OCTOBER 10 • 2024 | 15
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had been shot and there were terrorists everywhere. 
Maya was released on Nov. 25 and Itay on Nov. 29. 
Maya, who endured much of her captivity in 
a Gaza hospital after nearly losing a foot from 
delayed treatment from gunshot wounds, said 
there were “signs” that someone was listening. In a 
remarkable story, Maya explained that as a coping 
mechanism, Itay and their friend Omer Shemtov, 
who remains a hostage, shared their favorite 
memories of home. Above all, they missed having 
Shabbat dinners and saying Kiddush and Motzi 
with their families. 
Maya said the next Friday, one of their captors 
gave them some grape juice and a piece of bagel 
to make Kiddush and Motzi and gave this to them 
every Friday. 

“Every week they told each other, ‘Next yom 
shishi (Friday), we would be back home with our 
families,” Maya said to the crowd. “We know that 
Omer is still there, and he is saying Kiddush every 
yom shishi until he is home.” 
Translating her father’s Hebrew to English, Maya 
said her parents never lost faith in God, traveled 
around the world to speak to leaders of govern-
ments to secure their release and kept Torah scrolls 
in their bedrooms. Ilan said he also received phone 
calls from someone in Gaza to inform him of the 
status of his children. 
“
As Jews, we need to always be together, to never 
forget each other, and keep going strong for our 
hostages who are still there and being abused,” said 
Maya, translating for her father. 

Also speaking to the crowd was Israeli Jen Airley, 
whose son Benyamin was killed in battle in Gaza. 
As the Jewish New Year approached, Airley told 
people to turn and greet and bless each other for 
Rosh Hashanah and to commit to doing one more 
mitzvah for 5785. 
“There is not one Jew anywhere in the world that 
is extra, just as there is not one letter in the Torah 
that is extra,” Ariel said. “No Jew is created with-
out a purpose. And if we are still in this war, that 
means you all have a purpose in this war. Though 
you may not have a uniform or a gun, we all have 
a job to do. That job can be giving more tzedakah, 
coming to Israel on a mission, or learning more 
Torah, praying or performing acts of kindness. This 
is what as a nation we are all about.” 

U-M Jewish 
community 
holds solidarity 
rally for Israel.
Rise’

continued on page 16

About 900 
people 
attended the 
Together We 
Rise rally.

Danny Portnoy, 
president of 
the Jewish 
Resource center, 
addresses the 
crowd.

Former hostages siblings Itay and 
Maya Regev with their father, Ilan