Not just a mazaltov – a miracle

When Sapir Cohen arrived in South Africa in May 2024, she carried with her the trauma of 55 days in Hamas captivity, along with a quiet determination to speak out.

As the first released hostage to visit South Africa as part of a pioneering project of The Base and Jewish National Fund South Africa (JNF-SA), she made the brave decision to come not just to recover, but to take a stand.

Despite the South African government’s anti-Israel stance, she chose to share her story here, believing that this community, more than most, needed to hear it.

Last week, her name appeared in headlines again, this time for a profoundly joyful reason: Cohen announced her engagement to fellow former hostage Sasha Troufanov. Their story of survival, connection, and now love has moved people around the world. But for many here in South Africa, it also feels deeply personal.

Cohen’s visit was the beginning of something unique. It marked the launch of a project, led by The Base and JNF-SA, that has become one of the most meaningful ways our community has responded to the horrors of 7 October2023. Since her visit, this initiative has welcomed many survivors, released hostages, bereaved families, and heroes of that day. Each one has been met with warmth, compassion, and the space simply to breathe.

What sets this project apart is that it’s not just a speaking tour, it’s often the only chance these individuals get to step away from the weight of their pain. For a few days in the South African bush or along our coastlines, they are allowed to be human again. To rest, to laugh, to experience a holiday far from trauma. It’s a gift of healing that goes beyond any programme or platform.

The engagement of Cohen and Troufanov is a reminder of what is possible when care is offered with sincerity. In the days after the announcement, many of us involved in the project received mazaltov messages from members of the South African community. These messages reflected the real, ongoing relationships that have formed between South Africans and those we’ve been privileged to host.

When Cohen joined a group of Johannesburg Jewish women for a challah bake during her visit, the room was filled with heartfelt prayer and spontaneous shouts of hope for Troufanov’s safe return. She captured the moment on video, and later showed it to him, creating a powerful bridge between a young man still in captivity and a community thousands of kilometres away who had never met him yet already cared deeply. We now look forward to welcoming them both back, this time together, for their honeymoon in the African bush. Troufanov will finally understand what Cohen meant when she said, “I think it was worth being captured for this experience.”

Cohen and Troufanov’s engagement is a moment of light. It reminds us that out of unimaginable darkness, connection and love are still possible. For many of us in the community that shared a part of that journey with her, it’s not just a mazaltov, it’s a blessing. And for our community, it’s a quiet affirmation that when we come together with compassion and in a spirit of unity, we can be part of something that truly matters.

• Saul Jassinowsky is an executive committee member of JNF South Africa and a member of The Base.