
On the 100th day of the Israeli hostage crisis, thousands of people gathered together at the Tel Aviv museum—which has been dubbed Kikar Hachatifim (Hostages Square). Over the next several hours, different family members shared about their loved ones being held in Gaza. One man and his daughter I remembered because he had a Maccabi Haifa (Israeli soccer team) scarf on. The two of them shared about their daughter and sister. The anguish on his face has stuck with me until today.
A few days afterward, Elana and I were eating at our favorite restaurant in Ashkelon, Hanitzahon (The Victory). The owner, Chani, lost her brother when he was killed on October 9 by terrorists as he went back to his farm near Gaza to feed the cows. Two terrorists who had not been caught jumped out and murdered him.
While we were waiting to be seated, I recognized Doron’s father from the rally a few days before. We were able to chat with him, and we took the picture below. I certainly felt weird taking a picture with the father of a hostage, but he seemed encouraged by the interaction. I wondered what it was like for him to go out to eat with friends—how do you focus? How do you laugh? But someone gave him the good advice that he can’t spend all of his time alone and depressed.
Over the past year, I have thought about him and his daughter often. Was she alive? Would they ever reunite? It bothered me deeply. I have three daughters, and I tried to imagine the sheer terror of one of them being in Gaza. It was too much to bear, and it was just in my imagination. This man was living the reality.
I never got his name, and I tried to Google it, but without success. I had no idea that Doron Steinbrecher, who was released yesterday, was his daughter until I saw this picture of the two of them embracing about an hour ago. And it turns out we share the same name, Roni.
“At 64, [Roni] Steinbrecher describes himself as a sensitive person. The painful questions still hurt him even after 375 days. The repeated demands to revisit his open wound on TV, as images of his daughter flash across the screen, are too much.
“Yet, every now and then, he agrees. ‘What makes me speak is the longing, the longing for my daughter,’ he says.
“He adds, ‘I never imagined something like this could happen in Israel. I was sure it wouldn't take more than a week for her to come home – an entire year? They're there because someone didn't want them here.’” —@Haaretz
The family only received two signs of life since October 7, 2023. On the day she was taken, she sent a message that she was being kidnapped. Then, in January, she appeared in a Hamas propaganda video.
But yesterday, she was released, and for the first time in 471 days, Roni could hold his daughter Doron.
Prayer Requests:
Four more females are expected to be released on Shabbat. Please pray that this goes through without any problems.
Pray that those being released will get the care and help they need. Pray that the Lord will visit them powerfully.
Pray for a righteous government in Gaza, that is more concerned with the welfare of its people than Islamic domination.
Please pray for me as I head to Lithuania tomorrow to speak at the Aglow International European Conference.
Please pray for both me and Elana, as it is not easy being separated. I have a few more things to take care of here in regard to my parent’s house, and I’ll be home in Israel on February 4. Then, we plan to celebrate both of our 60th birthdays by going on vacation together. My flight to Israel was just canceled by Air France. Pray I find an alternative way to get home.
Don’t forget to pray for our team members: Lisa, Evan, Oriya, Diego, Yinom, and Tasha.
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