Finding an unstoppable spirit of resilience at
Hostage Square

While the general mood in the country is gloomy, change happens when people do not give up, and continue to push forward. 

By Jonathan Frenkel | Courtesy of Israel21C

Earlier this month, I was invited by ISRAEL21c to tour the offices of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and Hostages and Missing Square. It was an experience that was at once humbling and sad, and yet not entirely depressing, as it did fill me with a sense of appreciation for the unstoppable Israeli spirit.

This vital organization, which is not supported by the government, and is an independent nonprofit, has been the leading organization in helping raise awareness regarding the hostages’ plight, and has served as a place where the families of the hostages can take solace.

The forum offers a physical location, a sense of community and belonging, and a “global platform” in order to continue to fight for the release of the hostages (and the bodies of those who have been declared deceased).

Earlier this summer I visited the site of the Nova Festival Massacre, and drove around the army bases and yishuvim which enveloped Gaza with my former commander in the IDF, but this experience was very different.

In touring the forum’s offices, I encountered a dedicated staff, and a sense of agency. There are so many things out of our control, but the staff and the families of the hostages are taking action to do what they can to bring them back home.

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Photo by Elizabeth Cohen