Aviva Siegel was kidnapped on October 7 alongside her husband Keith from Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was released in the first hostage deal without him. Sapir Cohen was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz with her partner Sasha Trufanov, who is still being held in Gaza, along with Eitan Horn, who was with her in captivity.
In letters they wrote, both women recount the difficult moments they experienced in captivity, along with those still left behind who are enduring the same hardships every day.
Sapir Cohen was held in Gaza for 55 days before being released in the first hostage deal. She was kidnapped along with her partner, Sasha Trufanov, from his family's home in Nir Oz.
In a letter she wrote to Eitan Horn, with whom she was held in captivity, Cohen shared: "I remember the early days of captivity when you lay on the mattress without moving, eyes closed, trying to imagine you weren't part of this reality. Occasionally, there were whispers I couldn't understand because you were debating which language to speak in, wondering what would be safer."
"After several days of hunger, one of the captors came by and handed out small chocolates. Each of us took one without hesitation, but you chose not to. I was surprised and wondered why and then you explained you simply couldn’t eat. Thoughts about what would happen tomorrow, and whether we’d even make it to that day, about the moment your parents were told you and your brother had been kidnapped, they paralyzed you,” she added.
"I remember the songs you sang to us, even the terrorists hummed along. When you didn’t have an appetite, you told me, 'Don’t worry Sapir, at least I’ll come back to Israel skinny and fit, ready to find a bride.'"
"We tried to encourage you to talk and open up over time. I remember you telling me that the Eitan in captivity wasn’t the same Eitan, that the difference was so vast. Eitan is a person full of joy and humor, always thinking of how to help others before himself, a gifted poet and not a bad singer at all. With time you decided to make a change, to set the fear aside and try to be the Eitan you were before you 'got lost,' and you truly made significant progress," she wrote.
"I remember the day you said you saw the number 10 suddenly appear on the wall. You were convinced we would be released in 10 days. You were right; I was released, but you stayed behind along with other men who dreamed of their own moment of freedom. You all came to hug me, to say goodbye. I remember the tears. As usual, I was optimistic and said: 'Guys, no need to get emotional, we’ll see each other back in Israel in two days,'" she also recalled.
"You were half optimistic, half scared, wondering what would happen if something went wrong, if you'd be forgotten or if you weren't important enough. I want you to know that we’re fighting for you at every day and every moment. We will continue to say your names and won't stop this difficult, dark journey until you’re free. I remember the songs you sang to us, even the terrorists hummed along. When you didn’t have an appetite, you told me, 'Don’t worry Sapir, at least I’ll come back to Israel skinny and fit, ready to find a bride.'"
Aviva Siegel to her husband Keith: ‘I can't understand how you're still in there.’
Aviva and Keith Siegel moved to Kibbutz Kfar Aza when they made aliyah from the U.S. 40 years ago. They were abducted from the kibbutz on October 7, and Aviva was released after 51 days as part of the hostage deal. Her husband is still being held by Hamas.
In her letter, Aviva wrote: "When I landed in the helicopter at Wolfson Children's Hospital and met our sweet children, I couldn’t believe I was there without you. I was in shock for at least a few weeks before I could even grasp that we were separated and that I’m here without you."
"Do you remember the tunnel they took us to and left us alone there? Do you remember how hard it was to breathe? I remember looking at you, barely able to speak, and you told me you couldn’t breathe."
"I remember we were there in that small room in Gaza and I came to tell you that they said I needed to leave. I looked at you and saw the fear in your eyes; you couldn't say a word. I looked at you and told you that I would be strong for you, and you would be strong for me, and I swear to you Keith, that’s the only thing that goes through my mind all day and all night.
"I’m staying strong for you so that you can stay strong for me and for the children and grandchildren. I truly hope you're managing to hold on there. Do you remember the tunnel they took us to and left us alone there? Do you remember how hard it was to breathe? I remember looking at you, barely able to speak, and you told me you couldn’t breathe," she recalls,
"I looked at you and told you that everything was okay, that it just seemed that way. Deep inside, I believed those were our last moments; I saw your chest barely able to rise and I just prayed that you wouldn’t die, that I wouldn’t be left there alone with you dead next to me. Do you remember how hungry we were? How we begged them to fill our little water bottle that had been empty for an entire day?"
"I can't understand how you're still in there. I can't understand how the world is silent. I can't understand how people hear the terrible stories I tell of what we went through and what you're still going through, and the sun keeps rising and setting, while you're stuck in this nightmare,” Aviva continued.
"Keith, I beg you to believe that you'll come home. I ask you not to lose hope. I ask you not to stop imagining the moment when you’ll exit the helicopter and land in Israel with us. We’re all waiting for you so much. I can’t wait to make you the food you love, I can’t wait to tell you that Shay survived everything that happened in Kfar Aza and he’s okay, he’s crossing his fingers for you, hoping you're okay too," she wrote.
"We're all dreaming and imagining the moment when we can hug you. And it will come, and it will be perfect, and we’ll slowly be able to start our new lives together."
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