JNS sat down with freed hostage Gadi Moses to talk about his time in Hamas captivity, his freedom that came on January 30 of this year, and his continued hope and vision for his community in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Moses, along with his partner Efrat, Efrat’s daughter, and two granddaughters, were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 from their home in Nir Oz. Efrat was killed on the way to Gaza while her daughter and granddaughters were freed in the November 2023 deal. Moses would remain in captivity for 482 days.
Moses emphasized his commitment to rebuilding Nir Oz as quickly as possible, while noting that a gap remains between funds allocated by the government and the total financial resources needed. The kibbutz is the only one in Israel that must be rebuilt from scratch, after Hamas terrorists damaged 97% of its homes.
Moses recently returned from a week-long trip to the United States, where he called on Jewish communities worldwide to support Nir Oz’s reconstruction. He continuously voices hope to see the kibbutz thrive as a place of education, culture, and Zionist values.
“I can’t look at relations with others with feelings of hate and revenge. What happened, happened. My vision of the world hasn’t changed,” he said.
Instead of staying silent, Moses has become one of the foremost voices of hope to come out of the kibbutz. Everyone he talks to and makes a connection with is a testament to the resilience of Jewish people, even when they are the most in need.
