Dozens gathered outside Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate Simchat Torah, as ten former hostages freed from Gaza the day before continued their recovery inside.
From the hospital window, freed hostages Rom Braslavski and Bar Kupershtein waved and formed a heart symbol with their hands as the crowd cheered below. Several others could be seen watching from the windows, and some of the visitors later went up to the ward holding Torah scrolls to bless the survivors.
Rom Braslavski and Bar Kupershtein make a heart gesture
(Video: Ido Erez)
Simchat Torah celebrations at Sheba
(Video: Ido Erez)
Meanwhile, Omri Miran, another freed hostage, began catching up on two lost years with his daughters, Roni and Alma. His wife, Lishay, showed him video clips from their time apart, including footage of Alma, who was only six months old when her father was abducted, learning to crawl and later playing with her sister.
At Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Avivit Zatlman, head nurse of the returnees’ ward, said the five survivors treated there had undergone medical examinations and were spending time with their families. “It’s an incredible privilege,” she said. “They’re in relatively good condition, relaxed, talking briefly about what they went through — overall, they’re doing okay.”
Omri Miran watches a video of his daughters
(Video: Sagiv Tal)
For the first time since the October 7 massacre, it was confirmed Monday that Braslavski and Kupershtein, both kidnapped from the Nova music festival, were active-duty IDF soldiers on leave, not civilian security guards as previously thought.
Braslavski, 21, served in the Logistics Corps. After his abduction, witnesses told his family he showed exceptional bravery on October 7, helping people escape Hamas terrorists. “He showed courage beyond imagination,” his father Ofir said. His mother Tami added: “He didn’t see death or danger. Unarmed and without a car, he ran from place to place and helped others against all odds.”
Kupershtein, a soldier with the Nahal Brigade’s 932nd Battalion, was identified in a Telegram video bound hand and foot after his capture. He turned 23 in Hamas captivity last April. His father Tal, who was left disabled after a motorcycle accident but recently regained the ability to speak, said his son had risked his life to save others. “He helped the wounded when the terrorists arrived. He drove to the chaos four times in a Ranger. He could have escaped but chose to go back."