Ep. 1: The Human Reality: October 7 and the Struggle of the Hostage Families (Udi Goren – Bring them Home Now!)

Guest: Udi Goren, Member of the steering committee of Bring Them Home Now!, the largest initiative of hostage families in Israel. Host: Yusuf Udi Goren is an Israeli photographer, author, travel guide, and former professional volleyball player who has become a leading voice in the campaign to free the Israeli hostages held by Hamas. His cousin, Tal Haimi, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the October 7 Hamas attack and later confirmed killed, with his body still held in Gaza until October 20, 2025. Udi Goren is an elected member of the steering committee of Bring Them Home Now!, the largest initiative of hostage families, representing them in the Knesset and the media worldwide. In this episode: We speak with Udi Goren about October 7, his cousin Tal, his family’s personal tragedy, and the struggle of the hostage families. He shares insights into life in the kibbutzim before and after October 7, the challenges of grief and activism, and hopes for international solidarity. We discuss the work of Bring Them Home Now!, and what message he wants to send to young people in Berlin, home to both a large Palestinian diaspora and a vibrant Israeli community. This episode was recorded on April 2, 2025. Links: https://stories.bringthemhomenow.net/ As a peace activist, Udi Goren works with Solutions - not Sides, the leading British NGO educating about the Israel-Palestine Conflict in Schools. Thanks to Udi Goren’s recommendation, we met the founder Sharon Booth and Mohamed Ali Amla who is responsible for the NGO’s youth programs. You can explore their important work in Episode 49.  https://solutionsnotsides.co.uk/ Dedication: We dedicate this Podcast to all victims and survivors of October 7, the hostages and their families, to all innocent civilians killed in Gaza and their grieving families and friends. To our dear guests Udi Goren, Khalil Sayegh, Sima and Mai who shared their losses so powerfully with us. To their families: Tal’s wife Ella Haimi, their children Nir, Einav, Udi and Lotan who never got the chance to meet his father. To Khalil Sayegh’s mother and siblings, to Mai’s and Sima’s family, to her mother Bushra. To the blessed memory of:  Tal Haimi, Lara Sayegh, Jeris Sayegh, Mahmoud, Danny Darlington, and Haim Perry. Disclaimer: Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast team. Technical legal terms are explained in Episode 36 with Prof. Claus Kreß; contested histories are addressed by Prof. Gudrun Krämer in Episode 21.