On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists launched a brutal assault on Be’eri, a kibbutz in southern Israel near the Gaza border. Among the victims of this massacre was the family of Dr Shoshan Haran — her husband and younger sister were murdered, and she, along with her daughter, grandchildren, sister-in-law, and niece, was kidnapped and held hostage in Gaza by Hamas for 50 harrowing days.
In this powerful and deeply personal interview, conducted in Israel by the Chief Rabbi, Dr Haran recounts the unimaginable — comforting the child of one of her Hamas captors, drawing strength from Holocaust literature, and hearing first-hand the ideological justifications given by her kidnappers. Her story is a human lens into the broader war between Israel and Iranian-backed terror groups, offering chilling insight into the mindset driving violence from Gaza to Tehran.
This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand the human cost of the Israel-Hamas war, the psychological warfare inflicted on Israeli hostages, and the resilience of those caught at the heart of a conflict that continues to shape Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and the wider region.
","author_name":"Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis"}