From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 19, 2025
Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber dances with freed hostages at hospital
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleRossella Tercatin is The Times of Israel's archaeology and religions reporter.
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber visits former hostages at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan.
In a video shared by a Chief Rabbinate spokesperson, Ber is seen singing and dancing in a circle with Bar Kupershtein and Segev Kalfon, who were released from captivity on Monday.
According to the spokesperson, Kupershtein and Kalfon, who were both kidnapped at the Nova festival on October 7, 2023, shared some of their experiences in captivity with Ber.
הרה"ר הגאון רבי קלמן בר בביקור במחלקת השבים בתל השומר: "על כולנו מוטלת החובה המוסרית להביא את החללים שנותרו בעזה לקבורה בישראל pic.twitter.com/Rsd4WcJiXW
— (((IsraelMatzav))) (@IsraelMatzav) October 19, 2025
“We thank the Creator of the World for the return of all the living hostages to their homes, and we bow our heads to the pain of the families whose loved ones have not returned,” Ber says.
“We all have a national and moral duty to act until [all the slain hostages] are brought to Israel for the proper burial they deserve,” he adds.
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