Reciting Shema with Tefillin: Bar Kupershtein Returns to Where Hamas Kidnapped Him

Reciting Shema with tefillin: Bar Kupershtein returns to where Hamas kidnapped him

Nine months after returning from Hamas captivity, Bar Kupershtein prayed, laid tefillin and recited Shema at the Nova site where he was abducted.

Freed Hostage Returns to Nova Massacre Site, Puts on Tefillin at Place Where Hamas Took Him

Nearly nine months after regaining his freedom from Hamas captivity in Gaza, Bar Kupershtein returned to the Nova Music Festival memorial in Re’im, where he was kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 massacre. At the site, he donned tefillin, recited Shema, and participated in the writing of a Sefer Torah. Kupershtein shared images from the emotional visit on Instagram, showing him praying at the exact location where Hamas terrorists abducted him. The photos also captured him adding a letter to a specially prepared Sefer Torah that had been brought to the memorial. On the morning of October 7, Kupershtein was serving as the deputy security officer at the Supernova Music Festival when Hamas launched its deadly assault. Rather than escaping the attack, he repeatedly drove an ATV back into the danger zone to evacuate wounded victims and provide lifesaving assistance. During one of those rescue missions, he stopped to help injured festivalgoers and was ultimately seized by the terrorists and taken into Gaza. While he remained in captivity, his mother, Julie, initiated the “Tefillin for Every Hostage” campaign. As part of the effort, Bar’s personal tefillin were lent to thousands of young Jews in Israel and around the world, who used them as a zechus while praying for his safe return. After returning home, Kupershtein revealed that tefillah had become one of the greatest sources of strength during his months in captivity. “When I heard my captors praying, I realized that if they pray, I have to pray and strengthen myself even more.” Following his release, he also spearheaded a large public tefillin-laying gathering at Hostages Square. The visit to Re’im came only days after Kupershtein announced on social media that he was preparing to move into a new apartment, writing that he hoped “to start from scratch.” After asking for assistance furnishing his new home with basic household necessities, he received an overwhelming response from the public, with thousands offering to help. “I can’t keep up with all the messages. It moves me to tears to see how everyone wants to help,” Kuperstein wrote in response to the outpouring of support he received. {Matzav.com}