Still Life in Israel with Jessica Steinberg: Keith and Aviva Siegel on how they kept calm in Gaza
In the first episode of our new podcast series, this pair of former hostages talk about life after captivity
Welcome to “Still Life in Israel with Jessica Steinberg,” a new weekly podcast in which The Times of Israel’s arts and culture editor explores what life in Israel looks and feels like right now, through conversations with the artists, writers, musicians, and other voices helping us make sense of this moment.
For this first episode in the new series, we speak with former hostages Aviva and Keith Siegel.
Aviva Siegel was freed from captivity after 51 days and immediately turned to advocacy for her husband, Keith, who remained a hostage for 484 days, until his release in February 2025.
WATCH the full episode here:
The couple discusses their decision to move to Kibbutz Kfar Aza 40 years ago and the hours before October 7, 2023, when they went food shopping, following a holiday evening with their children and grandchildren.
The pair talk about Keith’s desire to return to their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and Aviva’s inability to do the same.
The Siegels note their need to tell the truth about what happened to them in captivity, including a play written about them that was recently performed at Tel Aviv’s Habima National Theater, and Aviva Siegel’s book, “Survived to Tell: A Hostage’s True Story of October 7 and 51 Days in Captivity,” which was recently translated into English.
“Survived to Tell: A Hostage’s True Story of October 7 and 51 Days in Captivity,” by Aviva Siegel, is out now and available here.
Still Life in Israel podcast episodes are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.