Captives turned creators: How former hostages turn freedom into expression
As Passover celebrates liberation, former hostages embrace newfound freedom through powerful expression.
“This is my victory,” declared former hostage Alon Ohel during his sold-out concert in February, performing alongside renowned Israeli artists whose songs sustained him in captivity. Ohel, a gifted pianist kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, 2023, coped with his captivity by "playing" piano on his body. Around the world, yellow pianos were set up to raise awareness of his plight in a campaign under the slogan “Alon, you’re not alone,” which would continue for 738 days until Ohel’s release.
Ohel’s story is part of a broader movement of former hostages in Israel who are channeling their regained freedom into artistic expression. Captivity did not silence them: some, like Ohel, relied on existing talents to endure, while others, like Eli Sharabi, Andrei Kozlov, and Bar Kupershtein, emerged from captivity as authors, painters, and performers.
During his concert, Ohel dedicated the song “Yesh Li Sicui” [“I have a chance”] to fellow former hostage Eli Sharabi. “Can you believe where we are? Who would have believed I'd be on this stage, and you'd be sitting in the audience?” he asked. Thanking Sharabi for his fatherly guidance during captivity, he said: “You really saved me with your attitude toward life."
Sharabi himself authored the New York Times bestseller “Hostage,” chronicling his 491 days in captivity. Since his release, he has met with U.S. President Trump at the White House and delivered a bold speech before the UN on his captivity conditions. His autobiography set a new record as the fastest-selling Israeli book.
Sharabi’s return drew global shock after Hamas paraded him and fellow captors in a release "ceremony" where they appeared visibly pale and emaciated. On stage, Sharabi spoke of longing to see his family, unaware that his wife and two daughters had been killed on Oct. 7. In an act of cruelty before the release, his captors informed him that his brother, Yossi Sharabi, had died in Gaza.
Despite the profound loss, Sharabi told ALL ISRAEL NEWS Editor-in-Chief Joel Rosenberg in an interview: “I could choose to let the grief bury me, but I'm here, and life is still here, and I love life.”
Bar Kupershtein most recently released the book “Unbroken” recalling the Passover holiday he spent in Hamas captivity. The book describes the systematic abuse, forced labor, and rare moments of hope during his 738 days of captivity. Alongside the book, he released the song “The Last War,” which has garnered more than 700,000 views on YouTube in less than two weeks. The song is both a memoir and a prayer, in which he addresses God as “Father,” and recounts his struggles since returning, from feeling disconnected to seeking purpose, crying out: “Bring us Redemption.”
Kupershtein was abducted while serving as a medic at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, 2023. In his song, he recounts a moment of despair within the tunnels where he prayed, "Father, just don't leave me alone." Moments later, an old radio left on the floor by his captors broadcast a live interview with his mother. Asked if she had a message for her son, she replied: “If you can hear me, it's mom. Don't lose hope, Bar… My child in my heart, don't forget that Father doesn't leave [us].”
Andrei Kozlov, who began drawing in captivity, completed a painter’s residency last year at the Mack Art Foundation in New York. Looking at a self-portrait during a video on his residency, he said: “When you draw your face, this is the moment when you get deep into the emotions that you felt before.”
Kidnapped at the Nova Festival and rescued with three other hostages after 245 days in “Operation Arnon,” Kozlov reflected on the deeper meaning of his art: “When I paint, I understand that I got this incredible chance, the greatest gift in my life, just to live. You know, just to live, this is already the greatest chance; but not only to live: to do something more, to show something, to express myself.”
His words reflect the journey of former hostages turned creators, processing what they experienced while embracing their freedom.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
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