\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet The Jewish Chronicle Weekly Edition by email and never miss our top stories
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFree Sign Up
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\u201cWe prayed for your return, we were moved to tears when you came back home, and this evening we were privileged to rejoice together with you and to bless you under the chuppah on your joyous day,\u201d Herzog wrote.<\/p>\n
While other freed hostages have celebrated births and engagements, the wedding is the first for a former hostage. It comes just days after Israel marked the 1,000th day since Oct. 7, and as the government\u2019s handling of the hostage crisis continues to roil Israeli politics ahead of a looming election. Last week, Nitzan Alon, an Israeli army major general who was part of a small hostage negotiation team, said at a conference that more hostages could have been returned alive<\/a> had the Israeli government made different decisions, strengthening a widespread belief within Israel.<\/p>\nAlon<\/a>, too, was present at Trufanov and Cohen\u2019s wedding.<\/p>\nAfter Trufanov stepped on a glass, the traditional signal for the execution of the marriage, Eyal Golan\u2019s \u201cAm Yisrael Chai,\u201d an anthem of Jewish and Israeli solidarity during the Gaza war, began playing.<\/p>\n
\u05d4\u05ea\u05e4\u05dc\u05dc\u05e0\u05d5 \u05dc\u05e9\u05d5\u05d1\u05db\u05dd, \u05d4\u05ea\u05e8\u05d2\u05e9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05e2\u05d3 \u05d3\u05de\u05e2\u05d5\u05ea \u05db\u05e9\u05d7\u05d6\u05e8\u05ea\u05dd \u05d4\u05d1\u05d9\u05ea\u05d4, \u05d5\u05d4\u05e2\u05e8\u05d1 \u05d6\u05db\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05dc\u05e9\u05de\u05d5\u05d7 \u05d9\u05d7\u05d3 \u05d0\u05d9\u05ea\u05db\u05dd \u05d5\u05dc\u05d1\u05e8\u05da \u05d0\u05ea\u05db\u05dd \u05ea\u05d7\u05ea \u05d4\u05d7\u05d5\u05e4\u05d4 \u05d1\u05d9\u05d5\u05dd \u05e9\u05de\u05d7\u05ea\u05db\u05dd.<\/p>\n
\u05de\u05d6\u05dc \u05d8\u05d5\u05d1 \u05e1\u05e9\u05d4 \u05d5\u05e1\u05e4\u05d9\u05e8. \u05e9\u05ea\u05d6\u05db\u05d5 \u05dc\u05d1\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d9\u05d7\u05d3 \u05d1\u05d9\u05ea \u05de\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d1\u05d0\u05d4\u05d1\u05d4, \u05d1\u05d0\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d5\u05d1\u05e9\u05de\u05d7\u05d4! pic.twitter.com\/6GviDUjTWH<\/a><\/p>\n\u2014 \u05d9\u05e6\u05d7\u05e7 \u05d4\u05e8\u05e6\u05d5\u05d2 Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) July 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\nRom Braslavski, another hostage who was briefly held with Trufanov in Gaza, posted pictures of himself with his friend at the wedding, as well as a video of him and the newly married couple being hoisted to dance.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, we are together, not in Rafah, not stuffed in a trunk, but free and you are in a beautiful groom\u2019s suit marrying Sapir. How much you talked about her, my brother,\u201d he wrote on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cThere is nothing happier for me than accompanying you on this day, and I hope both of you will bring into the world happy little children and that they won\u2019t know evil. May they not know war, with God\u2019s help.\u201d<\/p>\nAnother wedding featuring a former hostage is scheduled for next month. Eliya Cohen, who was held for 505 days, marked his engagement to Ziv Abud in a party that took place last week. He wore a jacket that read \u201cBring them Home\u201d<\/a> when other grooms wore it during the hostage crisis. With all hostages out of Gaza since January, Cohen altered it to read \u201cDad, thank you,\u201d a mantra that he said sustained him during his captivity.<\/p>\nCohen did not know that Abud had survived the attack on the Nova music festival until after his release. While he was held hostage, she drew attention to his plight<\/a> by setting a romantic table with an unfilled place on the boardwalk in Tel Aviv. PJC<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t