Hostage Couple Attends Reading of Play Based on Their Ordeal

A staged reading of the play "Love at the End of the Tunnel," inspired by the ordeal of Keith and Aviva Siegel, was held at Habima Theatre in Tel Aviv on Monday. The play, written by Michal Aharoni, dramatizes the couple's story, including their separation when Aviva was released while Keith remained captive in Gaza.

Actors Muni Moshonuv and Sandra Sade, portraying Keith and Aviva respectively, participated in the reading, which was initiated by Eitan Schwartz and directed by Ilail Semel. The Siegels attended the event at the National Theatre to hear the play based on their lives for the first time. Aviva Siegel also presented the actors with a copy of her recently published book, "The Main Thing is to Wake Up to a New Morning," which was also released in English.

Three segments of the play were read: one from before the October 7th Hamas attack, another from the morning of the massacre, and a third depicting Aviva's return home while Keith was still held by Hamas. Keith Siegel was visibly moved, reportedly shedding tears during a reading of a scene set in the Gaza tunnels where they were held. The couple shared their feelings after the reading, with Keith describing how the portrayal of their time in the tunnels, where they were forbidden to speak for days, was particularly overwhelming. Aviva mentioned that their ability to communicate through glances helped them during that period.

Keith also recounted a harrowing experience where he hid in a school with another hostage named Waseem, who disguised him as his mute grandfather to protect him from potential lynching. Waseem even gave Keith a traditional prayer bead necklace and taught him how to use it. The Siegels emphasized that these events are still raw realities they are processing, and hearing their story told by others brought a unique and emotional dimension to their experience.