By STEVEN LIPTZ of the Cape Town Kollel
In a moving address to a packed Gardens Shul in Cape Town on Tuesday, 5 November, Noa Argamani, a former hostage held in Gaza for
245 days, shared her harrowing journey and the resilience that sustained her throughout captivity. Once an ordinary software engineering student, Argamani recounted how she and her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, were abducted at the Nova Festival on October 7 by Hamas terrorists. The two were separated as they attempted to escape, with Argamani being transported into Gaza, where she faced extreme conditions in isolation, struggling daily for survival.
In captivity, Argamani endured dire circumstances: limited food, water, and medical care, while attempting to comfort two young girls held with her, Hila Rotem and Emily Hand. Her release on 8 June this year came during a daring Israeli military operation led by the Yamam unit, where, in an emotional moment, she was reunited with her mother, who was fighting late-stage brain cancer. Her mother passed away three weeks later, having fulfilled her last wish to see her daughter again.
Despite her release, Argamani’s ordeal is not over: her partner Avinatan and over 100 others remain hostages. She urged those present never to forget the names and faces of those still held captive, stressing the urgency to bring them home. In a deeply personal testament, she honoured Arnon Zmora, the soldier who sacrificed his life in her rescue, calling him a true hero. As she concluded, Argamani’s words echoed as a call for relentless remembrance and action for the 101 hostages still awaiting freedom.
Noa’s visit was a project of The Base and JNF-SA, brought to Cape Town by Cape Town Kollel. It was organised together with the SAZF Cape Council and the Rabbinical Association of the Western Cape.
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