Former Israeli hostage Alon Ohel to play in Aus

Former Hamas hostage and musician Alon Ohel will make a live musical appearance at JNF Australia’s Annual Campaign events in Sydney and Melbourne, performing piano for the Australian Jewish community as part of his recovery from 738 days in captivity.

Ohel, 25, was taken hostage from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and was among the last group of hostages to be released. The pianist has spoken publicly about how music sustained him during his ordeal underground.

In a video for the Jewish Funders Network in the United States, Ohel described how he survived captivity by retreating into an imaginary world of music.

“I imagine the music … sometimes just playing. Imagine playing on the piano. Sometimes just imagining me on stage,” he said. “I just focus on that and not on where I am and why it’s happening to me, and why it’s over, and I’m going to die over here. It’s just be focused on that music, on this special world that’s in my head.”

In May, Ohel appeared alongside fellow former hostage Eli Sharabi in London with Ohel telling guests that resilience was essential to his survival. The two men formed a close bond during captivity, with Ohel forced to endure a further 247 days alone after Sharabi’s earlier release.