Crowds gathered Friday morning at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, as former hostage Bar Kupershtein donned tefillin (phylacteries) in a moving ceremony.
Footage shows Kupershtein donning tefillin and reciting the "Shema Yisrael" prayer, alongside his father and Rabbi David Lau, former Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel.
Kupershtein, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on the morning of the October 7 massacre, was released from Hams captivity last month.
On Thursday, Kupershtein announced the gathering, saying, "Dear people of Israel! For two years I was in captivity - two years during which I dreamed and prayed every day that I would be able to don tefillin. Tomorriw, Friday, at 10:00 a.m., I will don tefillin at a mass gathering dedicated to the release of all of our brothers, who are still there in captivity. Come with me, come fulfill my dream with me, come pray together with me. We will lay tefillin for the sake of the release of all of our hostages who are still there."