Bar Kupershtein, one of the Israelis freed from Hamas captivity in last month’s hostage deal, returned home Sunday to a hero’s welcome in Holon, 738 days after being abducted from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023.
Kupershtein, who had been staying at the Kfar HaMaccabiah Hotel in Tel Aviv since his release three weeks ago, was greeted by cheering residents, waving flags and singing as fire trucks joined the citywide celebration.
“I love you, people of Israel. I’ve dreamed of this for two years. It’s crazy to be back home,” he told ynet upon arriving in Holon. “I didn’t believe it, not even in my dreams. Even now, I still can’t believe it.”
Smiling and shaking hands with well-wishers, Kupershtein thanked the crowd for their support. “Thank you for fighting for me,” he said. Holon Mayor Shay Keinan, who welcomed him personally, called Kupershtein “a hero of Israel — an example of mutual responsibility, as he demonstrated at Nova when he saved lives and was kidnapped.”
Since his release, Kupershtein has twice visited Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where families of those still held in Gaza continue to gather. On one visit he addressed the crowd, thanking the public and urging continued efforts to bring the remaining captives home. On Friday, he joined a public tefillin-laying event at the square, praying for the return of the 11 hostages still in Gaza. “It’s like a dream come true. I prayed for two years to do this,” he said.
Kupershtein has spoken publicly about the abuse he endured during captivity, saying Hamas guards beat him and others after comments by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir about tightening conditions for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
“Around day 270, there was an issue with Ben-Gvir and the prisoners,” Kupershtein said. “They came to us and just beat us up, lined us against the wall. They said, ‘This is because of Ben-Gvir — what he’s doing to our prisoners, you’ll get in return.’ They repeated that several times.”