Eli Sharabi, standing in front of an audience of more than 100 interfaith teens last week, emphasized how captivity strips life down to its essence. With endless time alone with one’s thoughts, he said, “you begin to understand what truly matters.” Freedom, he explained, is priceless—not because of grand things, but because of the smallest choices: opening a fridge, eating an egg, deciding what to drink. Material things fade away. “What you miss is five more minutes with friends and family,” he said.
Sunday, February 8 marks a powerful and emotional milestone as the one-year anniversary of Eli Sharabi’s release from captivity. Just days ago, Sharabi had shared his story in churches for the first time ever, starting with adults at First United Methodist Church in Westfield and then, in the evening, at Our lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in South Orange.
At OLS he spoke to Federation’s Interfaith Teen Leaders and the OLS Catholic Youth Ministry, along with members of Federation’s Student to Student and Diller Cohort, captivating the room. The audience was so still you could hear a pin drop.
The conversation was led by Christopher Kaiser, head of the OLS Youth Ministry and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Student Services at Seton Hall University. Kaiser guided Sharabi through reflections on October 7, 2023, the day he was taken hostage from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri, what sustained him during his 491 days in captivity, and how he has been navigating life since his release. Sharabi spoke candidly about being torn from his home and leaving behind his wife and two daughters, and the realities of being chained, abused and starved.
A self-described secular Jew, Sharabi shared how Jewish traditions became a source of strength during captivity. Together with fellow hostages, he held onto a piece of pita during the week to save for Shabbat. He made kiddush using water. These small acts created a connection to his roots and to the people he believed were waiting for him. One philosophical idea sustained him throughout: “He who has a why can bear any how.”
Sharabi, who only learned that his wife and daughters were murdered only after his release, urged the teens to believe in light even in their darkest moments, and to go home and hug their parents, brothers and sisters—even when they are annoying.
After Sharabi finished speaking, teens crowded around him, eager to shake his hand and offer their thanks, while he gently consoled others who had been moved to tears, underscoring the power of one man’s story of strength and, ultimately, hope in the face of so much suffering.