167 Days
Once thought to be hostages, Itay Chen and Daniel Perez, both soldiers, were in fact murdered October 7, defending Israel from the terrorist attacks, according to new information. Their bodies have been kept by Hamas as bargaining chips, meaning that indignity upon horror upon heartbreak, their parents cannot bury them.
You didn’t know Itay, nor did I, but in a way, he is so familiar. With a wide easy smile that made his cheeks puff up, he looked younger than his years, and was likely irresistible to Jewish grandmothers. With a father from Brooklyn, Itay had US and Israeli citizenship and visited New York often. Coney Island was a favorite, as was basketball and Playstation. Itay was 19 years old.
Originally from South Africa, Daniel Perez moved to Israel at 13. The son of a prominent rabbi, he rose to be an Army Platoon Commander and was credited with saving many lives during battle, including that of his brother. A funeral for Daniel was recently held in Jerusalem, the coffin empty but for his blood, retrieved from the battle site. Daniel was 22 years old.
Please say their names. Pray for their families.
Last week, Itay’s parents went to the White House and gave President Biden a menorah, as a reminder that light will always dispel the darkness and evil will not win. After 167 days, the prospect of light prevailing over darkness must seem elusive to the still-waiting hostage families. But it is to that light they cling, if only because there is no other option. And if you know anything about Israelis, you know they always pivot towards the light.
Light over darkness has been a central theme to Shelly Shem Tov’s life for the last 167 days. Shelly is mother to 21-year-old Omer who was taken hostage from the Nova Festival. On October 7 Shelly and her family watched in horror as Omer’s phone location was tracked deep into Gaza. Then, nothing. The next morning, Shelly taped the light in Omer’s bedroom to the ON position so his room would always be lit. Every sunrise, Shelly goes into Omer’s room, touches his belongings, and speaks to him while looking out his window. She has left the room as he left it, which she described as a mess, because she believes in her heart that he will come home, hug his parents and siblings, and finally, clean it up.
Shelly knows about Omer’s first 54 days in captivity because he was with a friend who was returned in an early hostage deal. Speaking in a voice laden with grief, Shelly shares what she knows. She knows they were beaten, deprived of food, kept in darkness and told to speak only in whispers. Complicating those harsh conditions, Omer suffers from asthma and celiac disease, and is without an inhaler or medication. Shelly was told by the friend that he and Omer spoke in hushed tones about what they would do when they got home. Telling this story, Shelly twisted in her chair uncomfortably; the pain Omer endures is hers. Tall and strikingly beautiful, Shelly is nevertheless anguish personified. Her speaking cadence is halting, as if she may not make it to the end of the sentence. But she does. Every time, over and over. Because though it is wrenching physically and mentally to share Omer’s story, Shelly does what she can to keep the light in the ON position illuminating the urgent need to bring Omer and all the hostages home.
Bring them home. Please. Bring them home now.
Shelly was one of the parents who, within 24 hours of the attack that stole her son from her family, formed the Hostages and Missing Persons Forum, a hub for family members and loved ones of hostages offering holistic, medical and emotional support. An entirely volunteer organization, the group includes experts in security, law, media and diplomacy. Just across the street from Hostage Square, where a Shabbat table is still set for those in captivity, the Forum is a vital resource for the families like Shelly’s who, 167 days later, are still looking for the light.
Bring them home. Please. Bring them home now.
If you would like to support the Hostages and Missing Persons Forum https://stories.bringthemhomenow.net/about please follow the links below.
https://lp.bringthemhomenow.net/petition