Before he was taken captive by Hamas, Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, made a heroic move to notify his family that Hamas had infiltrated the Israel-Gaza border. His father, Jonathan, recounted the pain he felt while visiting the United States during that fateful day on Oct. 7, 2023.

“By far the worst moment of my life,” Jonathan lamented, “and being a world away at that moment, being completely hopeless and helpless to do anything.”