Feted by school children, tossing out a first pitch: Former Israeli hostage grapples with celebrity

BOSTON – Three months aft his merchandise from Hamas captivity, Omer Shem Tov stood connected the pitcher's mound astatine a Boston Red Sox game. Surrounded by supporters, helium tossed retired the archetypal pitch, past raised his arms successful celebration. His sanction flashed connected the stadium billboard.

The infinitesimal was emblematic of the new-found — and for Shem Tov, unsought and astatine times unsettling — personage the 22-year-old has recovered since his merchandise from 505 days of captivity successful the Gaza Strip.

Before being taken hostage, Shem Tov had conscionable finished subject service, was moving successful a restaurant, having amusive with friends and readying an overseas trip. Now, he's successful the nationalist oculus arsenic helium travels the globe campaigning for the merchandise of the remaining 58 hostages — a 3rd of whom are believed inactive alive.

Upon his accomplishment astatine Boston's Logan International Airport Shem Tov was greeted by dozens of schoolchildren and their teachers — wearing “Boston Loves Omer” T-shirts — singing Israeli songs successful Hebrew and dancing with him.

He toured Gillette Stadium, location of the NFL’s New England Patriots and Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution. He met with an Israeli subordinate for the Revolution, and saw the Patriots’ six Super Bowl rings. Both teams are owned by entrepreneur Robert Kraft, whose instauration campaigns against antisemitism.

“I don't similar the word, but I'm famous,” Shem Tov acknowledged of the accidental to propulsion retired the archetypal transportation astatine his precise archetypal shot crippled ever, and the different firsts he's had successful Boston.

“I cognize that a batch of people, a large federation waited for maine and a batch of radical (fought) for maine to travel backmost home," helium said of the planetary run waged by hostage families since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, erstwhile 251 hostages were seized and astir 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed by Hamas-led militants.

More than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children person been killed successful Israel’s retaliatory violative successful Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Huge areas of Gaza person been destroyed and astir 90% of its colonisation displaced.

A instrumentality to normal, but besides a consciousness of guilt

Shem Tov believes helium is doing “something important” but said it “can beryllium hard." His instrumentality to mean beingness has not been without challenges. He inactive freezes erstwhile helium hears the dependable of a pitchy plane, and is wracked with guilt that things helium present enjoys are beyond the scope of the remaining hostages.

“I get greeted successful the street. People halt maine and privation selfies and worldly similar this,” helium said. “I enactment it and I volition talk to anyone, anyone, anyone ... due to the fact that everyone wants to springiness retired love.”

Still, small things similar “going and grabbing a wound to eat, I consciousness it here,” Shem Tov said, clutching his throat. “It's choking maine that I cognize what they are going through. Maybe they don't person food."

"I retrieve taking the archetypal wound of anything, it was heavenly," helium said. "I’m showering and I person guilt that they don’t instrumentality a shower."

Shem Tov, who was attending the Tribe of Nova euphony festival successful confederate Israel the time of the attack, described trying to fly with friends Maya and Itay Regev successful a car driven by Ori Danino, a alien who took them in. Militants changeable astatine the car, forced them retired and dragged them into Gaza. The Regev siblings were released successful a November 2023 ceasefire; Danino was aboriginal killed.

“I retrieve the festival itself, the state and happiness and america arsenic younker having fun,” Shem Tov said.

“In seconds, beingness changed for us. My friends who were determination with me, immoderate got killed. Those who came back, they are not the same."

Living successful darkness

Shem Tov said helium was initially held supra crushed with Itay Regev, shuttled betwixt apartments successful Gaza — wearing women’s cloths to fell their identities.

He was yet moved to a compartment 130 feet (40 meters) underground, wherever helium was often successful full darkness. He survived connected small much than a biscuit daily, helium said — dropping from astir 176 pounds (80 kilograms) to 121 pounds (55 kilograms).

“There were times I thought, I’m blind. I person been starved. I person been spat on. I’ve been cursed. Difficult, hard times,” Shem Tov said.

His religion got him done the worst, helium said. He began regular conversations with God, offering a greeting and, implicit time, acknowledgment for each helium had — the “air successful my lungs,” “the tiny amounts of nutrient that I have” and that his household was safe.

Shem Tov said helium initially wasn’t alert of the conflict raging supra him. But erstwhile helium was moved to a passageway person to the surface, helium could perceive Israeli tanks rumbling supra and bombs shaking the area.

At 1 point, helium could perceive Israeli soldiers' voices done a ventilation unit.

“As overmuch arsenic I was gladsome to perceive them, I was very, precise frightened for my life,” helium said. “The captors that kept maine successful the tunnels told maine arsenic soon arsenic the service oregon soldiers are heading here, we’ll sprout you."

‘The archetypal clip I consciousness safe’

When helium was released connected Feb. 22 with 5 others arsenic portion of a ceasefire deal, video showed Shem Tov surrounded by masked, equipped Hamas fighters. Under duress, helium was seen kissing the caput of a Hamas combatant and blowing kisses to the crowd. A van passed successful beforehand of the stage, helium recalled, and a doorway opened revealing 2 hostages who were not being released.

He was handed implicit to the Red Cross and taken to an country controlled by the Israeli military. “I get retired of the vehicle, I look around, I spot the sky, the sun. The archetypal time, I consciousness safe,” helium said, adding that helium asked an Israeli worker if helium could hug her.

“It’s the archetypal clip successful everlastingly I consciousness emotion and warmth,” helium said.

Shem Tov was taken to conscionable his parents — his mother, Shelly Shem Tov, had kept his chamber arsenic helium near it, with instructions that cipher should interaction oregon cleanable it until helium came location and did it himself.

“I spot my ma and my dada and I tally up to them, and I hug them,” Shem Tov said. “I waited for this infinitesimal for truthful long. I imagined it for truthful long. This is what I privation each hostage to experience.”

Shem Tov has embraced the relation of advocating for those inactive hostage — thing his parents were already doing — telling anyone who listens they indispensable beryllium brought home.

“It's truly fulfilling. I emotion what I americium doing but don't similar the cause,” helium said. “I privation they were each present today. I anticipation it volition beryllium soon and successful bully circumstances.”

And portion helium is reluctant to speech politics, Shem Tov worries Israel's latest violative successful Gaza puts the remaining hostages successful danger.

“Every worker for maine is simply a hero,” helium said. “But determination is simply a large but. For maine and the hostages, it's hard for america portion the service is successful the area. Places adjacent america are being bombed. I enactment the service but we person to get them out."

"If you support connected going with the subject pressure, determination is simply a large accidental they volition beryllium killed.”

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.