Hostage survivor Eitan Horn met with social activist Shai Graucher and tearfully told him how he decided this year, for the first time in his life, to fast on Yom Kippur [Jewish day of atonement], believing that this would lead to his speedy release from captivity.
“On the eve of last Rosh Hashanah, I said “this time I will fast properly on Yom Kippur and it will come. This is the first time in my life that I have fasted properly,” Horn recalled.
He added, “Not much time has passed and here I am. I did not think of fasting on the first Yom Kippur in captivity, but I decided to take responsibility for myself.”
On Thursday, Horn returned home from the hospital and hundreds of residents of his city, Kfar Saba, stood on the streets to greet him.
Many residents came to the street where Eitan lives with his mother, Ruthie Strom , who has been fighting non-stop for the return of her sons from captivity for the past two years. The residents welcomed him with balloons, flags, signs and warm greetings.
Horn was released from captivity along with 19 other hostages, including Eviatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dallal, locals who had been kidnapped from the Nova music festival.