From Gaza Tunnels to Freedom: Nova Guard Bar Kuperstein Tells All
Nova festival security guard and former Gaza hostage Bar Kuperstein shares his harrowing 738-day captivity, miraculous radio contact, and new book in an emotional interview.
Bar Kuperstein, a Nova music festival security guard who saved thousands of people and was subsequently held hostage by Hamas, has released a new book titled "Not Broken". In an emotional interview, he reflects on 738 days in dark Gaza tunnels, the moment he accidentally tuned into a radio broadcast to hear his mother's voice, and his spiritual awakening.
Reflecting on his return from underground captivity, Kuperstein describes the surreal transition to freedom. Despite ongoing economic and personal challenges following his release, he refuses to dwell on resentment. "I am not here saying 'why didn't they give me this, I deserve this.' It is what it is... I deal with it," he states.
Surviving the Tunnels
For nearly two years, Kuperstein and fellow hostages were crammed into subterranean cells without seeing sunlight. Hope flickered only when rumors of a potential hostage deal circulated via Al Jazeera broadcasts. Kuperstein admits that psychological self-defense mechanisms made him skeptical of initial reports, fearing the crushing disappointment of false hope.
A turning point occurred when the captives received an old radio originally provided by their captors for listening to religious broadcasts. Boredom prompted Kuperstein to fiddle with the antenna deep underground, unexpectedly capturing a signal from Galei Tzahal (Army Radio). Hearing Hebrew news and music for the first time in over a year stunned the room.
"I hear my mother on the radio, for the first time in a year and a half. And she says she is organizing a birthday party for me at Hostages Square... That was the best birthday present," Kuperstein recalls.
The Choice Not to Anger
Upon returning to Israel, police investigators informed Kuperstein that his actions on October 7th—specifically insisting alongside the security coordinator on opening and managing the Route 232 escape corridor—helped save over two thousand festivalgoers.
Despite enduring profound trauma, Kuperstein consciously chose not to harbor bitterness toward the state, the military, or his captors. "What will it give me? I'll be nervous and angry... What will that do to help me survive?" he asks.
Spiritual Awakening in Captivity
Raised in a traditional home, Kuperstein felt a deep spiritual void while trapped underground. He yearned to perform religious rituals, particularly laying tefillin—unaware that his mother had distributed his personal tefillin to others to wrap in his merit. Today, he maintains strict observance of Shabbat and daily tefillin.
Concluding his interview, Kuperstein urges the public not to let the daily grind overshadow what truly matters. "What do you remember from your family? That you brought them money? ... What you really remember are the holidays, the Sabbaths, the trips together. Those family moments are what you take with you for the rest of your life."
