Segev Kalfon, who survived 738 days in Hamas captivity, is preparing to fulfill a long-held dream by publicly proclaiming “Shema Yisrael” during an event in New York later this week.

Kalfon, 27, was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, and held by Hamas in Gaza for nearly two years, during which he endured extreme conditions, including starvation, beatings, and psychological pressure.

During his captivity, Kalfon said he repeatedly dreamed of standing before the world and shouting “Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad,” but Hamas prevented him from doing so by stopping the release ceremonies.

According to reports, Kalfon’s first scheduled appearance will be with CTeen, a global Chabad youth movement, where he will lead a mass tefillin-wrapping event with thousands of Jewish teens. He will also speak at additional gatherings throughout the United States.

Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky of Merkos 302, a Chabad outreach arm, said that Jewish communities around the world davened for the release of the hostages, and that Kalfon’s plans to say Shema publicly represent the “miracle they have so tirelessly davened for.”Kalfon has already shared his message in interviews and public discussions since his release in October 2025, describing how his emunah and daily tefillah of “Shema Yisrael” sustained him during his captivity.