Former Hamas hostages share their survival story at Coral Springs Chabad
.png "Maya Regev, left, speaks about her experiences as a Hamas hostage in front of a packed hall at Chabad of Southwest Coral Springs on Dec. 7. She also translated for her brother and father, who do not speak English.")
Two former Hamas hostages visited Chabad of Southwest Coral Springs on Sunday, Dec. 7, as part of a speaking tour detailing their story of faith, family and survival under brutal conditions.
“Until now, for all of us, myself included, the experience of what you’ve gone through has been nothing more than videos we’ve seen, stories we’ve heard third hand,” Rabbi Yankie Denburg said onstage in front of the packed hall.
“It’s been a story on our screens. And tonight, the story is no longer on the screen.”
During the 90-minute conversation, Maya and Itay Regev, along with their father Ilan, detailed the harrowing weeks between Oct. 7 and the siblings’ late-November release — beginning with sheer terror as Maya, Itay and a friend attempted to flee the Nova music festival.
Ilan Regev was on the phone when his children were shot by Hamas militants and spent days unsure if either one was alive.
The siblings suffered serious injuries and but were taken into Hamas custody. Maya’s foot was nearly destroyed at the ankle because of a bullet wound, leaving her unable to walk on her own.
Itay was shot in his leg on Oct. 7 and underwent surgery without anesthesia to remove the bullet.
Medical supplies were already difficult to find in the West Bank before the Israel-Hamas war began, according to a 20-page report by the United Nations.
“The health care system in Gaza was grossly inadequate even before 7 October 2023,” the report reads. “The 17-year blockade of Gaza in the context of Israel’s 57-year occupation, combined with the destruction caused by repeated escalations of hostilities since 2008, during which Israeli forces regularly bombed Gaza, had created broad dependence on external aid and heavily restricted access and movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza, including those essential for healthcare.”
The siblings spent about seven weeks in captivity and were released within days of one another in a late-November exchange agreement.
Maya and Itay Regev credited their survival to their faith and a conviction that, no matter what, they would survive and see their family again — a thread that Deburg highlighted, too.
“When Oct. 7 happened, it was like literally seeing part of our family being killed, being tortured, being taken into captivity. And I don’t know if Americans or people that are not involved appreciate the emotional impact that October 7 had on the Jewish community by and large,” Denburg told the Coral Springs News.
“Since then, we’ve been praying for these hostages. We’ve been thinking about them. We had pictures of them, we had their names, and each and every one of them, as they were released, was literally like seeing part of your family come back home.”
Denburg said that he connected with the Regev family through a friend in Israel who helped arrange their trip to Coral Springs as part of a speaking tour.
“It’s not that easy to get hostages to come [to the U.S.], especially ones who speak English,” Denburg said. “It was definitely a special opportunity.”
The Chabad stopped selling tickets days before the event because all of the available seats had been filled.
Attendees expressed gratitude that they were able to be part of the event.
“I am taking from this, this story, which stays with me. Never give up under whatever condition you are in, even when you don’t believe that you will survive, you will succeed. Hang on to the one ray of hope and try to repeat yourself these hopes every single day, every single moment of your weakness, and this should uplift you,” Gia Costa said.
The event’s hosts also highlighted two upcoming events for the Jewish community in Coral Springs.
The first is a menorah lighting, happening at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at the Chabad Jewish Center at 11325 W. Atlantic Blvd.
Then, on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 2 to 5 p.m., there will be a Hanukkah festival at the Coral Springs Sportsplex. It will include rides, activities, vendors and a BMX show.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 12:44 PM.
