Former Israeli Hostages Share Their Journey in Brookline

A Story of Survival and Love

Two individuals who were taken hostage in Israel on October 7, 2023, have shared their harrowing experiences and now find themselves engaged. Their story unfolded during a discussion held Thursday night in Brookline, Massachusetts, where they spoke about the traumatic events that changed their lives forever.

Sapir Cohen and Sasha Troufanov were kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz by Hamas, and they were separated during the attack. Cohen was released in November 2023, while Troufanov remained in captivity for an agonizing 520 days. The couple participated in a poignant conversation at Temple Emeth in Chestnut Hill, sharing their personal accounts of survival and resilience.

“I was terrified,” Cohen said, describing her initial moments of captivity. “I was shaking, and all my body was wet.” She recounted how she saw, from beneath the bed, the boot of a terrorist entering the room. Troufanov, who was visiting his family at the time, remembered the moment he witnessed Cohen being taken out of the room by the terrorists.

“I saw Sapir being taken out from the room, led by those terrorists,” he said. “I stood up as well. I was taken out first.” That was the last time the couple saw each other for over a year. Both hostages were transported to Gaza, where they endured unimaginable conditions.

Cohen spent 55 days in Hamas captivity before being released. When she returned, she described feeling like a different person. “It was hard for me to talk with people that aren’t related to the captivity,” she said. Troufanov, on the other hand, was not released until February of this year. His mother and grandmother were also taken hostage, and his father was killed by Hamas.

“About my parents, I didn’t know even what happened, if they were killed or not,” Troufanov said. “About Sapir, I at least imagined that she has been taken hostage, because this is the last thing I saw.”

During his time in captivity, Troufanov was shot through both his legs while trying to escape. The injury still affects him, and he used crutches to move across the stage during the discussion. “The bullet pierced my left leg and broke the bone completely,” he explained.

As a hostage, Troufanov spent much of his time in isolation. “There was, waiting for me, a small space where I would stay for eight-and-a-half months,” he said. Despite the hardships, he found strength in the hope of reuniting with Cohen.

The couple was finally reunited when Troufanov was released this year. Shortly after, they became engaged. Their plans include getting married in March, marking a new chapter in their lives filled with love and hope.

Thursday’s discussion took place a week after Hamas released the remaining 20 living hostages. However, there are still 13 bodies of hostages taken from Israel left in Gaza. The couple's story serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of conflict and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

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