Some dates never become ordinary. On Wednesday, the calendar will once again read October 7, and three years will have passed since the morning of October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists crossed from Gaza into southern Israel. Families were torn apart in minutes. Hundreds of people were murdered, and men, women, children and elderly people were taken from their homes into Gaza as hostages. For so many of us, that Simchat Torah has never really ended.
In the years since, one phrase has carried the hopes of an entire people: bring them home. It was written on signs and whispered in prayers. Every person who came back was a world returned to their family. Every person who did not is a name we carry with us.
Memory needs a home too. At Gefen Publishing House in Jerusalem, we believe one of the most lasting ways to hold on to what happened, and to the people it happened to, is through their stories. As this anniversary approaches, we want to share some of the books that help us remember, understand, and teach. At the center is one story we feel especially privileged to publish.
129 Days: Luis Har's Story
On October 7, 2023, Luis Har's ordinary life changed forever. Hamas terrorists stormed the home of his partner, Clara Marman, at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, and abducted Luis, Clara, and three members of her family, taking them into Gaza.
What followed were 129 days of captivity. In Rescued, our new book, Luis tells that story himself. It is a deeply personal, firsthand testimony of days marked by hunger, fear, psychological warfare, and constant uncertainty, and by an unshakable determination to survive.
Cut off from the outside world, Luis found ways to endure: through family, through memories, through humor, through cooking, and through the conviction that he would eventually return home. The book is also honest about the hardest parts. It reveals the complicated survival strategies required when a hostage is completely dependent on his captors.
Rescued is not only a story about Gaza. It follows Luis from his childhood in Argentina and his decision to make Israel his home, to the horrors of October 7, to his months in captivity, and finally to the extraordinary military operation that brought him and Fernando Marman home.
Above all, it is a story of family, resilience, and the refusal to surrender hope. For anyone who spent those long months waiting for news, who tied a yellow ribbon or said a prayer for people they had never met, this book is a chance to hear, in one man's own voice, what it meant to come home.
Testimony and Memoir: Voices From That Day and After
Rescued sits alongside other personal accounts that let us hear October 7 and its aftermath from the inside.
- Heroes of Palmar by Dr. Tuvia Book is a memoir, with extraordinary accompanying photographs, that pays tribute to the men and women of his IDF PALMAR combat medical extraction unit. It honors their dedication and courage in providing life-saving care to wounded soldiers on the battlefield in Gaza during the Swords of Iron war.
- Ruptured, edited by Lee Kofman and Tamar Paluch, gathers essays by thirty-six women in Australia whose lives were irrevocably changed by October 7. It explores the rift created by that devastating day and attempts to mend it.
- October 7: A Story of Courage and Resurrection by Tsafi Timor is a historical-fiction novel inspired by the horrors of that day. Through characters like Leora, a ninety-four-year-old Holocaust survivor held in captivity, and Chagai, an IDF combat pilot whose twin brother Dor was dragged toward Gaza, it explores courage, captivity, and the responsibility people took for one another.
Photography That Bears Witness
Some things are almost impossible to put into words. These books let the images speak.
- The October 7 War collects the work of photographer Ziv Koren, who began documenting the war from that terrible morning out of a deep sense of mission. He writes that without authentic documentation, we could one day struggle to believe that this happened. The phrase "I'd rather be honest than impressive" is tattooed on his arm, and that commitment runs through the book.
- October 7th: Bearing Witness, with photography by Chen G. Schimmel, is more than a collection of photographs. It is a historical record of the tragedy, loss, and pain of that day, and of the resilience, courage, and unity of the Israeli people in the months that followed. Alongside the images are letters from fallen soldiers and eulogies delivered at their funerals.
Faith and Meaning
Jewish memory has always lived inside Jewish practice. These books help keep the fallen and the heroes close, week after week.
- The Chumash of Heroes is a beautifully designed Chumash, complete with Rashi and Onkelos, in which each parsha is dedicated to the heroes of October 7th and the Iron Swords War. Alongside the text are a dvar Torah, a short biography, and words of remembrance, preserving the stories of 821 kedoshim within the rhythm of Jewish life. It is a spiritual monument and a living legacy, made for homes, shuls, and schools.
- The Magic in the Tragic by former MK Rabbi Dov Lipman gathers the hopeful stories he shared throughout the war, about soldiers, their families, and everyday Israelis. Amid all the sadness, it is a reminder that a little light dispels a lot of darkness.
For Children: A Gentle Way to Talk About It
Many parents and teachers are still searching for the right words. The Shelf They Lost, from Let's Do Something, an organization founded in the aftermath of October 7, is a fully illustrated allegory told in rhyme. Using juice boxes on a grocery store shelf, it introduces young readers to themes of exile, prejudice, survival, and return, mirroring Jewish history in a way that is simple but powerful. It is accessible for children, carries layered meaning for adults, and ends with a question that invites the whole family to reflect on belonging.
Understanding the War
For readers who want to understand the larger picture, Israel's War of Self-Defense by Rabbi Alan Silverstein brings together his writing on one of the most consequential years in modern Jewish history. It addresses the central issues that arose from the war and is written for Jews and non-Jews alike who want to understand the perspectives of most Israelis and most of the world's Jews.
Carrying the Story Forward
Three years on, the pain has not faded, and it should not have to. But alongside the grief, something else has grown: a people that showed up for one another, soldiers and medics who ran toward danger, families who never stopped fighting for those they loved, and hostages like Luis Har who held on to hope through the darkest days of their lives.
Books cannot bring anyone back. What they can do is make sure that no name, no story, and no act of courage is forgotten. They let us hand memory to our children, and to readers around the world who need to know what happened and who these people were.
As October 7 arrives this week, we invite you to light a candle, say a name, and open a book. May the memories of all those who were lost be a blessing, and may we soon know only days of peace and of homecoming.
Explore our full October 7th collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rescued by Luis Har about?
Rescued is Luis Har's firsthand account of being abducted from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7, 2023, together with his partner Clara Marman and three members of her family. It describes his 129 days of captivity in Gaza and the military operation that brought him and Fernando Marman home, and it also traces his life from his childhood in Argentina to his decision to make Israel his home.
What books are there about October 7th?
Gefen publishes memoirs such as Rescued, photography books such as The October 7 War, works of remembrance such as The Chumash of Heroes, and children's books such as The Shelf They Lost. Find them all in our October 7th collection.