738 Days of Silence Broken: Freed Hostage Segev Kalfon Shakes Times Square with Vow Kept from Gaza Tunnels
"I will scream it in New York": Freed hostage Segev Kalfon fulfills his Gaza dream, leading 4,500 Jewish teens in a thunderous "Shema Yisrael" at Times Square. After 738 days of Hamas captivity and "execution games," Kalfon’s powerful testimony of faith headlined the global CTeen Shabbaton in Manhattan.
In a moment that shook the heart of Manhattan, Segev Kalfon, a 27-year-old survivor of 738 days in Hamas captivity, stood before thousands of Jewish youth in Times Square on Saturday night to fulfill a vow he made in the tunnels of Gaza: to scream "Shema Yisrael" to the world.
The powerful scene took place during the closing ceremony of the Chabad CTeen International Shabbaton, an event that brought together 4,578 Jewish teenagers from 60 countries and 486 cities.
Kalfon was abducted from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, and held for over two years under conditions of starvation, physical abuse, and psychological torture. During his 738 days in captivity, Kalfon and five fellow hostages survived on meager rations, at times sharing a single bowl of rice or a quarter of a tomato between them.
He recounted being regularly beaten and subjected to "execution games," where captors held lotteries to decide which hostage would be killed next. Despite the horror, Kalfon maintained his faith, praying "Shema Yisrael" daily and even observing Yom Kippur in the underground tunnels.
"I imagined the moment I would stand on a stage in front of Hamas's cameras and call out: "Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad", Kalfon told the crowd. "But Hamas stopped the public release ceremonies before my turn came. They wouldn't let me scream 'Shema Yisrael' in Gaza. So, I am screaming 'Shema Yisrael' in New York."
The massive crowd joined him in unison, their voices echoing across the iconic New York City square. Kalfon was joined on stage by fellow survivors Matan Zangauker and Ilana Gritzewsky.
A Year of Tragedy and Resilience
The event also served as a tribute to Jewish communities worldwide following a year of immense hardship.
The Bondi Shooting: The CTeen community from Bondi, Australia, shared their grief after losing 15 members in a shooting attack during Hanukkah. Among the victims was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who had founded the local CTeen branch just months before his death.
Legacy of Pride: His daughter, Priba Schlanger, addressed the teens, vowing to continue her father’s mission. "We will continue to be Jewish, loudly and proudly," she declared.
Expansion: Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Chairman of CTeen International, announced the establishment of a new youth center in Sydney to be named in memory of Rabbi Schlanger, stating, "Darkness will not have the last word."
The 18th annual Shabbaton reached its peak as giant screens in Times Square displayed images of Jewish resilience, marking the opening of CTeen's 900th branch.
