Former hostages Aviva and Keith Siegel visited the Arutz Sheva-Israel National News studios in Jerusalem, where they met with the website's CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Uzi Baruch.
During the visit, Aviva Siegel presented Uzi Baruch with a personally inscribed copy of her book.
In the inscription, Siegel wrote: "To Uzi Baruch, thank you so much for everything you are doing and have done for us, the hostages. My words will take you deep into what I endured in the darkest place on earth - Gaza."
She added, "I experienced the absolute worst, but the most important thing is to rise for better days." She signed it simply: Aviva Siegel.
The visit at the Jerusalem studios was warm and deeply moving, with the Siegels expressing their gratitude for the continuous coverage and support throughout their ordeal.
In an interview with Hadar Miller, Aviva - who was released from Hamas captivity after 51 days -- shared that writing her new book, called in English “Survived To Tell" - helped her process her trauma from captivity and her ongoing struggle to bring the remaining hostages home. She recalled how, on the morning of October 7, she realized something unprecedented was happening in Kibbutz Kfar Aza: relentless gunfire, shouting in Arabic, and terrorists breaching their home. "I was shaking, but I didn't lose my composure," she said.
The couple was violently abducted from their home after terrorists broke into their safe room. Aviva described moments of sheer terror - gunfire inside the house and being forcefully driven into Gaza while their kibbutz burned around them. During the transport into Gaza, Aviva saw crowds lining the roads, cheering the abductors. "I realized just how prepared they were," she said, recalling the overwhelming sense of shock and isolation.
Inside the tunnels, she encountered other hostages, including members of the Goldstein family and Gali Berman. She recounted that learning about her son's dog made her fear that her son had been killed while trying to protect it. She shared that while in captivity, she and Keith endured severe physical and psychological abuse, yet the hostages tried to comfort one another, clinging to the hope that the IDF would rescue them quickly.
One of the most harrowing moments was the arrival of 84-year-old Elma Avraham in critical condition. Aviva cared for her for hours, encouraging her to fight for her life - an act she credits with helping her own survival until her return to Israel.
In Hebrew, the title of Aviva’s book can be translated as “The Main Thing is to Wake Up to a New Morning". She said the title was inspired by a night of heavy bombings above the tunnels.
"Every night, we would say to one another: the main thing is to wake up to a new morning," she explained. Today, Aviva views sharing her testimony as a public and national mission. She actively participates in events across Israel and globally, including speaking at the United Nations, to ensure the voices of the hostages continue to be heard.