Agam Goldstein-Almog, an 18-year-old girl who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, attended her high school graduation ceremony yesterday (Wednesday), Ynet reported.
Agam was kidnapped together with her mother and two younger brothers from their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Her father Nadav and older sister Yam were murdered by Hamas terrorists that morning. The surviving members of the family were released on November 26 after 51 days in captivity during the weeklong hostage and ceasefire deal.
In a post to Instagram, Agam wrote a letter to her father expressing her feelings on graduating without him and her sister. "You don't know that Yam wasn't there either. You don't know how sad it is when I should also be happy. You don't know how much we talked about you and how much I felt you were with me there yesterday. In every heartbeat, in every tear, and every smile – you were there."
She questioned how she could enter a new phase of her life beyond grade school when she is struggling to adapt to a world without her father and sister. "How sad and how joyful it is to live; how joyful it is to celebrate things I never thought I would achieve.”
Last week, Agam recounted the difficulties she faced after she and her surviving family members were released, including the unexpected reaction of some in Israel.
"On the day that I returned, I thought, 'Wow, this morning I relieved myself in a tunnel.' I see that the hostages who returned are overcome with feelings. They aren't returning to their lives, they are rebuilding them from nothing. I still haven't returned to life, I'm not in my house, I am contending with loss, I still haven't touched the trauma," she said.
"I am hurt by the citizens of Israel for things I did as well. I, 18-year-old Agam, lost my father and brother, but as far as the state is concerned, I'm Agam, and I returned from captivity. I received shocking reactions from people who live here on the same land as me. I came back after living with Arabs for 51 days. I got reactions as if you're my enemies. Why would they react badly? It finished me."