They live in suspense of what has happened to their loved ones. Some spoke with them as Hamas kidnapped them, and some saw them for the last time in the videos posted immediately after the October 7 massacre.
Alongside the families of the hostages in Israel have been dozens of people like Tom Kaverman, who has been working tirelessly in recent days to let the whole world know the drama they are going through.
Speaking to Philenews, she said that society showed incredible unity, cohesion, and solidarity from the very first moment. “My life changed in a few moments. Seeing the stories of people who were killed or missing made me feel like I could be in their shoes. I could not remain uninvolved. I work in public relations and media and thought I could use my skills to contribute. So I volunteered with a group that helps hostages’ families talk to journalists so their stories can get out.”
As she said, it’s not an easy thing to do. These people have to deal with the anguish of not knowing what happened to their loved ones. Most of them have never had any contact with media and journalists. The team is there for them, supporting them and guiding them so that their voices can get out loud. There are many needs and various groups have been set up. Some help collect food and clothing, others help vulnerable people for example by doing their shopping, and other groups help collect food.
The psychological burden for Tom Kaverman is great, as she comes into contact with people who, she says, are really experiencing the worst that can happen to someone. But on the other hand, she finds the strength to carry on, knowing that every contribution is valuable in the difficult times her country is going through.
Families not only have to deal with the anguish of not knowing where their loved ones are. The war is being fought on two fronts, Tom Kaverman said. The first is the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas. The second is a psychological war taking place mainly on the internet and social media. “It is frightening the hatred that Jews are confronted with. Many people just hate us and it doesn’t even have anything to do with Palestine. So by supporting the families, our goal is to make them understand this psychological war of misinformation and help them cope. Which of course is not easy at all.”
For ten days now, the families have had no contact with the hostages. They don’t know if they are alive or dead. “It’s just terror. Some of the families are just hoping that their loved ones are alive because they saw them on some videos being taken away. Some, we know are in Gaza because they were tracked there by apps on their phones. Some have been murdered. They don’t know if they’re being provided food or if they’re getting any kind of human treatment. And there are all these stories of women being raped,” the Israeli volunteer explained.
In a few days, she will return back to work. She will continue to be close to the families of the hostages in any way she can. “In the last ten days, these people have become part of my family. I was told by one of the relatives of the hostages that he is sure we will soon be able to sit in a bar and have a beer or a glass of wine, discussing everything that happened. I asked him how he could be so optimistic with everything that was going on. And he told me that optimism is the only way to make it through.”