Former hostage Omri Miran, freed after 738 days in Gaza, will speak at Salon Otef gatherings where survivors, returned captives, bereaved families and security personnel share firsthand accounts of October 7. Organized by 255 and supported by KKL-JNF and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, roughly 450 events will take place across Israel in early October. Each meeting centers on personal testimony followed by open conversation, with some gatherings featuring live music. This year's program also highlights ongoing challenges including coping, rehabilitation and community rebuilding.
Omri Miran to Headline Salon Otef: 450 Gatherings Will Share Firsthand October 7 Testimonies
A Salon Otef participant shares her personal story with guests gathered in a private home. (photo credit: Courtesy)
Former hostage Omri Miran, freed after 738 days in Gaza, will be among the speakers at Salon Otef gatherings where survivors, returned captives, bereaved families and members of the security and rescue services share firsthand testimony about the October 7 attacks.
About Salon Otef
Organized by 255, the Hostages and Families Organization, Salon Otef will host roughly 450 meetings across Israel in early October. Events are planned in private homes, community spaces, workplaces and other venues, and organizers expect thousands of attendees.
Format And Purpose
Each Salon Otef event centers on a direct personal testimony followed by an open conversation with participants. Some gatherings will include singing or live music to accompany the testimonies. To ensure meaningful, face-to-face encounters and to preserve these accounts, Salon Otef provides speakers and hosts with preparatory support and guidance ahead of each meeting.
A Salon Otef participant shares her personal story with guests gathered in a private home. (credit: Courtesy)
'To understand what happened to us on October 7 and what the hostages and their families have endured since then, we need to hear the stories firsthand from those who lived through them,' Miran said.
The initiative is launching with support from Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael — Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), which views Salon Otef as a strategic part of the commemoration process, and in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Additional partners include the Atid LaOtef movement, the Nova Tribe Community Association, Edut 710, the Kumu movement, the Kibbutz Movement and other local organizations.
'The story of October 7 should first and foremost be told by those who were there and experienced it firsthand,' said Mor Peretz, CEO of 255. 'They must make their voices heard and ensure the record is written through their testimony.'
This Year's Focus
Beyond testimony, this year's gatherings will address the ongoing challenges that followed October 7: coping with loss, rehabilitation, returning to daily life and the broader effort to rebuild communities. Salon Otef was launched in 2024, one year after October 7, and has since become an annual series of commemorative events around the anniversary.
Photo credit: Courtesy
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