Segev Kalfon, a recently released hostage, told Arutz Sheva - Israel National News in an exclusive interview that he intends to publicly shout the Jewish prayer “Shema Yisrael" at the Cahabad CTEEN event in New York as what he describes as a personal act of defiance against Hamas.
In remarks reflecting on his time in captivity, Kalfon said he felt intense anger toward his captors and had thought deeply about how he might “take revenge" once freed. According to Kalfon, he believed that Hamas was trying to portray itself positively to the world, and he wanted to respond in a way that affirmed his faith and identity rather than through violence.
He clarified that his anger is directed at Hamas, not at Muslims as a whole. “I was angry at them, and I really wanted to get back at them," he said. “I asked myself how I could do that."
Kalfon explained that while still in captivity, he imagined that if he were ever brought onto a public stage after his release, he would seize the microphone before any questions were asked and loudly declare: “Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad" (“Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One"), the prayer used for centuries by Jews facing death. He intended to follow it with shouts of thanks to God, but ultimately never got the chance, as Israeli pressure caused Hamas to refrain from any further public release ceremonies.
After his release, Kalfon said his first wish had been to kiss the ground of Israel. He recounted that upon exiting a Red Cross vehicle, he bent down and kissed the earth, believing he had returned home. Only afterward did he realize he was still in Gaza.
Now, Kalfon says he has been invited to speak at a large Chabad CTeen event in New York, reportedly expected to draw thousands of attendees. There, he plans to fulfill the vision he formed in captivity by reciting the Shema prayer before a large audience.
“They didn’t let me shout ‘Shema Yisrael’ there," he said, referring to Gaza. “I will say it here."