Conversation with Former Hostage, Sapir Cohen

Okay. Thank you for your patience particularly those who are watching online as we've now transitioned from the part of the day of sitting on the ground and to sitting in chairs it's still very much a day of avail of mourning and of grieving of tears the theme we've been speaking about all the tears that have been watering the garden of Messiah we long to get to the point of Reena of being able to celebrate please God together. I want to thank the sponsors of this special conversation this afternoon. Master Henry in honor of all the brave soldiers and Alana and Steve of their beloved parents ch and sanitate as well. Sabir I know that you've been giving this talk and you've been speaking in New York area and in many other countries in many other places. is particularly poignant and aviv that you're with us today tishaba this day of collective national mourning the Jewish people our hearts are torn open they have been it's been tisha since but to be with us for what is a modern kina we've been saying kot all morning lamentations and describing the atrocity and the destruction the loss of life of all of our history but they're part of our past we're living corban. We're living still with atrocities today. And we want to thank you for your courage and for your faith and for your strength and for your being outspoken and for willingness to share your story with us and for you to know how hard we are. We are praying for Alexander, Sasha, and Lena Leia. how hard we are dominating from the bottom of our hearts that Sasha be released and we join you and please God we'll welcome you back to South Florida to celebrate that Hazar and Medina together is going to share the experience of what it was to wait 55 days as his sister was in captivity and then Sapir is going to share after which we'll have a a conversation. So you please Whatever is more comfortable. On October 7th, I got a phone call at 9:00 a.m. It was Safir's friend. She sounded very upset and she told me, "Aiv, I'm trying to reach Safir on phone and she doesn't answer." I told her, "Okay, so what? So call her later. What's the big deal? Is that why you wake me up? She said, don't you know what happened now in Israel? I said, no, what happened? She told me thousands of terrorists walk the border of Gaza and now they are in the same world visits. I said, what? This friend is not very reliable. So, I had to check it by myself. I opened the news and I saw that she was right. I told her, "Okay, hold on." and I hanged up the phone. I called Sat. She didn't answer. After that, I left some messages. She got them, but she didn't answer them. I called Sasha, her boyfriend. He also didn't answer. I know that they are there to celebrate Sinatraa with his family in Kibbutz, Ros. So, I wanted to call his parents, but I didn't have the numbers. I opened the Facebook and I looked for friends of Sasha. Maybe one of them had the the numbers. One of them gave me and I called both of them. None of them answered. At that point, I understood that something probably happened because there is no way that four of them don't answer the phone. I drove to my parents' home and I took some stuff of Sasha and some stuff of Sabir and I went to the police station. I talked with the officer and I told him that all of the family of Sasha and Satia, my sister, are absent and I gave him the staff and I told him to do a DNA check cuz maybe they will find something and they will be able to recognize them. The officer asked me uh where they were in the party. I told him, "No, no, in the party in Kibut." He told me, "Oh no, I saw some pictures of this place and what happened there. It was a disaster." He didn't want to give me hope. I chose to not pay attention to his words and I left the station and I thought what I can do now. Sapir works in Rafael. It's an Israeli company, high-tech company that develops sophisticated weapon for the army like the iron dome. And they also have a cyber department. So I called them and I asked them to locate the phone of Sabir. Maybe it's in Gaza, maybe it's in Israel. And she succeeded to run away. I wanted to know what happened there. They told me they will try. I came back home and I thought what else I can do? I tried in the Facebook to find anyone who live in Kibuts near O that can tell me something of what happened there. None of the people who lived in was answered me. Only few of them but they were in vacation out of the kibuts and they told me they are trying to reach their family in kibuts near and they also can't do this. So I understood it's not only my problem but many people have the same problem. I kept doing this day after day to find someone. It took me a week until I found a a lady who told me she was kidnapped together with Sasha's mom. And on the way to Gaza, something happened and she succeeded to run away. She told me that on the way to Gaza, Sasha's mom told her that all of her family were kidnapped separately. That's the first time I know what happened to them. I asked what she said about Satir. She told me she don't remember. She doesn't remember. So I said, "Okay, I have to keep checking." A week after I got a phone call from the army. They told me, "Aiv, we have bad news." They asked what happened. They told me they they found the body of Sasha's father close to the border of Gaza. he was killed. I didn't know what to do with this information because all of his family are in gazing activity. So I prefer to shut off my feelings and keep focus my uh my goal to find hints of what happened to Sabir. A week after I found in the social media in the telegram one of the channel of Hamas they published a video. In this video you could see a lady on a bike and one terrorist in front one terrorist in behind and they are driving into Gaza. And in Gaza there are many citizens that are celebrating and trying to hit the lady and throwing things on her. The video was taken from behind so it wasn't clear who is the lady but I could see one leg and part of the back and I could recognize some marks on her body and I knew it was appear. I took this video and I sent it to the army to the police to the Shabbach and I told them if they can recognize the terrorist maybe it will guide them where to find her in Gaza. It was the first time I know she was kidnapped. After a few days, I got another phone call from the army. They told me a we have bad news. I asked what happened now. They told me we succeeded to locate the phone of SAP and we found it in Gaza. I said, "Okay, so what is that? I know she's in Gaza. I gave you a video." They told me are really at that time the army was very confused. They were were there was a lot of mess in the army. The police no one knew about the other. So I understood that I have to do things by myself to increase the chance that she will come back. I thought what I can do. At that time the Russians talked a lot about releasing their people. I mean the Israel hostages who has a Russian passport and I thought that Sasha has a bigger chance to be released than Sappiril. So maybe if they are married and they will release Sasha they will release Sapir as well. So I wanted somehow to fake their marriage. I know it will be too complicated to do this but in Israel there is a phrase called known in public. I don't know if it's exist in America or not but it means like married but without wedding and this uh phrase is more vague than regular marriage. So I thought maybe I can fake it. I talked with the Russian embassy and I tried to find out what documentation I have to fill. It was a very complicated process, very long but I try to make it happen. A few days after h the hostages family organization talked to me and they told me they have some delegations to some countries and they are trying to talk with the governments and to press Hamas to release the hostages and they offered me if I want to join one of them. I said yes of course I have to do something and I joined the delegation to Canada. I talked with the ministers with the governor. I gave them all the information what I found the video everything and I tried to press them as much as I can. After this delegation I couldn't come back to Israel because everyone in Israel are talking about the news and what happened to the hostages and everyone has its own theory of what happened to them and I couldn't listen to it because it was too hard. So I chose to stay in United State in one of our relatives. A month after Israel made a deal with Hamas. In this deal, Hamas should release 50 hostages in 5 days. Each day another 10 hostages. And they should publish the list of the hostages who is going to be released the day after each day. So, uh, every day I look to the list and I hope that Sophia will appear there. The first day she wasn't there. The second she wasn't there. The third she wasn't there. The fourth she also wasn't there. But the fourth day they cheated and they put three cops instead of alive hostages in the list. Israel didn't accept the list and they told them to change it until 12 a.m. and if not they are going to attack again and the deal is cancelled. I know that this is the last day they are going to release someone because the day after they are not going to release anyone after this cheating. I prayed all day long that they will replace the the corpse and Safir will be one of the hostages instead. At 1:00 a.m. I saw the updated list and Sappir was there. I can't express what I felt when I saw the list, but I didn't want to be too happy before I see her in Israel because when you do deal with Hamas, you never know when they will cancel it and you can't really trust them. A day after I met I met my family. They waited for him in the hospital. I was still in United States because at that time there were no flights and uh I met them in the zoom and we saw in an helicopter on the way to Israel and then she came back. We didn't know in what condition she will come back. We were very stressed about it because maybe she went through very bad things that will affect her whole life. And then she came to the hospital and start to talk and she told us the same story she's going to tell you now. This is a special place for Sasha that you can see. Hello everyone. I'm so excited to be here and to meet you. My name is Air Coin. I was 55 days in the captivity. My story begins six months before the captivity. I felt that something very bad will happen to me and I didn't know why I feel like that because everything in my life was perfect. During the time I felt that maybe I have a very big illness in my body and I just need to discover it. So I decided to go to many doctors and I did all the possible tests. One of the doctors tell told me yes you have a virus in your body but it's not dangerous as your feelings. I didn't believe this doctor because my feelings was so bad and so strong and for the first time in my life I decided to pray. I was looking for a prayer for complete recovery and one day a prayer appeared in my Instagram. It was a chapter in tale and they wrote there that if you read it for 30 days you will be healthy and miracles will happen to you. So I'm saying it's a great deal that's what I wanted from that day I said the prayer every day every day 30 days and the last day was the October 7. After two weeks, I remember this prayer and it was very strange because I needed to cancel the law school because I couldn't remember the laws and now I remember a chapter in TA with very complicated words. On the last week, the kidnapping week, it was the first time that I say the prayer and I'm noticed to the words that I'm saying. And the prayer is not related to medicine. It's related to war. And God saved me from the enemies. And even the world kamas appear there. Chapter 27. And I'm saying why I pray this? It's not what I wanted. For which war I prayed to be saved. On October 7, I understood the meaning of this prayer. Me and my boyfriend Sasha planned to go to Kibut Nose to visit his parents to celebrate Sinatra. In that weekend Sasha doesn't want to go and it's very surprised me because all the time he told me Sabir if I say to my parents that I come I never cancel because it made her my mother. But in that weekend, Sasha say, "Sabir, I don't want to go and I don't know why." But unfortunately, I convinced him and we went to the keyboards on Saturday. I woke up at 6:00 at morning because I heard the rockets. It was like a rain of rockets, very, very strong. And we were in a guest room with no shelter. We couldn't find even 20 seconds of silence to run to the parents house to enter to the shelter. And I'll say Sasha, what we can do now? I can't wait to explode here. And I say maybe we can lie down near the wall because it feels more safe. And we lie down maybe an hour, an hour of rockets. After an hour, we got a message from his mother. And the message is there are terrorists in Kibbutzberry. Kibutsbury it's 10 minutes from Nos. Sasha entered to the internet and we saw an article terrorist slaughtering us and the army doesn't come. When I saw that I was so scared and after two minutes we got another message. Sasha looked at his phone and turn it around and I knew what the message but I didn't want to believe. So I asked him, "Sasha, tell me what the message." And he told me, "No matter what, just be quiet." In that moment, I took a blanket. I put it over myself. I didn't want to see anything. And we hide under the bed because there is no place to hide there. And then I heard alawakbar alawakbar maybe hundreds hundreds of terrorists entered to the kibuts and I heard things explode. I heard the screams of the terrorist and the screams of the people that killed by them and it hurt like they go on by home and shooting everywhere everyone. And we just wait to our time. In that moment, I say my prayer again and again and again. And I was terrified. I was shaking. All in my body was water. But when I say this prayer, I felt something deep inside of me. I felt peace. And I didn't understand how can I feel that in this situation. Finally, the terrorists came to our house. They shut the door. They come inside and broke everything. I just heard a very high level of noise. And then I heard such a scream. They took me from the blanket. Maybe 10 terrorist. They took us separately. When I go outside, I saw Sasha with the knees on the floor with the hands over his head and bleeding face because they beat him. And they put me on a bike with two terrorists and took me to Gaza. That was the last moment that I saw Sasha. When I came to Gaza, I saw thousands of people, all the innocent civilians. They are all encouraged the terrorist they are all come to touch me and to beat me and they beat me strong that I need to put the hands on my head and I say God please save me I don't want to die here and finally the two is today save me because the main goal in most of the situations is to take you alive in Gaza I was one month in houses and one month in tunnels in hard conditions But I felt miracles and I think that one of the biggest miracles that I felt is that I felt that maybe I supposed to be there. I was with another hostage young girl 16 years old. I met her on the first day and when I saw her she was crying and she was terrified. And when I saw her, I say to myself that I don't need more than it to understand that I need to be in this place, that I want to save her and I want to make her happy. And from that moment that I decided to take this responsibility, I felt so powerful. I didn't know how I feel like that. And I could take every bad moment and make it to funny moment sometimes. I remember that one day she came to me and she say I'm so hungry but the terrorist they don't want to give me food. So what we can do? And I'm saying you know it's not a big deal. I saw there a room with all the bread inside and I'm saying now we have a mission and you need to be my guard and she say you know what okay I want to be your god. So I told her now I come inside I take all the pa I hide it we go quickly to this room we sit and eat quickly if the terrorist come just hide it and do sport. She say okay. So I came inside, I took it, we eat quickly. Then the terrorist came, we hide it. And he asked, "What are you doing here?" And we and I did sport, sport, sport. And she wanted to laugh with all the mouths full of beaten. And I say, "No, no, you can't. You can't." And then he just look at us and he didn't want to be part of that. So he go and we eat. And I saw her, she was laughing. And I say to myself, it was very difficult moment, but we could make a laugh. After a few days, they wanted to take us to the tunnels. And this girl, she said, Sappi, no, I I can't go to the tunnels. And an told her, you know, we are in Gaza and we have to see the number one attraction here. It's the tunnels. And she's saying, "Spiri was so crazy, but maybe I want to be crazy like you." One day, one of the terrorists drew a memorial candle and he wrote my name on this candle and I was very angry because every day I talked with him maybe five hours because nobody want to hear him and I need a food. So we talk and talk and now he want to kill me. And I asked him why I wrote my name and he told me because I hate you. You are my enemy. But when you are here in this place all the place is lighting. And I say what? I couldn't believe that I heard it from a terrorist. And every day I said three things. The first is my prayer. The second is thank you God that you send me to this place because I feel all the power that you gave me and I know how to use it to keep myself and to help to the other hostages. And the last is thank you God about all the angels that you send me to the hill. And when I came back to Israel and I saw how many people prayed for me in Israel in all over the world and I saw how many people decided to be more good people because they believe that this thing will bring me back. I understood that all the angels that I felt, they are not imaginary. But unfortunately, my boyfriend Sasha is still there with another 115 hostages. I saw some group of them that get just salt water for a drink and this water destroy their body that get just one pa per day. Some of them injured and some of them have very bad illnesses and they don't get the appropriate treatment or the appropriate medicine. On the first day, I met another hostage, an old man, 85 years old. They beating so strong that after a few days, we dead. The hostages think every day about their families and they don't even know who's still alive and who killed. And these thoughts kill them every day more and more. the father of Sasha killed and his mother and grandmother kidnapped and released. And this is the time to do everything that we can to bring them home alive. The last thing that I want to share with you, maybe it's the most important one. One day the terrorist called me to watch TV and when I watched TV I saw the kidnap square in Tel Aviv and I saw all our people together thousands thousands of people all of them together all of them want to bring back and when I saw that I was very excited because what I remember before the October 7 is a very division in our nation. But what surprised me even more is that one of the terrorists say when all the Jewish are together like this, they are very very strong. And I believe that maybe the main goal of this war is to make all the Jewish together. Thank you. [Applause] As I said, thank you so much to both of you for sharing with us and for reliving these horrific dark moments and for being such a source of light and inspiration. And for us, this is a modern kina. What you're describing is not about something years ago but with Sasha is something which is very much ongoing. Sab I want to ask you you talk a lot about you found that prayer and what it meant and what it means to you. You're still saying it each day. You're still saying it. Where did that come from? Did you grow up with a relationship with Amuna, with Hashem, with faith from your parents? where where did it come from in that moment to dig deep in that place? So I was always belief person even that I didn't pray and my family religious but they was koni and they it has coup and I remember even when I was in Gaza my mother she invited every day a group of 15 women to pray for me and when they came back. When they came to our house, they was crying and my mother put a music and she say, "No, in this house I want you just to be happy and to send good energies to my daughter." And after that my picture, the picture of my kidnapping came and it was very hard to see that my mother was so sad and she told me that after a few days the group came again and they saw the pictures and they cried and she told them, "No, no, you don't understand the pictures." And the picture is that I'm on the bike with the two terrorists. So, so she said, "Yes, this is my daughter, but this is a movie and she's the main role and this the terrorist they are her bodyguards and the producer of the movie is God. So, everything will be good." So I was optimate all my life and I was believed but maybe it's for my parents but that was the first time that I decided to pray. I don't know why Aivir is lucky to have you as a brother and I think that you really represent of what it means to be a family. The way we get out of this as spoke about the to be unified that we're all brothers and sisters and brothers and sisters go to the end of the earth to fight and don't sleep at night and turn things over and fake marriages and do whatever they need to do in order to take care of one another. And that's we all need to be brothers and sisters the way I you were and you are to Sapir. When you saw that video, that picture of Sappir on the motorcycle with the two terrorists, I've seen it. Many have seen it. I'm sure it gave you hope. hope she's alive. But it also must have been devastating to see their faces, the terrorists and to see the people around them and pulling into Gaza. What was it like to see that picture for the first time and and how do you feel? And then Sabir, I'll ask you, how do you feel that that picture is public? Is it important for the world to see what happened or is it a sort of violation of your privacy that that that's not why you should be known that this picture is something that's out there and it's sort of an iconic picture of this horrific event of October 7. So when I saw this uh video the first time, I didn't really know what to feel to be happy because she's alive or to be sad because her life is in their hands and they can do whatever they want with her. H actually I was uh more afraid after I saw this video. Uh if I think that uh people should see this video. Yes. Uh and that's why I showed the uh the ministers in Canada. I think that uh people should see how how are the uh the citizens in Gaza. They are not so innocent like everyone thinks and uh the world shouldn't know it even if it's a little damaged the privacy but I think it's worth it. So, what was it like for you to see this picture of this movie once you came out? I don't know if you've seen it or if you watch it. Must be something so hard to see and to live in. How do you feel about people seeing it? Yes, I saw the picture and the video when I was on the way to Gaza. I saw that many citizens came to take a pictures and I tried to put my my head like this because and I did a little smile because I wanted that if my mother see that she she will not be too much scared about me. When I came back most of the times when I go to speak with people I came with I bring that the this picture and the video because they need to see they need to see the citizens. They need to understand what happened because I think that even when we talk people can't understand it it's too much bad to understand what happened. I also came back to Hibut Nose to show the damage because in October 7 I was so I was in shock. I couldn't see nothing. Even if there was a bodies on the floor, I I couldn't see that. And when I came back to the kibuts, I saw that house in front of me. It was house of a family, two parents and three young children. and the kamas they burn this house with all the family inside and I just go from house to house and I heard all the stories I know that sometimes people say I don't want to see that because it caused me to nightmare but it's so important so I do that because I want to know everything that was there and I want to tell that to the in your experience when you were first taken in, you both made the point that this notion of the innocent civilians and innocent victims, that wasn't your experience. They were celebrating and they were and they were partnering with the terrorists themselves. Is that part of when you go speaking and are you interacting with political leaders and trying to educate them also on this? Uh yes, I speak actually just in Jewish communities because I really feel that all these bad things happened because something in the Jewish nation, something not good in the Jewish nation. So I want that all the Jewish in all the world will feel connected to what happened in Israel and to what happened on October 7 and maybe to do something and I'm also met with many influenced people and I tell them the story. I'm not sure if it's if it's do something or not, but I do everything that I can. You spoke about the importance of of that even the terrorist who was holding you so hostage square that when we're together, they feel that we're very very strong. What are the things that we can and should be doing? How can we have greater among our people? Like you said, you know, we brought this on. There's something in us that Hashem is allowing this to unfold and to happen. There's something we need to fix and repair. That's what this day to Shabb are really all about. So what are the things that we could do to repair and to fix and to be a better people? So there are many things and some some people decide for example to pray. They take the naves and and pray for these hostages. And some people make delegations and come to Israel to be with the injured soldiers and to do something for them. Some people make donations. But I think that maybe before someone want to do something, he need to feel connected. I remember that one day the rabbi from Arizona came to Israel and I know him and he say maybe you want to come with me to the hospital to meet all the soldiers and I say okay and we go and we talk with all the soldiers and just after we talk with them he take their names and he told me now I go to pray for them and I thought to myself that it's very important because I I remember that someone gave me names of soldiers and say maybe pray for them but I didn't feel that I I really pray for them because I don't know them but after we talk and then we take the names I could do so maybe first of all people need to find the connections and just after to do something really from their heart and not just to say okay we did it. What can you tell? What can you tell us about Sasha as we continue to pray for Alexander Sasha Bena? We want to know him better. I didn't you the wrong man. I I didn't know if it was too hard to ask you sir. Of course you can answer but I thought it'd be easier maybe not easy but easier to ask. Are you sure you want to ask me because answer you both you'll both tell us and then we'll meet him and we'll we'll see who's more right. Okay. So, uh, it's a a little funny story. Okay, I don't know if it's funny, but I will tell you anyway. Uh, on Sasha is a person who really like to talk. He really, really like it too much. And every Shabbat when Sapir wanted to invite him to my parents' home, she also called me to come because she couldn't deal with him herself. So she needed the help to share the talking and uh many times I came h and uh on a Thursday before October 7 she asked me the same to come because she wanted to to bring him and I told her Sophia this time I don't want I want to be with my peace at home I don't want it because the last time I was there and it's enough for me and she told me no no no you must come. I told her, "No, no way. I'm not coming this time." She told me, "Remember this. Now you don't have a sister anymore." Do you know how many times I remember this sentence when she was in Gaza? Because uh yeah, that that's my sister. She's not so pure as you think. So, but except this thing, Sasha is a nice guy. So, here tell us what what makes Sasha great. What what do you love about Sasha? What will what are we going to love about Sasha? So, Sasha is very special guy. I I date him in the past. I'm not sure the past simple or how say that in the past I date with many guys and all the time I say no this no this no and when I met Sasha so first of all I look at him like this he's so tall and I say wow her cul so big guy and I remember that one time we were in a mall and we saw there a young man just stand there and Sasha told me I know that this man is hungry but he doesn't have money so I give you and give him because I don't want to scare him and I gave him the money and after that we saw that this man go and bought a food so Sasha can recognize what what people feel and he want to help them is also also handyman. If someone have need to fix something from the friends, they all they all the time call him and he came to fix it. Sasha also have a traditional it's very famous in Israel. It's called coffee for Sasha. every day at 3:00 people make coffee together and make a picture and tag his Instagram because it's no matter where Sasha if it's in the work or in the school or maybe also in Gaza I hope he call all the people around him and he say now we make coffee together and sit together and this is how we try to make all the people united So it's very special for me and I hope that he will come back and we will marry. Please God, we're winding down. I know some people are here from so only a couple of questions left but could you share with us if it's not too difficult where were you and how did you find out that you were going to be released? And I know that you met somebody when you found out that you were going to be released. So um okay it's very important people to know. So I met Senoir now you know who is Senoir. Yes. Um he came to one of the tunnels that I was and he say to the young girl tomorrow you go to your home. And he also say to me tomorrow you go. But then another terrorist say no she's not underrating. He thought that maybe I'm under 18, but I'm 30. So, and he asked me what I did in the army and I couldn't say that, but I also didn't remember what what I told in the investigation that they do to me. So, all my face was red when when he asked that. And after a few seconds, you just he just look at me and go, one day, 10 minutes before, someone told me, maybe in 10 minutes you go to your home, but it's 90%. But every day they told me the same. So I didn't believe. But after that, I saw someone very familiar. They called him big boss and Israel killed him few weeks ago. And when I saw him, I understood that yes, I go back to Israel. And I really they took me to the hospital in Israel. And then I met all my family. And that was the first time that I knew that Sasha in Gaza. When I met all my family, I I felt that I came back like different person. I think that everyone that came back from the captivity is is different and at first it was very complicated to my parents to accept it. They say to a maybe Sapp can make a little bit crazy but no I'm not crazy. I'm just changed. But now they accept it. So I want to ask one again. Thank you. And I want to ask one last question to you because I think it's really important. I think it's important in general. I think it's particularly important today in You mentioned that they're in captivity and none of us can imagine and shouldn't imagine what that is to be captured by terrorists and to go through what you went through. I don't have to elaborate, but you made a choice. You decided that you could be free even while you were in captivity. If you choose to show kindness and love and to help that younger person and that way you really represented, we could be in a very dark moment in a dark place and going through a dark time. But we have the free will. We have the choice even even when the time is not our own and even when we're being held hostage. You described the role of of kindness and of positivity and of trying to even when a person is entitled to think only about themselves to still see another person. Where did you find that courage and that energy and how important is that? How can that help all of us, please God, who are not in the same circumstance, but in whatever challenge a person is going through in life to dig deep. You know, also I I read an interview with you where you talked about when you were young, you were shy. And the idea that now you're a public speaker and speaking in front of hundreds and hundreds of people, maybe thousands of people, is not anything you thought you could do. And when we're tested, when we're pushed into a certain circumstance, it brings out a piece of us we didn't even know we had. So how did this whole experience you you became a public speaker you became a social worker you became a person who did you you chose to make of this circumstance to to the best that you could how did you do that and could you share a little bit of how important that is for us so I remember when on the first day in the captivity I just thought to myself why why it's happened to me and I just thought Maybe if I listen to Sasha that he doesn't want to go there or maybe if I could hide in different place m maybe maybe and it's just explore my head and then I said to myself that I'm belief person and if God decided to send me to this place there is a reason for that and I felt that maybe all the time all the six months that I felt that something very bad will happen to me. It happened because I felt that all my life I didn't do something with meaning. And I'm saying to myself that this is the time to do the most important thing that I can do in my life to keep this girl. When I decided it when I decided to do that, I just put all my problems on the side and I focus on the girl on on her problems. It saved me. It saved all it saved my soul. That's what I felt. And I'm just told that I thought what I can say to the terrorist and I just like saw it like a game. What how how can I win this game for me and for him? So I was very shy before that's right and I couldn't speak in front of an audience. When I came back, I felt that maybe because I I experienced the most bad thing and I was so scared and I was terrified and after that it's not it's no matter I can do everything and I feel that I can say this story in front of many people because maybe this is what I supposed to do. And you mentioned you met President Trump. Yes, I spoke in a Trump event. It was also a Jewish community, very influenced people. And I'm also I say Shabbat. I decided it on October 7 when the terrorist almost when they broke our door. I decided I say God, I will save Shabbat. I will save Shabbat. I don't know why, but yes. So now I'm safe but I want to be honest. So on the way to Gaza when all the people came to beat me and say God and then I say no I'm not. So if you want to kill me kill me. So now I just say Shabbat it's not just but is everything is the brahapir. Thank you so much for being with us. Thank you for being you. We join we join with your family. We join with the whole Jewish world in thanking Hashem that your home and we pray with the whole Jewish world. We pray from the bottom of our heart for Sasha Alexander Sasha Benina Leia and all the hostages. They should be able to come home. And please God, we should celebrate your wedding and welcome you back for your honeymoon. or better yet to see you there together in Thank you so so much. [Applause] me. [Music]