Rebuilding Life After 738 Days
Two Years of Hell: Family Races to Fund Former Hostage Elkanah Bohbot’s Physical and Mental Rebirth
Elkanah Bohbot's family has launched a public fundraising campaign to raise $500,000 for his comprehensive physical, psychological, and familial rehabilitation after he endured 738 days of "inhumane" captivity in Hamas tunnels.
The mother of recently released hostage Elkanah Bohbot, who returned home after 738 days in Hamas captivity, has initiated a major crowdfunding campaign to secure his future recovery. Ruhama Bohbot, Elkanah's mother, launched the appeal on the Giveback platform with a goal of raising two million Israeli Shekels (approximately $500,000) to support her son's extensive needs.
Elkanah, 35, from Mevaseret Zion, was a member of the production team for the Nova music festival. On the morning of October 7, 2023, he was helping treat and evacuate the wounded during the terror group's attack before he was brutally abducted to Gaza.
His wife, Rivka, shared emotional insights into her husband's return and the immense challenges he now faces. "My Elkanah is doing well, but nothing is simple and nothing is as it seems from the outside." She revealed the severity of his ordeal, stating that "During the past months, he suffered from starvation, abuse, and intense pain."
Inhumane Conditions and Physical Trauma
The campaign page provides harrowing details about the conditions of Elkanah's two-year confinement. It states that Bohbot was held in "difficult and inhumane conditions in Hamas tunnels," completely cut off from daylight and human contact. He was reportedly "chained, limited in movement, and suffered most of the time from physical and mental humiliation."
In a stark illustration of the cruelty, the campaign notes, "Throughout the entire period of captivity, his captors allowed him to shower only once," which testifies to the cruelty and complete control over his life.
His family emphasizes that his return is merely the beginning of a long journey. Elkanah is in need of prolonged medical and psychological rehabilitation and professional support to restore his physical strength and his sense of security and stability.
Rebuilding a Family Life
A key focus of the campaign is the reconstruction of his home and family life. The family unit, which includes his son Ra'am, suffered deeply, as the child was forced to grow up without his father for two years. Rivka spoke movingly at Sheba Hospital, saying, "I saw both my husband and Ra'am reborn… Ra'am got his father back, and as a mother, I couldn't ask for more."
The funds are essential to finance Elkanah's readjustment to life outside of captivity, which includes a gradual return to meaningful work, strengthening his connection to his community, and providing emotional support for the entire family. The campaign closes with a powerful plea: "Every donation brings Elkanah closer to a return to a complete, free, and safe life."
Elkanah’s fundraising effort joins similar campaigns recently launched for other released captives, including Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Rom Braslavski, and Bar Kupershtein. These campaigns collectively signal a new phase in the efforts of the families: not just to bring their loved ones home, but to enable them to build a life after their ordeal. As one campaign states: "They have returned home, but the road only begins now."