For two years, as Segev Kalfon languished in a tunnel in Gaza, held hostage by Hamas terrorists, he clung to a single dream. When he would finally be released, and expecting to be released in a public ceremony as the hostages before him, he would stand before his captors and proclaim Shema Yisrael for all to hear.

In the end, Hamas halted the grotesque release ceremonies before Segev’s freedom. But he remained determined to proclaim Hashem’s unity to the entire world. “They didn’t let me shout Shema Yisrael in Gaza,” he said. “I’ll shout Shema Yisrael in New York.”

That moment came on Friday morning at 770. Surrounded by thousands of teens from the CTeen Shabbaton and hundreds of onlookers, Segev donned tefillin, took the microphone, and, in a voice filled with emotion, called out:  “Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad!”

The words were answered instantly, echoing back thousands of times over as the teens, who had joined him moments earlier for a mass tefillin laying, responded in unison.

“For two years, CTeens around the world prayed for the hostages, performed mitzvos for their release, and carried them in their hearts,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Chairman of CTeen International. “To finally meet one of them, and to hear a message of emunah directly from him, struck a very deep chord.”

Following the massive tefillin laying and the recitation of Shema, Segev shared a brief message. Remarks were also delivered by Rabbi Shimon Rivkin, Director of CTeen International.

“Segev spoke powerfully about recognizing that everything comes from Hashem,” said Ethan Hobbs, a CTeen leader who is here with his delegation from KCTeen Kansas City. “He shared that his chances of surviving October 7 were only one percent, yet he survived with Hashem’s help. It was a powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments, trusting that Hashem is in charge gives us the strength to persevere.”

Segev also shared that while he had only put on tefillin a handful of times before October 7, since his release, he has committed to putting on tefillin every day. “If I don’t put on tefillin one day,” he said, “I feel like I can’t go on with my day.”

The Friday morning tefillin and Shema was just one moment in a packed weekend, as 4,578 Jewish teens gathered for the Shabbaton, the largest gathering of Jewish teens in the world.

Beginning Thursday and continuing through Sunday night, the Shabbaton showcases vibrant Jewish pride across New York, with major events across the city 

On Friday, the teens fan out on 23 different tracks across New York City, visiting iconic sites including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, sacred sites such as the Ohel and an insider shtetl tour of Crown Heights. Before the teens return to Crown Heights to welcome Shabbos, with a powerful candle lighting ceremony, ushering in 25 hours of spirited tefillos, meals, learning sessions, and high-energy inspiration.

“The theme of this year’s Shabbaton is ‘Live the Life,’” shares Rabbi Rivkin, “teaching, and showing, the teens how to live fully and fiercely Jewish. On Friday, they saw it in action, from emunah forged in the darkest places, to visible, confident Jewish pride in the heart of New York City, the world’s most public stage.” 

Photo: Itzik Belenitzky/CTeen