Captivity survivors Segev Kalfon, Matan Tsengauker, and Ilana Gritsevski took to the stage in Times Square in midtown Manhattan on Saturday night at a huge event organized by CTEEN - the Chabad youth organization. The three loudly said, "Shema Yisrael," the audience followed them with excitement - and they all sang "Shir LeMa'alot" together.
Kalfon, 27, who was kidnapped from the Nuwa party and held for 738 days in conditions of hunger, beatings, and mental torture, imagined the moment when he too would stand on stage in front of Hamas cameras and call out: "Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.".
But Hamas stopped the public release ceremonies before it was his turn. "They didn't let me shout 'Shema Israel' in Gaza," he said. "I'll shout 'Shema Israel' in New York.".
Kalfon described how he and five other hostages survived on minimal amounts of food, sometimes a quarter of a tomato and a bowl of rice shared among them. He was regularly beaten, held in underground tunnels, and even endured an "execution game" in which his captors drew lots to determine which of the hostages would be executed.
Despite the conditions, Kalfon maintained the observance of the commandments: he said "Shema Yisrael" every day, and observed Yom Kippur.
Tonight, 4,578 Jewish teenagers from 60 countries filled Times Square - and one of the highlights of the evening was the performance of Kalfon, who fulfilled his dream and announced on stage "Shema Israel.".
The audience joined him in an emotional cry that echoed far and wide.
The event took place against the backdrop of a difficult year for Jewish communities around the world.
Alongside the celebration of the opening of CTeen's 900th branch, speeches were also given by youth from the Bondi community in Australia, which lost 15 of its members in a shooting attack last Hanukkah, including Chabad emissary Rabbi Eli Schlenger, who founded the local Chabad youth branch a few months before his murder.
His daughter, Privee Schlanger, took the stage and spoke about the continued mission he left behind. During the evening, a documentary of the youth from Bundi was projected on giant screens, describing the moments of horror and the struggle that followed. Despite the pain, the message that repeated itself again and again was of a proud Jewish stand: "We will continue to be Jews, loudly and proudly.".
The chairman of Chabad for World Youth, Rabbi Menachem Kotlarsky, who returned from Sydney this weekend, said in his speech: "Darkness will not have the last word." He announced the establishment of a new youth center in Sydney that will bear the name of Rabbi Shlanger.
The 18th annual Youth Sabbath drew thousands of youth from 486 cities around the world to New York City. Participants stayed in the Crown Heights neighborhood for the Sabbath, and the Times Square event was the culmination of the gathering.
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