What Matters Now to Jonathan Dekel-Chen: US feels like the hostages’ only beacon

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host arts and culture editor Jessica Steinberg speaking with Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of released hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen.

Dekel-Chen, a dual Israeli-American citizen, was a vocal and visible hostage parent throughout the months of his son’s captivity. Sagui Dekel-Chen was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, while his pregnant wife and two young daughters hid in their safe room.

Dekel-Chen discusses the relief he and the family experienced upon seeing his son released home to Israel, the challenges that Sagui, the family and the Nir Oz community still face, and the sense of rebirth that Sagui feels post-captivity.

For 496 days, Sagui didn’t know the fate of his nuclear family, or what happened to extended members of his family and friends.

Dekel-Chen also reflects on the sense of abandonment felt by many hostage families from the Israeli government throughout the months of the war, and particularly now, since the army returned to fighting in Gaza, leaving 59 hostages still in captivity.

He speaks about the tremendous support he and other hostage families received from the US government, both from the Biden and Trump administrations, and his surprise to learn that American Jewish organizations didn’t band together to support the hostage families.

So this week, we ask history professor Jonathan Dekel-Chen, what matters now?

What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. 

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