SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Two hostages taken by Hamas terrorists on October 7th attacks visited a church in Springfield Wednesday evening.

Siblings Maya and Itay Regev ran for their lives, were shot, taken hostage and were tortured by Hamas terrorists after they attacked the Nova Music Festival that they were attending in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Regev siblings were held captive by the terror group in Gaza for nearly two months following their capture. They were eventually released in late November. Both siblings along with their father Ilan, shared their remarkable story of survival with community members at Temple Beth El on Thursday evening.

Western Mass News was in attendance for the event and spoke with Rabbi Amy Wallk. She explained the importance of bearing witness to this tragic experience, “people we’re at their homes or at the music festival at 6 in the morning doing their own thing, and they were murdered, raped, taken hostage and we the Jewish community really needs to know that story and we need to understand the complexity of the situation. While I’m fully aware that Israel, like any other state in the world, has made it’s mistakes, these people are victims, and the world should not stand or tolerate that.”

Rabbi Wallk also shared with us what she hopes community members were able to take away from their discussion, specifically when it comes to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

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