Freed hostages join Siegel family wedding in emotional reunion under chuppah

For nearly two years, Shir Siegel’s wedding plans remained on hold, her dream day shadowed by the absence of her parents, Keith and Aviva Siegel both kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

This week, that wait ended in a moment of extraordinary joy and emotion. Keith and Aviva, now free, walked their daughter down the aisle together. They were not alone beneath the wedding canopy. Standing with them were fellow freed hostages Emily Damari, Liri Albag, Agam Berger, and Amit Soussana, all survivors of the same harrowing ordeal.

The six joined hands to recite the Shehecheyanu blessing, a prayer of thanks to God for reaching significant milestones: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, who has given us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this moment.” For each of them, the words carried the weight of survival, reunion, and hope after months of captivity in tunnels, safe houses, and shifting locations.

Aviva had been freed after 51 days during a November 2023 ceasefire. Keith’s release came only last week 484 days after he was taken. During their imprisonment, bonds formed in the unlikeliest of places. Liri Albag, one of the youngest hostages, became especially close to Keith, often lifting his spirits when despair threatened to overtake him. “Keith and Aviva were like parents to her,” reports say.

Their captivity was marked by constant movement to evade Israeli forces, separation and reunification, and long stretches without light or fresh air. Yet, on this wedding day, the echoes of those dark months were replaced by music, dance, and love.

After the blessing, Keith serenaded his daughter with James Taylor’s “Carolina on My Mind”, honoring his North Carolina roots. Guests and former hostages danced together, the joy on their faces a silent testament to human endurance.

In the land where grief and hope often walk side by side, this wedding was more than a personal celebration it was a victory of life over terror, of faith over fear.

Share this story or subscribe to our newsletter for more uplifting moments from Israel’s people and communities.