On Friday, November 21, YULA students and faculty as well as members of the broader LA community (a crowd of over 800 in total) gathered at the YULA Boys Division Samson Center to listen to former hostage Omer Shem Tov tell his story. The event offered community members an opportunity to hear directly from a victim of Hamas terrorism, one among thousands affected by the October 7 attacks and their aftermath.
“I am Omer Shem Tov and I am a free man,” Shem Tov proclaimed at the start and end of his speech, to audience cheers and applause.
Following the recitation of tehilim, the national anthems and an introduction from both Rabbi Sufrin and YULA student Yahav Shauman (‘27), Shem Tov shared his story about his time in captivity. Attendees interviewed said that they were struck by the horror of his experience and, despite that, his ability to remain upbeat and maintain his faith in God.
Students interviewed said that the extent of the cruelty and abuse Omer Shem Tov and the other hostages endured was difficult for them to fathom.
“We obviously knew somewhat but not to the extent of how bad things were,” said Lielle Tsarovsky (‘28). For example, “that he was enclosed in a cage underground and his friend not only got injured but how cruel it was for Hamas’s quote unquote ‘doctors’ to sew her leg on backwards…just like the detail he went into really shocked me…it really surprised me how bad it was.”
Other students shared similar sentiments. “The fact that he was stuck in a cell…with no light for 50 days…most people would probably go insane by that time,” said Shaya Kirschenbaum (‘29). “And it’s crazy to me that he was able to survive.”
Students and teachers said they were struck by Shem Tov’s joy and positivity.
“It’s hard to get back to life after such a traumatic event, and he showed us that life is possible even after enduring horrible times. You can still be happy and look at things in a positive light,” said Aviv Frydman (‘29).
Ms. Steinborn, English and history teacher at the Girls Division, expressed a similar sentiment.
“Omer’s phenomenal singing voice and palpable joy to be alive were particularly moving,” she said.
Shem Tov also made humorous remarks at many points in the speech. When asked to comment on what was surprising to them about the event, multiple students noted this detail.
“The part of the experience that was unexpected was how he was making jokes,” said Yonatan Baseri (‘28). “Maybe that’s his way of saying look, something bad happened, something horrible happened, but there’s nothing I can do about it and if I can…go through [the experience] without bringing the joy out of it then I will be able to uplift myself and…tell the story to others and uplift them.” Rachel Kirschenbaum (‘28) added, “The fact that he was able to add humor into his story when it’s obviously a very sad and difficult story to tell over [was surprising to me].”
Shauman (‘27), who spoke at the event, commented on another aspect of Shem Tov’s speech: his unwavering faith and devotion to God.
“His emunah is something I really admire,” Shauman said. “His whole experience only made him closer [to God]. I think that’s an incredible thing.”
Shauman was born in Israel and lived there until the age of 6. He was also there on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists launched their attack, killing over a thousand Israeli citizens and taking hundreds hostage. He had the opportunity to give an introduction at the Omer Shem Tov event.
“I wanted to express my appreciation to this community,” Shauman said. “And I wanted to show Omer that everybody cares about him. Not only the soldiers, not only his family…there’s family across the world that cares about him.”
Shauman’s reaction to Shem Tov’s emunah was shared by others amongst the audience.
“[When] Omer was moved down into the tunnels… he still didn’t lose faith, he still talked to God every day,” said Tsarovsky.
Following the conclusion of the program, conversations about Shem Tov’s faith, resilience, and experiences continued throughout YULA.
