Metro
Captivity from page 9
Israeli film chronicles heart-wrenching ordeal
for the family of captive soldier Gilad Shalit.
Above: Nancy and
Bob Heinrich of
Huntington Woods
Above: Don Cohen of West Bloomfield and Ruth Shayne
of Farmington Hills
Left: Sherry Hobson
Above right: Scott Kaufman of Huntington Woods and Sherrie Singer
of West Bloomfield
of West Bloomfield
and Rabbi Arnie
Sleutelberg of Troy
Right: Yoav Roban of Bloomfield Hills, Daniel Kuckersky of West
Bloomfield and Loni Marcus of Southfield
movie is the first time we give a glimpse
to their personal life. This is the only way
that people can connect emotionally with
what they're going through every day. The
feeling and the pain it remains there all
the time; it's their lives."
This is not the first time the Shalit fam-
ily has had to deal with captivity. Yoel
Shalit, the twin brother of Gilad's father,
was captured by Syrians during the 1973
Yom Kippur War. In the film, its revealed
that he was shot and killed while in hand-
cuffs. The family hopes and prays for a
different outcome this time.
Action Amid Grief
In scene after scene in the film, the
Shalits attempt to map out a strategy to
secure Gilad's release. They take part in
public relations brainstorming sessions,
write letters and speeches, attend rallies
and events and meet with world figures.
Everywhere they go, they're followed by a
throng of cameras and reporters. At one
point, they move into a protest tent outside
of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's
residence in Jerusalem. They vowed to stay
there until their son's release, but ended
up going home, disappointed, on the
1,000th day of Gilad's captivity.
In May, they traveled to New York City
to take part in the annual Salute to Israel
Parade. It was Aviva's first trip to the
10 February 18 • 2010
United States. Surrounded by marching
bands and tens of thousands of cheering
supporters, her husband turned to her
and summed up the surreal nature of the
whole experience.
"Gilad is being held in some dungeon
somewhere, and here we are marching
down Fifth Avenue between Prada and
Gucci:' he said.
In August, a candlelight vigil was held
in Mitzpe Hila to mark Gilad's 23rd birth-
day. His mother gave a heartfelt, moving
speech.
"I'm so sorry that we failed to protect
you and prevent your suffering;' she said.
"I'm sorry that we have failed to bring you
back home to this day."
But the moment that drew the biggest
reaction from the crowd was a private
meeting between Noam Shalit and for-
mer President Jimmy Carter. After a year
without any communication from his
son, Mr. Shalit who is clearly desperate
for information, asks Carter if he was able
to deliver a letter to Gilad's captors and if
the family might receive a letter in return.
Carter, who is seen chewing gum through-
out the meeting, shows very little empathy
and talks about how he "almost wept" over
the conditions in Gaza.
"The entire theater booed after listening
to Jimmy Carter speak with utter disre-
spect to a man fighting for his kidnapped
son's safe release Rabbi Jason Miller of
Congregation T'chiyah in Oak Park wrote
in an online blog."The former president
comes off horribly in the film. I wonder
how many Jewish people who accepted
Carter's recent apology for his anti-Israel
rhetoric will see this film and have second
thoughts about how genuine Carter's apol-
ogy was."
The Waiting Continues
While the filmmakers decided it was time
to release Family in Captivity, to show peo-
ple the Shalit family's excruciating ordeal,
the story still has no ending. Cameras con-
tinue to follow the family and document
their ongoing frustration and pain. To this
day, Gilad has not been seen by the Red
Cross, a violation of international humani-
tarian law. Since October 2009, there's
been no word on his condition.
"Watching the film, I realized how
important it is that people all over the
world unite in demanding Gilad Shalit's
return from captivity:' wrote Rabbi Miller.
A few weeks ago, a Hamas official
blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu for the failed negotiations to
release Shalit. In response, Netanyahu said,
"If Hamas wants a deal, then it will hap-
pen. If it doesn't want a deal, then there
won't be one. We have a goal of bringing
home Gilad Shalit alive and well, and to do
this in a way that won't enable terrorists to
resume their murderous acts."
The family's supporters are planning
more demonstrations to intensify pressure
on the government. Goren and Pross hope
showing their film to an international
audience will have the same impact.
"We came especially to Detroit because
the Jewish community here is so involved
and so concerned:' Pross said. "The Shalit
family knows about you, they thank you
and they send their love."
When asked what people here can do
to help, the producers had this reply: "I
think the most important thing is to keep
raising awareness about this issue Pross
said. "What happens in the United States is
so critical to what happens in the Middle
East and when the Jewish community is
gathered and dedicated to a cause like this
it's heard in Israel. Gilad is everybody's son
and when all of the American communi-
ties share that it really, really strengthens
Israel."
❑
The Friends of the Israel Defense
Forces is using a watch clock
on its Web site to count the days
of Gilad Shalit's captivity.
For more information, go to
www.israelsoldiers.org