SAVANNAH, Ga. – Moran Stela Yanai, a former Israeli hostage, captivated an audience in Savannah’s Cultural Arts Center on Monday as she recounted her harrowing experience in Gaza and her journey towards freedom.
Yanai, a survivor of the events of October 7, 2023, addressed a full house, sharing her tale of resilience after spending seven weeks in captivity two years prior. Her story of survival and determination continues to inspire many.
As a self-made jeweler, Yanai took a bold step to showcase her work at the Nova Music Festival on October 7. At 40, she believed this opportunity would mark a significant milestone in her career.
However, her day quickly turned dire when she was abducted by 10 Hamas militants. Forced into a truck, she was driven through the streets of Gaza as a captive, witnessing crowds cheering her captors.
Yanai credits her survival to quick thinking, maintaining composure, and unwavering faith during the ordeal, which saw her life spared multiple times.
“I know no matter what happens, it will pass,” Yanai reflected. “Even when I believed I might die or be executed, I held onto the thought that this too shall pass.”
She recounted a story where she pretended to be Arabian while being chased and beaten by terrorists at the festival site, a move which saved her life.
Faith, she said, contributed the most to her survival.
“In one of my lectures, this woman asked me, because I was speaking about faith a lot- she said, ‘Really? Do you think that faith made you be released and not a deal?’” said Yanai, “I told her, you know what? I didn’t know about a deal. I knew how to pray every single day and grab this faith and to survive another day.”
Even though there were times she was genuinely fearful, she said she never showed her captors and was able to curtail her emotions.
Yanai told a story about how she felt she was having an anxiety attack and her captors measured her blood pressure with a machine.
The results showed she was not suffering from anxiety.
“I went through a tunnel in my head, like going through what really happened in those situations inside captivity while I was in my highest anxiety level, but from the outside, I cannot show fear,” said Yanai.
Even though day to day life is still difficult two years later, Yanai told she forgives her captors.
“Coming out, I have no revenge, and I cannot be angry. I cannot be angry at somebody who is not educated in the good in life.”
Yanai said she is regaining normalcy, with putting effort into self-care and beauty being a major help.
She said she will continue to share her story throughout the world.
