October 7 Survivors to Share Their Stories as Part of the ‘Salon Otef’ Project

30 September 2026
This unique initiative, led by "255, The Hostages and Missing Families Organization", is taking place on a significantly larger scale this year. As part of the project, returning hostages, family members of hostages – both living and deceased – survivors of the massacre, family members whose loved ones were murdered, and members of the security and rescue forces will visit more than 450 locations across the country at the beginning of October. They will visit homes and communities and share their personal stories.
The ceremony was held at the memorial forest established by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish
Thousands of people are expected to attend the gatherings and gain firsthand exposure to stories they have not previously encountered, hearing directly about acts of heroism alongside the profound loss. The initiative is being launched with the support of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), which views it as a strategic component of the commemoration process. The Conrad Adenauer Foundation is also a partner in the initiative. Numerous organizations are also participating in the project, including Atid for the Otef, the Nova Tribe Community Association, Testimony 710, Kumo Movement, the Kibbutz Movement, and others.
 
This year, alongside testimonies from that day, the gatherings will also address the ongoing challenges since October 7, 2023, including loss, recovery, returning home, and the effort to rebuild lives.
 
Omri Miran, who was released from captivity in Gaza after 738 days and will also lead an “Salon Otef” gathering, said: “To understand what happened to us on October 7 and what the hostages and their families have experienced since then, we need to hear the stories firsthand, from those who lived through them. The hundreds of living rooms opening across the country allow these stories to pass from person to person and from home to home. I see sharing these stories with the public as a whole and with the younger generation as an extremely important national mission – a mission for life.”
 
“Salon Otef" connects people who experienced the events of October 7 with hosts who open their homes to them for a personal gathering in which they share their stories. At the center of each gathering is a personal and direct testimony, told at the pace and in the manner chosen by the speaker. This is followed by an open discussion with participants, and some gatherings also include singing and musical performances. In addition to the private homes hosting these moving gatherings, many survivors will also share their stories at companies, organizations, community centers, and other venues.
 
The initiative provides speakers and hosts with support and guidance ahead of the gatherings, with the aim of facilitating sensitive and safe conversations. Through the personal and direct nature of the home gatherings, “Salon Otef” seeks to preserve the testimonies, create space for discussion about the ongoing process of coping, and connect individual stories with the collective memory of October 7.
 
Photo: “Salon Otef"
 
Mor Peretz, CEO of "255 The Hostages and Missing Families Organization": “The story of October 7 should first and foremost be told by those who were there and experienced it firsthand. They are the ones who should have their voices heard, describe what they saw and went through, and ensure that the story is written from their testimony. The more these testimonies are heard and resonate in more homes and among more people, the more we can preserve the story as experienced by those who were there. Salon Otef gives them the opportunity to be the ones who tell and write the story. As a society, we need to be there to listen, remember and pass it on".
 
Eyal Ostreinsky, Chairman of KKL-JNF: “Three years after October 7, our responsibility is not only to remember what happened that day, but also to listen to the people who carry with them what they experienced on that terrible day and what they have been experiencing ever since. The direct encounters created through Salon Otef allow us to hear the testimonies and learn about the ongoing struggle to recover and rebuild. KKL-JNF is proud to support an initiative that connects personal stories with the Israeli public and helps preserve them as part of our shared memory.”
 
“Salon Otef” was launched in 2024, one year after October 7, and has taken place annually around the anniversary ever since.