As former hostage Ofer Calderon arrived at the hospital in Israel, he took a moment to ask the van to stop so he could wave to a group of longtime friends – members of "The Smurfs" cycling group who had waited 15 months for his return.
The group, active for over a decade, dedicated every ride in recent months to his safe return. Unable to stay home at the time of his release, they cycled to the closest point they could reach.
Ofer Calderon waving to his friends near the hospital after his release
"We're a unique group from all over the country. We've been riding together for 13 years," said Navit Hermesh, one of the group’s veteran members. "We meet in small teams and take an annual trip abroad."
Attorney Shai Rave, known as "Papa Smurf" among the riders, explained: "During the week, we’re busy with work, but we ride together on Fridays. We have 30–40 members of all ages and we love riding in the Judean Desert, the Gaza border region and the Golan Heights. Our full name is 'The Smurfs: Riders, Reasonable and Mediocre.'"
Since the October 7 attack and Calderon's abduction, the group remained focused on that day. "It's been a troubling time," Hermesh said. "The worst part was losing Oren Goldin, the youngest in our group, who was murdered in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. He was the first to leave the gate, leaving behind a wife and twins.”
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“We stay in touch with his family and held a memorial ride for him,” she added. “When Ofer was kidnapped, it felt like the ground was pulled from under us. We barely rode for six months, focusing instead on keeping his memory alive. Seeing him again felt like our hearts began beating again."
"We carried signs with Ofer’s name In every ride in Israel and abroad," Rave added. "We wrote his name on stones. He was always with us – at work, at home. I have a picture of him in my office. People talk about the families of the victims and hostages, but each of them also has close-knit circles of friends. We felt like Ofer’s family."
"I had an 'Our heart is held captive' necklace, half of which symbolized Ofer,” Hermesh noted. “It stayed with me through difficult times and I can't wait to give it to him when we meet."
Calderon was flown to the hospital by the son of a fellow Smurf. "That’s how we got live updates about his flight," Hermesh said. "We planned to meet at a friend's house in Ramat Gan and ride to the hospital. When we arrived at the helipad, the security realized they had no choice but to let us follow the car taking him to the ward.
"When he stepped out of the car, he was only 10 meters away, waving and smiling. I couldn’t hold back — I lay down on the grass. We’re in a completely different place now."