Hostage Survivor Marks Sukkot With Father, Calls for Unity

Yosef Chaim Ohana, who was held captive by Hamas in Gaza, has released a special video marking the Sukkot holiday, a year after his release. In the moving footage, Ohana stands with his father, Avraham Ohana, holding a new set of the Four Species (arba'at ha'minim) that he purchased himself this year. His father holds the dried lulav that he gave Yosef Chaim before he was abducted.

The video opens with emotional scenes of their reunion after Yosef Chaim's return from captivity, including moments in the hospital where he joyfully recited the blessing over the Four Species near his bedside.

Speaking directly to the Israeli people, Yosef Chaim shared his feelings and vivid memories from his time in captivity. "A year ago, at this exact time, while my father was buying a lulav for me, I was still in the tunnels of Gaza, in Hamas's tunnels. But truly, half an hour before the end of the holiday, I merited to recite the blessing over them," he recounted. "What's special this year? It's not just that I will merit to recite it, but this is a lulav that I purchased myself. And when I perform this mitzvah, I think of one thing: just as everything here is embraced together, and we take it and bring it close to the heart, that is essentially the action during prayer. I take it for unity."

He continued, drawing a parallel between the different species and the nation: "Each one of us is different, just like each species here, one with taste, one with scent, one bitter and without taste or scent, but they are together. And I want to ask you, people of Israel, now as you pray and take these Four Species, focus on the same thing, on the unity that we need. And God willing, I wish for us, through this holiday, to merit true freedom, redemption, and peace of mind."

His father, Avraham, concluded his son's emotional words with a heartfelt "Amen, may it be His will."