October 7 Testimony Archive Brings Survivors' Voices to Americans

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) is launching a digital library of English-language video testimonies from soldiers, former hostages, bereaved families and others who lived through the October 7 attacks and their aftermath, Ynetnews reported. The archive opens ahead of the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks. FIDF said it is meant to give its donors and other supporters of Israel in the United States, including members of Jewish and Christian communities, direct access to firsthand accounts.

The library starts with more than 50 filmed testimonies and over 12 hours of footage collected by FIDF, according to Ynetnews. The organization said the archive will keep growing as more testimonies are recorded and added. The accounts come from IDF soldiers, lone soldiers, reservists, bereaved relatives, former hostages, community leaders and experts. The videos are sorted into categories so viewers can look at October 7 and the months that followed from different angles.

Among those featured are Moshe and Shira Shapira, the parents of Staff Sgt. Aner Shapira, who was killed during the attack, Ynetnews reported. Rabbi Doron Perez, the father of Capt. Daniel Perez, who was killed and whose body was taken to Gaza, also appears. Col. Elad Edri recounts the attack on the IDF's Zikim base. The archive also includes Izzy Ezagui, an IDF veteran who lost an arm after being wounded in service and later returned to serve in the reserves.

Former hostages who gave testimony include Noa Argamani, Amit Soussana, Maya Regev, Almog Meir Jan, Edan Alexander and Maxim Harkin, according to Ynetnews. FIDF said the project has two goals: to preserve these accounts for future generations and to let supporters abroad hear from the people behind the events. The organization said it wants to document stories of courage and resilience and help communities outside Israel understand what those affected went through.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Nadav Padan, the CEO of FIDF, said the group has been moved since October 7 by supporters across Jewish and Christian communities in the United States who want to understand what happened and hear directly from those who experienced it. "Three years later, it is important not only to preserve these testimonies, but also to make them accessible in English to the communities that support Israel and IDF soldiers," Padan said, according to Ynetnews. The archive is available through FIDF's website.