Film chronicles family's pain and hope related to their son's ordeal in Hamas' grip.

Harry Kirsbaum

Special to the Jewish News

W

hen the projector lights up
the Maple Art Theatre screen
in Bloomfield Township on
Feb. 10 to mark the first North American
screening of Family in Captivity, a docu-
mentary film based on the efforts of Gilad
Shift's family to secure his release, Gilad
will mark 1,326 days in captivity.
The one-hour English subtitled film
produced by Israelis Tamar Pross and Tal
Goren exposes the intimate life and stories
of the family behind the Israel Defense
Forces corporal's highly publicized ordeal.
Gilad's unassuming parents, Noam and

Aviva Shalit, live in Mitzpe Hila, a very
small town in northern Israel, and his
older brother, Yoel, lives in Haifa. Gilad's
younger sister, Hadas, joined the army
several months ago.
On June 25, 2006, Gilad was abducted
by llamas during a surprise attack on
an army facility near Israel's border with
Gaza that left one Israeli soldier dead and
four wounded. Gilad, then 18, was wound-
ed and taken captive. Since then, the only
contact he has had with the outside world
has been three letters, an audio tape and a
video showing a healthy Gilad reminiscing
about times he spent with his family.
According to Pross, the highlight of the
movie is the video of Gilad. Pross and

Goren were the only ones present as the
family saw their son on video for the first
time after three years of captivity.
By not allowing visits by the
International Red Cross or contact with
his family, Hamas has violated interna-
tional law and breached several provisions
of the Third Geneva Convention regarding
prisoners of war.
Gilad's plight is unique; he is not just a
POW, said Yoav Raban, Jewish Federation
of Metro Detroit's community shaliach
(emissary).
"Gilad is obviously dearly missed by
his family and friends in the exact same
way that any other soldier taken captive
is being missed by his loved ones, but this

is just about the only comparison anyone
can dare to make.
"Gilad was kidnapped by llamas in a
brutal unprovoked terrorist attack while
protecting his home, his family and his
people on the sovereign soil of his own
country. That, in itself, is unlike any other
soldier in the world who has been cap-
tured."
Nancy Siegel Heinrich of Royal Oak,
Federation's Israel & Overseas Department
chair, saw footage of the film during a
Federation trip to Israel late last year.
"As many times as you speak to par-
ents of Israeli soldiers, it is impossible to
truly understand the fear and anguish

Freeing Gilad on page 12

February 4 • 2010

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