Eli Sharabi — who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and spent 16 months as a hostage before his release last year — spoke to an overflow audience Wednesday night, at the Westport Library. He is on a US speaking tour.
Former CNN journalist and Westport resident Alisyn Camerota moderated the event. “06880” correspondent Robin Moyer Chung reports:
After being greeted with a standing ovation, Sharabi began his harrowing story of survival.
A CFO of a private equity firm, Eli lived in a kibbutz 3 miles from the Gaza border with his wife Lianne, and daughters Noiya and Yahel. Life was peaceful, living among Palestinians who worked in the kibbutz.
Eli Sharabi, with Alisyn Camerota. (Photo/KT Kaminski)
But on October 7, Hamas stormed into his home. They kidnapped Sharabi, and forced him into an underground tunnel for 491 days.
He and his fellow captors were starved, shackled together, physically and psychologically tortured, and in constant, excruciating pain.
He said of his “living” quarters, “There’s no running water, no toothpaste, no toilet paper. The toilet backs up onto the floor. The stench is unimaginable. Worms infiltrate your living quarters. The relentless hunger starts changing everyone’s personality. The filth starts affecting everyone’s health. Hostages start getting sick. It’s hard to imagine a worse hell.”
Eli Sharab — before and after his capture.
Sharabi described his guards too. They cried into their pillows at night, and had panic attacks. Two of them once excitedly told him “about this wonderful movie that they just saw, called ‘Titanic.’”
His audience realized: His guards were human. They watched movies, missed their families and were overwhelmed by the stress of their jobs.
Still, they felt entitled to beat and starve other humans in horrific, unconscionable ways.
On February 8, 2025 — the day he was released — Sharabi asked to see his wife and daughter.
Instead, a social worker from the Israel Defense Forces said that just his mother and sister were waiting for him in Reimkamp. Without her telling him, he knew his wife and daughter had not survived.
But Sharabi is adamant about making his life larger than his experience. “My memories will be alongside of my life, not part of my life,” he said. “I’ll make them proud of me.”
His hope and determination to stay alive for his family saved his life, and perhaps the lives of others around him.
Today, Sharabi travels the world. He talks about his experiences, and helps people understand the terror of being a hostage of Hamas.
Audience members were emotional, as they offered another standing ovation at the end of the evening.
A portion of last night’s Westport Library audience. (Photo/KT Kaminski)
It said his wife didn’t make it, but he hat about his two daughters? I hope they made it.
Tragically, they did not. He spoke and wrote in his book that he thought his family would be safe because his wife was British and his daughters also had British passports.
I highly recommend his book Hostage. I even feel that it should be required reading in high schools to teach about resilience and humanity.
Not only that, but he also found out for the first time that his beloved older brother, Yossi, was also kidnapped on Oct 7…only to be slaughtered after 100 days of captivity.
I personally don’t know how a man copes with that amount of deep loss in his life. An incredible man. A strong man. A resilient man. A survivor.
HOSTAGE is a wonderfully powerful book. Out of its darkness arises inspiration and humility…faith and love surviving pure bestial evil.
I agree Celia, it should be required reading. Beyond powerful.
I was lucky enough to be in attendance. Alisyn Camerota summed it up well when she said, “Some traumas are beyond tears.”
It is powerful to witness Eli Sharabi give meaning to his suffering through his current work.
It is heartbreaking and to think we have people in our country running around with pro-Hamas signs is so despicable. Bless Eli and all those that suffered such a violent and tragic time.
Could not have said it better myself Adam!!!!
Was this event filmed? Would be wonderful to be able share this story with family, friends and the younger generation who may have missed it
they should be playing his speaking over and over again in Times Square on the biggest bill boards, in public schools, on subways, in buses, etc. it’s unreal how there’s some very active well funded group – and theyre part of the same larger group in Minnesota against ICE – who have been in NYC all over and often lining It up so that you have to, in order to (to get into a McDonalds, into a SBUX, into/out of subway entrances/exits) support Palestinians, also support Hamas, not be against Hamas which is despicable, ‘Hamas’ harms jewish, ‘Hamas’ harms Palestinians (and these are things my muslim amis have always told me) …
What a powerful and deeply moving story. That said, to foster even greater understanding and perhaps move toward healing in such a tragic conflict, it would be valuable to also hear directly from a civilian from Gaza about their experiences over these years: the daily struggles with displacement, loss, hunger, fear, and survival amid the destruction and humanitarian crisis. Bringing voices from both sides to share their realities (in a respectful, moderated dialogue) could help humanize the suffering on all fronts and remind us that civilians everywhere bear the heaviest costs of war.
Hoping there is a recording of this that can be shared/accessed as I wasn’t able to attend.