After 738 days in captivity in Gaza, 23‑year‑old Israeli hostage Bar Kupershtein returned home Monday to an emotional reunion with his family, marking a poignant moment in the broader campaign for hostage release.
Photographed by journalist Ziv Koren in the immediate hours of his arrival, Kupershtein is seen embraced by his parents and participating in the Jewish ritual of laying tefillin — a gesture his mother described as deeply moving, saying her son “was all light, who hadn’t seen the sun in so long.”
“I feel gratitude beyond words to everyone who fought for so long to bring us home,” Kupershtein said in remarks near his family.
“I passed through a very difficult period, to say the least. It will take me some time to adjust. But the most important thing is that I am here — with my family, with friends, with the people I love. I am home. I am free.”
His mother, Julie Kupershtein, added: “Bar didn’t enter captivity as a religious man, but his faith was strong and became stronger there. He spoke to God. To see Bar laying tefillin is a deeply emotional moment — a Jewish soul being filled again. This is also a tribute to the thousands of volunteers and supporters worldwide who prayed and laid tefillin for him and all the hostages for two years.”
The return of Bar Kupershtein comes amid the release of several remaining hostages following lengthy negotiations with Hamas, and underscores the ongoing emotional and political pressure on Israel to secure the safe return of all captives.