavened bread — even though all I had was pita."
Since her release over 100 days ago, Berger has joined the campaign to free the 59 hostages still held in Gaza. "I won’t rest, I won’t sleep, I won’t be silent until the last of our hostages returns to our homeland — the country we built to protect every Jew," she said. "We have a right to exist in this land but there is no future without bringing our captives home. A Jew is a messenger of hope — be messengers of hope for our hostages."
Berger spoke alongside U.S. elected officials and New York City Mayor Eric Adams at an event initiated by Israel’s Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis. During her address, Berger recounted the small ways she and fellow hostage Liri Albag observed Jewish rituals.
"We held symbolic Shabbat ceremonies — sometimes with makeshift candles used for light. On Memorial Day, we lit a candle and stood for a minute of silence in honor of our fallen heroes."
"There were times we heard the radio and could follow the Jewish calendar," she added. "We knew when it was Memorial Day. We lit a candle, stood in silence and sang 'Hatikvah’ (Israel’s national anthem). We hoped you’d make the words 'to be a free people in our land' your mission — and do everything for us."
On her birthday in captivity, Berger briefly saw her mother on television during a tribute at the ANU Museum in Tel Aviv. "She offered a prayer for my return. It was a moment I’ll never forget. I knew she’d never give up. But my captors tried to break me. They told me my mother wasn’t on the news and that she wasn’t fighting for me. When they saw I was encouraged by seeing her, they shut off the TV."
"I was left alone and my faith grew stronger," she continued. "Because that’s the Jewish people — 'the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread.' That’s Israel’s spiritual strength.
“We can survive, even flourish, under pressure and persecution. I was kidnapped because I’m Jewish. I risked my life to hold onto that identity. You can’t take away my free will — and you can’t take away my Judaism."
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Berger shared a note her sister found during Passover cleaning, written a year before the kidnapping: “I wish I could play more music — and change something important.” She also recalled her visit to Auschwitz with a 130-year-old violin that survived the Holocaust. "On Polish soil, I promised to keep this violin alive — and to play the eternal melody of the Jewish people."
She ended with a call to action: "No human being is exempt from October 7. We all carry the responsibility to bring our brothers and sisters home. We must act, repair and make the world better. There is no future without bringing back the hostages. Redeeming captives is the highest moral, national and Jewish obligation. Mutual responsibility is the heart of Judaism."
Agam Berger playing 130-year-old violin from the Holocaust
(Video: GPO)
Akunis echoed her message: "We are committed to bringing back all the hostages and defeating Hamas. To our enemies, we say — you’re failing, we are winning. We will never abandon our land or our capital, Jerusalem."
Adams, who has voiced support for Israel throughout the war and faced criticism for it, said Hamas must be destroyed and all hostages brought home now.
Republican Congressman Mike Lawler also expressed support for Israel, noted the hope for Edan Alexander’s release and stressed that four deceased hostages with U.S. citizenship — currently excluded from the latest deal — must also be returned.