‘Tears flowed freely, the weight of our common pain and uncertainty finally lifting’ - The Jewish Chronicle

It’s midnight, day 737 since our Jewish lives changed forever and I can’t sleep.

I, like many Jews around the world, have become accustomed to being let down, and those feelings were bubbling to the surface. Despite the excitement that was brewing inside me, my heart was filled with trepidation. What if the terrorists reneged on the deal - again? Who of our tortured hostages will come home to embark on a new life and who will be buried with dignity? As a parent, I wondered how I would manage the extremity of emotion that the families were experiencing? It was an impossible task.

To clear my head, and to get a good viewpoint for today’s momentous exchange, I walked the 3.5km route to hostage square, a journey usually bustling with colourful street life.

In those quiet early hours, my attention was drawn to the walls filled with images of our hostages, countless stickers of innocent murdered victims and the heroes who died for the Jewish homeland. In the stillness, without being obscured by the usual market sellers’ crude T-shirts, I noticed the graffitied messages of hope and love. There was no hate.

I had met incredible strangers on my recent visits to Hostage Square; Norwegian Christian Zionists who had moved home and country to obtain travel insurance for Israel, a decision made post Oct 7. A lady in red, a cute Chilean, who had come to support her childhood friend, Talia Berman, the mother of Ziv and Gali.

On previous visits to Hostage Square, I had seen hordes of people experiencing the VR re-creation of that fateful day two years ago. When it was my turn, for those few minutes, I was a prisoner, watching and hearing the torture of fellow captives. Created from real testimonies, it was harrowing.

But in those dark early hours of today, the li

Maxine Elias (Photo: Maxine Elias)[Missing Credit]

ght of the Jewish people was tangible as several hundred people gathered around the yellow piano, dedicated to musician Alon Ohel, for a traditional Israeli kumzitz - a singalong.

I met Michelle, a south African Israeli, who had grown up in a moshav in the south, near Gaza and used to cross the border regularly as a child, for shopping and cheap petrol. She had seen Israel’s political bubble burst in the 80s. She bought me an Israeli flag and became my interpreter.

Around 4am, the giant screens were turned on, and the plaza filled up with hundreds of flags and posters, obstructing the view. Disturbingly, this caused some tension, but this soon dissipated as the first announcement was made. Our hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross. The sun rose, Trump landed, and the crowd roared with gratitude from their core. Claire from California, shared while that she was not a fan of the president, she knew he was the only one who could have pulled this off.

In that moment, the hope and prayers of the last two years were finally coming into existence. Israel, a clearly divided country, was united in a single, heartfelt purpose: to see our hostages walk free.

As more news came, a ripple of disbelief and joy swept through the masses. Tears flowed freely, the weight our common pain and uncertainty finally lifting.

Maxine Elias (left) meeting people in Hostage Square (Photo: Maxine Elias)[Missing Credit]

I am one of several Rom Braslavski groupies, who have given him our heart. We have met his family and offered support. Seeing him released, watching his mother, Tami, and big brother Amit was truly the highlight of my day, opening floodgates of happy tears.

Today, I feel grateful for the people in my life, for those standing with me. I have witnessed the spirited and extraordinary strength of ordinary people in the face of fear and anxiety.

More than ever, I am proud to be a Jew and to know that, soon, Israel will be the centre of my life. Aliyah is calling.

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