Eli Sharabi, HOSTAGE
[0:00]Hi, this is Zibi Owens, and you're listening to Totally Book to Zibi.
[0:06]Formerly, moms don't have time to read books.
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[0:44]Today is October 7th.
[0:47]It's the second anniversary of the horrific attacks in Israel, and I've had the honor
[0:54]of interviewing Ellie Sharabi just yesterday, which was unbelievably moving to
[1:01]talk to a former hostage.
[1:03]It was the first time I just, I could barely even speak.
[1:06]I was just in so much awe of him, his resolve, his determination, his strength.
[1:12]It was like talking to God.
[1:15]Anyway, our interview was quite short, that's all the time he had, but I took it, and
[1:20]I will share it with you here to all the families of hostages, the victims of October 7th.
[1:28]All of the Jewish people in Israel and the diaspora who have been attacked and hated
[1:35]so much as I have in the aftermath of October 7th as the world split into and suddenly
[1:44]the ancient antisemitism that we thought was buried came roaring back to everyone who has
[1:51]gone through this.
[1:53]The 180, as Ellie says in our interview, I just want you to know that I am with you and
[2:01]have tried to do my part to help, as I know so many of you out there have done as well,
[2:07]and that the most important thing we can all do, Jewish, non-Jewish, whatever, is remember
[2:12]we are all human and just draw on our strength as people, our love of family or love
[2:20]of each other to heal because that is what we are all in dire need of doing, as Ellie's
[2:26]interview shows.
[2:28]Here's his bio.
[2:29]Ellie Sharabi is a former hostage who survived 491 days in Hamas captivity following his
[2:35]abduction from Kibbutz Bayery on October 7th, 2023.
[2:40]Sharabi has since become a global advocate for the remaining hostages meeting with world
[2:45]leaders like US President Donald Trump, speaking at the United Nations and sharing his story
[2:49]with audiences around the world.
[2:51]His memoir hostage, the first published account by a released Israeli hostage, became an
[2:56]instant number one bestseller in Hebrew, and the fastest-selling book in Israeli history.
[3:00]Born in Tel Aviv to Yemenite and Moroccan parents, Sharabi moved to Bayery as a teenager
[3:05]and later married Leanne, a British woman with whom he shared two daughters, Noya and
[3:10]Yajal, age 16 and 13, a longtime resident of Bayery, Sharabi served as the Kibbutz's business
[3:16]manager, as well as the chief financial officer of the Kibbutz Bayery printing and other
[3:21]private companies in Israel, Sharabi continues to work tirelessly as a leader in the campaign
[3:25]for the release of captives.
[3:28]This is our interview.
[3:29]Welcome.
[3:30]Thank you so, so much for coming on totally book to talk about your book, hostage, which
[3:35]was just beyond amazing as a book, as a piece of history, as a testament, all of it.
[3:42]Thank you.
[3:43]Thank you very much.
[3:44]My honor.
[3:45]One of the things that you say a lot in the book is that you were on a mission to survive.
[3:50]You were able to compartmentalize and focus on just survival.
[3:54]Can you talk a little bit about how you did that and what that meant to you?
[3:58]Well, the minute they grabbed me from my house and just told them, I'm going to be
[4:03]in a hostage and I need to do everything I can to survive this hell and I knew I'm going
[4:13]to have, you know, loads of challenges ahead of me and I just need to make my promise
[4:22]to my daughter that I'm coming back.
[4:24]So for me and to survive was my mission and I knew I'm going to do everything to do that.
[4:33]And you were able to use just every skill you had from all of your jobs and on the Kibbutz
[4:39]and all of it and led the other young men through this horrific experience.
[4:45]How are you able to do that so well?
[4:47]And I mean, it definitely speaks to trying to get these types of jobs for all different
[4:52]types of reasons.
[4:53]First of all, I'm very practical person.
[4:56]So I knew I need to separate between my emotion and my mission and I knew that all the experience
[5:07]I have as a manager working with people and managing people and working with them and
[5:15]give them missions and deadlines and all this, it's something will help me to manage every
[5:21]situation with my captors and with the other hostages.
[5:26]And it's not really fair to expect someone is off of my age to have all this experience.
[5:34]So I knew it's on me and a part of surviving and surviving good and surviving together
[5:43]with the other hostages, it's to manage every situation there.
[5:47]I know you take us through in detail what it was like then.
[5:52]How has it been for you now?
[5:54]You talked about another hostage having nightmares while you were underground in the tunnel.
[5:58]Do you have nightmares?
[5:59]Do you have other effects afterwards?
[6:02]I didn't have a nightmare, I didn't have nightmares there and I don't have nightmares
[6:07]now.
[6:08]I was probably very good as I said to separate between my emotion and the hell that we had
[6:19]in October 7 in my house and so for me it's not something that really was a problem
[6:28]for me.
[6:29]Of course other hostages had nightmares, it wasn't easy to experience that with them and
[6:37]talk about it and so I've tried to speak with them in the during of the day about good
[6:45]things that they will not have nightmares in the night.
[6:50]And what is your relationship with in the aftermath of the starvation?
[6:54]What is your relationship with food like now?
[6:57]Do you feel like what is it like?
[7:00]I'm not, you know, first of all I appreciate, I appreciate food suddenly, everything is
[7:07]very tasty for me, I don't know why, I'm not spoiled anymore with food but I'm not eating
[7:14]a lot now because I didn't have food you know for 16 months, I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm
[7:22]trying to eat, I love food, I'm trying to eat less now because everything I eat now
[7:29]and it's all run more.
[7:32]Yes.
[7:34]You speak in the book about Lee Bardugo's book, I emailed her and I was like, Lee do you
[7:39]know that Eli Sharoffi is talking about you in his book and she was like I can't stop crying
[7:44]but you write about it can I just read this little section out loud is that okay?
[7:48]You say we find ways to distract ourselves from the hunger, to pass the time in our cell,
[7:53]to distract ourselves from the distress and the pain.
[7:55]We have a book that reached us via Hirsch and Ori didn't know back in the previous tunnel,
[8:00]shadow and bone by Lee Bardugo.
[8:02]We learn from a lawn that the author is Jewish, we pass the book around between us, I'm
[8:07]shortsighted so I can't read it but or and a lawn devour it again and again.
[8:12]Aliyah knows very little English and struggles to read it so he doesn't but his time
[8:15]drags on in board amounts he decides to try he picks it up and start reading and starts
[8:20]reading and then you say they obsess about this book something about it besides being
[8:25]a way to pass the time gives them strength they tell me that the protagonist learns
[8:29]to navigate her way through the darkness and that although fictional and the book itself
[8:34]a fantasy her character holds lessons about surviving in the dark about captivity.
[8:39]They take turns reading it over and over.
[8:42]Tell me about that.
[8:43]It's amazing isn't that amazing that a fantasy book have a power of lanes and details
[8:52]like we had in to Thanos what do you say about that it's amazing because well I couldn't
[8:58]read that because I didn't have my glasses with me but they were fascinated about that
[9:04]and sometimes it scared them how much it's you know by the details it's looked like
[9:09]there with the time we have in the Thanos in captivity sometimes it was scary for them
[9:15]as well so because of that it was very very important and Aliyah coin could study English
[9:24]because of this book I think it was his first book there and he started to read line
[9:30]after line and asked us about words there and we explained that to him and I think in
[9:36]the second or third time he wrote it read that book it just you know it didn't do
[9:43]ask any more that's that's amazing for him so yes if you have any connection with
[9:50]her thank her by my name you know it's it would be a great pleasure to meet her I actually
[9:57]I asked her to come on our zoom but she had something go I got to
[10:00]I'll have to connect you afterwards, but she was totally emotional about it and just couldn't
[10:05]believe it.
[10:06]So I hope you know that.
[10:08]Well, the way that her book helped you all then, your book is sure to help so many other
[10:13]people through situations that of course are not exactly parallel, but getting through
[10:18]anything.
[10:19]I mean, the skills that you show us in this book were so unexpected to me.
[10:23]I thought it would be obviously it was so painful to read, right?
[10:27]But it was so hopeful.
[10:29]You were so in command of your emotions and it was really quite inspiring.
[10:36]Was that in it?
[10:37]Did you know it would have that effect?
[10:39]No, probably not.
[10:41]You know, sometimes I still ask people why you're inspired and what we're inspired
[10:47]from.
[10:48]I don't really understand all the time, what I'm saying, it's differently from other people.
[10:53]But you know, I've always been optimistic, always try to find solutions and not to cry
[11:04]about it or any situation and self-pity, it's like a curse for me anyway.
[11:10]So I'm trying to find all the time, the solution and to look forward.
[11:17]And that's it.
[11:19]It's with me.
[11:20]This is me.
[11:21]Wow.
[11:23]What do you feel about the conversations now as we're talking, you know, it looks like perhaps
[11:28]there will be a deal for the hostages.
[11:30]Do you believe it?
[11:31]What do you think?
[11:32]Well, I really believe that I'm very optimistic about that this time, it's look closer
[11:38]than ever.
[11:39]I'm very optimistic in that in the next week or two will have a signed deal that bring
[11:48]back my brother, first of all, and alone.
[11:53]And the other 46 sources that remain there bring back to their families and I think that's
[12:00]maybe probably, probably it will be the day that will start to heal as you know, as a state,
[12:09]as individuals, people in Israel and drama from October 7.
[12:14]Of course, of course.
[12:16]I mean, you mentioned that after you came out, you were totally bold over by the support
[12:24]for the hostages worldwide, not just in Israel, but Diaspora Jews everywhere.
[12:29]Were you also surprised by how much hate there was coming towards Jews since October
[12:35]7?
[12:36]Of course.
[12:37]It shocks me every time still.
[12:40]And you know, yes, I was first of all, I was very surprised about that support of the
[12:45]Israel is support the hostages, the hostage family, and Jewish all over the world.
[12:52]There's solidarity with the Israelis, it's amazing, and I'm very grateful for that.
[12:59]And the hate that is all over the world for the Jews, it's unbelievable, unimaginable,
[13:06]that is happening still in 2025 and 1940.
[13:10]So when I meet parliament members in UK, in US, in Australia, two weeks ago, I'm talking
[13:19]with them and that they have to have a stronger voice against anti-Semitism, because
[13:28]any hate crimes that's going to happen and happen like a week ago in the young people
[13:34]or in the UK in Manchester, it's on their responsibility, this, you know, politicians.
[13:42]What do you think?
[13:43]Is there anything people like me who want to help, who want to fight against all of
[13:48]the hatred and unite our community, people who are following your journey and want to help
[13:53]you and all of the hostages and everything, like what would be most helpful to you or
[13:59]to our tribe?
[14:02]Which one of the people, even Israelis, Jewish, non-Jewish, I don't care, that can explain
[14:10]to ignorant people about facts, about not to hate other people, it's okay to have a disagreement,
[14:19]it's democracy, it's, I don't have to think the same as you, but we can speak, and especially
[14:28]not to hate each other.
[14:31]So just speaking against anti-Semitism all over the world, that would be more than enough
[14:38]for me as Israeli and as Jewish.
[14:42]So in addition to having to survive this excruciating time, you then had to come back and learn
[14:48]about your family, how is that something that you can ever quote get through?
[14:53]Do you think about them all the time?
[14:55]Do you try not to think about how do you get through?
[14:58]I don't need any memorial day for a two member of my wife, my daughters, my brother,
[15:06]that with me all the time in any situation, if I'm listening to a music in the car,
[15:12]if I'm going to meet their friends, in any situation, I remember my wife, my daughter,
[15:18]that will be through them my last day in life, you know, but it will be alongside my life,
[15:25]not instead of them, I'm intending to rebuild my life, to have a full-meaning life,
[15:32]I'm going to be very, very busy, happy, so this is me.
[15:36]Well, I'm so sorry for the loss, and again, just have so much respect for you in every way
[15:45]for being able to write about it.
[15:47]I've known your agent, Jen Joel, for a very long time, by the way, how did you team up with her?
[15:53]Actually, my agent, Neil Blair, from the UK, is working with her, so he connects us,
[16:03]so that was the connection between me and Jennifer.
[16:09]I'm very happy about this connection anyway.
[16:12]Me too, she's amazing.
[16:15]You're doing a huge event tomorrow night at Temple Manual in New York City.
[16:19]What are you going to tell everybody?
[16:21]What do you want everybody to know when they meet you in person?
[16:24]First of all, that I'm not a poster anymore, I'm a real man.
[16:28]I'm back from hell, rebuilding my life, happy, very optimistic for the future.
[16:37]I want to speak about appreciation in life, to appreciate every basic thing that
[16:43]is happening to you, to you in life, about that you have all the time,
[16:50]the choice to decide one thing or another.
[16:54]This is what I want people will fill in tomorrow night, and in any event I'm making.
[17:03]Are you okay with being this public figure now?
[17:05]Do you ever want to just be like, no, no, I think I'm going to just watch TV and hang out?
[17:10]Well, I'm not sure I'm going to watch the first of all, I didn't watch TV eight months now.
[17:16]Since my release, it's because I'm busy, and if probably I watch television,
[17:24]it would be something sport or something like that.
[17:26]I'm not going to waste my time watching television, especially in at news.
[17:32]But, you know, I'm just happy, just happy with my life.
[17:39]That's it, that's it, I'm happy with my life, my life changed 180 degrees.
[17:49]I become familiar, figure, I don't know why, I will be more than happy to come back to be an
[17:56]anonymous, and maybe I'll succeed one day.
[17:59]Well, well, in the meantime, you're using your voice and your experience to help so many people,
[18:04]and hopefully it just makes such a difference because we need you to keep speaking out.
[18:10]And thank you so much. This book is amazing, everyone should read it, it's like,
[18:15]in addition, you're a great writer. So, I mean, there you go. What more can you ask for?
[18:19]Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.
[18:22]What's my honor? Thank you. Thank you for listening to totally booked with Zibi,
[18:27]formerly momstone after time to read books. If you loved the show,
[18:31]tell a friend, leave a review, follow me on Instagram at Zibi Owens, and spread the word.
[18:37]Thanks so much. Oh, and bye the books.