For 738 days, Segev Kalfon held onto one dream: to stand on stage and shout “Shema Yisrael” in front of the world. Hamas never gave him the chance. Now, this week in New York, he’ll get it.
Kalfon, 27, was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, and endured two years of starvation, beatings, and psychological torture in Hamas captivity before being freed on October 13, 2025.
Now, Kalfon is launching a “Chabad House tour’ across the United States and beyond, facilitated by Merkos 302. In his first-ever speaking tour, he brings his firsthand testimony of survival and faith to Jewish communities nationwide. His first stop: the CTeen International Shabbaton, where he’ll lead a mega tefillin wrap with thousands of teens Friday morning
“For two years, Jewish communities across the globe have prayed for the hostages and advocated for their freedom,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302. “This will bring them face-to-face with the miracle they have so tirelessly fought for.”
During captivity, Kalfon watched fellow hostage Ohad Ben Ami’s release on a screen and imagined his own moment. He dreamed of stepping onto the Hamas release stage, surrounded by his captors, and declaring “Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad” before the cameras. Hamas stopped holding the public ceremonies before his release. “They didn’t let me shout Shema Yisrael in Gaza,” Kalfon said. “I’ll shout Shema Yisrael in New York.”
Kalfon and five other hostages survived on scraps of food, often sharing a quarter of a tomato and a bowl of rice between them. He was beaten regularly, confined to underground tunnels, and subjected to an “execution game” in which his captors drew lots to choose which hostage would be killed.
Kalfon observed Yom Kippur in captivity. He recited Shema Yisrael daily. Fellow hostage Ben Ami, who described himself as secular, was drawn to the younger captives’ faith. “Suddenly, you see five people, depressed all week, singing on Shabbat, joyful,” Kalfon recalled.
After his release, Kalfon visited the Rebbe’s Ohel alongside fellow freed hostages Matan Angrest, Nimrod Cohen, and Bar Kuperstein. His father, Kobi, had prayed there throughout the two years of captivity. This time, they stood side by side and recited Tehillim in gratitude.
Kalfon took it upon himself to “Sanctify Hashem’s name.” The Chabad House tour is how he plans to do it.
Following the CTeen Shabbaton, Kalfon will be speaking at Chabad Houses and institutions across the country at subsidized rates. His message centers on the faith that sustained him through 738 days of captivity and the miracles he experienced along the way.
Communities interested in hosting Segev Kalfon can contact Shneur from Merkos 302’s Hostage Desk at [email protected] or call +1 (646) 824-9763 to book a visit.
Segev Kalfon in Arutz Sheva Interview:
