05/06/2026
Eliya Cohen, who spent 505 days in Hamas captivity, was the special guest at a joint Magen David Adom UK and The Fed Young Patrons event in Manchester.
Eliya spoke movingly about how he and his fiancée, Ziv Abud, survived the initial Hamas attack after fleeing the Nova music festival. Hiding in a shelter, they covered themselves with the bodies of those murdered around them in order to stay alive. Eliya was later discovered and taken hostage into Gaza.
He described his time in captivity – held both in ordinary Gazan homes and deep within dark, suffocating tunnels – and spoke powerfully about how his faith in G-d sustained him through every humiliation, beating, and act of cruelty. Even in those moments, he held on to a sense of inner strength and quiet defiance.
Eliya ended with a deeply emotional message: to cherish those we love, to hold them close, to tell them what they mean to us, and to always seek out light – even in the darkest moments – because that is what helps us endure.
The evening was opened by MDA UK trustee Mark Goldstone and The Fed’s Director of Fundraising and My Voice Project, Raphi Bloom.
Mark shared the story of an MDA medic in Sderot who built a giant menorah from the remnants of Hamas rockets, placing it on the station roof in the hope that hostages might see it and draw strength from it.
Raphi Bloom closed his opening remarks by reflecting on the striking parallels between the experiences of Holocaust survivors and those taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th. In both, we see unimaginable cruelty – but also extraordinary resilience. We see people stripped of everything, yet holding firmly to their faith, their identity, and their humanity. From the camps of Europe to the tunnels of Gaza, Jews have whispered the Shema, found ways to mark Shabbat, and clung to hope in the face of darkness.
He spoke about the responsibility we carry as British Jews today – to live proudly, to stand visibly in our identity, and to ensure that these stories are told, understood, and never forgotten. Because the greatest lesson of all is this: the Jewish spirit has endured across generations of hatred and persecution – and it will never, ever be broken.
Joshua Diamond, MDA UK’s Director of Fundraising, closed the evening by speaking about “Machratayim” – MDA UK’s “Day After Tomorrow” initiative, which reflects the need for hope, healing, and a better future. He also was delighted to end of a message of hope and victory, in wishing Eliya and Ziv “Mazal Tov” for their upcoming wedding, which will mark a new chapter in their lives towards their own “Machratayim”.
Eliya, a devoted Manchester United fan, who had earlier been given a private tour of the club’s museum and stadium, was then presented with a Manchester United shirt bearing his name and the number 18 – symbolising Chai (life).
