Family members of hostages still held captive in Gaza share their stories at Duke
On January 17, 2024, Jewish Life at Duke hosted “Bring Them Home: An Evening with Hostages’ Families.” We welcomed to the Freeman Center for Jewish Life family members of two hostages who were taken hostage by Hamas terrorist on October 7 in Israel and remain captive in Gaza:
- Gadi Moshe Moses, 79, was taken captive on October 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz as he tried to bargain with Hamas terrorists who attacked the community. His daughter Doron and granddaughters Raz, 5, and Aviv, 2, were also taken captive. His partner, Efrat Katz, was presumed captive, as well, but her body was found several days later.
- Omri Miran, 49, was taken captive on October 7 by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz, leaving his wife, Lishay Miran, 38, and their two young daughters Roni, 2, and Alma, 6 months old.
The Freeman Center for Jewish Life was packed with students, staff, and community members for this moving evening hosted by Jewish Life at Duke and co-hosted by Duke student groups Duke Friends of Israel, Duke Israel Public Affairs Committee, Duke Students Supporting Israel, and Chabad at Duke Undergrads.
Moshe Lavi, Omri’s brother-in-law, and Yair and Shani Finkelstein, Gadi’s son and granddaughter, shared their heartbreaking stories with our Duke community, calling on all of us to spread awareness of the hostage crisis so that all the hostages may return to their families.
“You can emphasize that this is a humanitarian issue, this is a multifaith issue, this is a multinational issue. There are hostages of various nationalities and various religions held captive by Hamas terrorists,” said Lavi, calling on audience members to support the release of the hostages, including contacting elected officials and spreading awareness, at an event hosted by Jewish Life at Duke.
We are so moved and grateful to have heard from Moshe, Yair, and Shani, and we continue to pray for the safe return of all the hostages.
Read coverage of the event in the Duke Chronicle.
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Jewish Life at Duke (JLD) is the hub for all things Jewish on Duke’s campus. An accredited Hillel as well as a department within Duke University’s Division of Student Affairs, Jewish Life at Duke is guided by a mission to empower Jewish students to learn and grow intellectually and spiritually; to inspire and nurture personal paths to Jewish identity; and to cultivate community and friendship. Comprising the Freeman Center for Jewish Life and the Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel, JLD takes a pluralistic approach to Judaism to ensure that all Jewish students, regardless of affiliation, are welcome and included.
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