Ditsa Or, the mother of Avinatan Or, who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023, delivered a speech at the seventh Christian Media Summit in Jerusalem. Addressing an audience of Christian journalists and media professionals, she shared her personal story of loss, resilience, and unwavering faith in God.
Hosted by the Government Press Office (GPO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), the summit drew more than 150 Christian journalists and influencers from over 40 countries in early November, urging for a fight against misinformation and for truth and more cooperation and solidarity with Israel.
At the opening gala night on November 3, Or began by showing a video montage of her son, Avinatan, who was among the 251 hostages kidnapped to Gaza on the October 7th attack. Her son Avinatan was captivated at the Nova Festival along with his girlfriend, Noah Argamani, who was later rescued in June 2024, according to The Times of Israel.
After having been held alone underground in Gaza for 738 days, Avinatan, 32 years old, was freed on October 13, 2025, as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. He is an electrical engineer who grew up in Shilo, worked for Nvidia, and lived in Tel Aviv.
In her speech, Or described the initial shock and despair she felt upon learning of her son's kidnapping on that very day. "There are no words to describe what a mother feels in that instant. Like thousands of lightning bolts all at once and then darkness."
"That was the minute the nightmare began," the mother of seven said. There was no information about her son for three months.
"During the attack on the Nova Festival, he had chances to escape, but he chose to stay with his partner Noah to protect her. Sadly, they were separated immediately," she revealed. In fact, Avinatan was taken underground alone from the first day until his release. "No daylight, chained to the wall, starved," she added. He lost more than 30 kilograms there.
However, she emphasized that her faith in God has been her source of strength throughout the ordeal. She shared vivid dreams she has had of Avinatan returning home, who returned strong and joyful, although he would look thin and pale. She interpreted those dreams as messages of hope and divine protection.
Drawing parallels to the biblical story of Joseph, who was sold into slavery but eventually rose to a position of power and saved his family, Or expressed her belief that her son's suffering has a higher purpose. She spoke of Avinatan's spiritual resilience, recounting a dream where he returned wearing a tallit and tefillin, symbolizing his unbroken connection to his faith.
"Avinatan isn't in the hands of Hamas," her eldest daughter told her. "He is in the hands of God." This profound statement encapsulated her message of trust in divine providence, even in the face of unimaginable darkness.
"God is good. God can do anything," she kept whispering to herself. "All my life, I've known we are all small particles in a vast divine story, a story that always moves towards a good ending. If it's not good, it's not yet the end."
The second day after the capture, she looked through her home balcony toward ancient Shiloh, "where the tabernacle stood for 369 years, 3,500 years ago." She remembered that Hana prayed for her son there. Or also prayed, "You gave him to me, God. Please return him." Since then, she kept calling out to her son in the direction of Gaza every day.
The dream came true as Avinatan returned in late October. "Though he spent two long years surrounded only by hatred and cruelty, he returned radiant with love, tenderness, and hope."
Mentioning Psalm 126, Or said, "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."
"Yet our joy is not complete." Or concluded her speech with a call to action, urging the release of the last hostage.
