Moving letter from a Colombian whose husband was kidnapped by Hamas

“They have not given me any news about my husband, nor that they have proof of life, but they have not confirmed that he is dead either.”

It is the information you have Rebecca Bohbot, 32, wife of Colombian-Israeli Elkana Bohbotkidnapped by Hamas after the attack by the Islamist group, which entered Israeli territory on October 7, 2023 and murdered more than 1,160 people and kidnapped about 250.

Elkana was at the Supernova music festival, in the city of Reim, a kibbutz in southwestern Israel, near the border with Gaza, where two DJs for whom he is their manager were performing. Rebecca, from Bogotá and mother of their 3-year-old son, Reem, wrote a letter to her husband in which she tells him how she spends her days, waiting for her return. This is the letter:

“Letter to my husband
My love, 120 days, 15 hours, 44 min, 03 seconds without seeing you, without hearing from you, without hearing from you. Waking up every day for me is waking up on the same date of October 7, where this whole nightmare began, with the same pain, with the same anguish and uncertainty… my life and my time have been frozen while everyone else's lives continue.

I don't have the option to stay in bed, I have to be strong for our son. When I wake him up I smile at him, I convey security and hope by talking to him about you that you will soon return; We have a box collecting memories for you to see when you return.

At first, taking him to the garden was the most difficult since you were the one who did it. Reem told her caregiver that she wanted you to be there and play with him like you did every morning.

I return home every morning with emptiness and remove the mask of the confident smile from my face in exchange for the reality of the pain that I experience every day. I am at home without a job, the job I loved going to so much, where I found another family, is currently closed. You already know that tourism will be the last to return after this war comes to an end.

I try not to take clonazepam on an empty stomach since it gives me stomach pain, but when I consume it, this whole world of pain and thoughts calms down for a few hours. I'm not trying to escape from reality, but I have to fight and be calm so that our son be well.

Reem and I met Mijal, a great psychologist who gives us all the patience, support and love we need right now. She has been like an angel to me and Reem, we see her twice a week.

I try to occupy myself, move through everyday life, hoping that the phone will ring with the news that they found you and you are returning home and with the fear that the doorbell will ring with bad news.

My love, if you read me, I speak to you with a heart that is about to fail, the nights are the most difficult, all the thoughts of those dreams and projects together arrive and now they feel more and more distant.

If you knew how much I fear these nights alone and you being there without me. When will you come back? I think about you all the time, everything I had has lost meaning. Why you? An exemplary father, a good and peace-loving man, who always welcomed every human being into his life regardless of his religion, race, culture or political position. They took away from you what you love so much… freedom, seeing the sun in the morning, seeing your son grow up.

My life, I even have a hard time breathing and the truth is, without you I have no place here. The fears don't leave me, all this suffering seems unreal. When will we wake up from this nightmare?

I just want you to know that Reem and I will not give up on you and we ask God that you return safe and sound in body and soul, we will emerge from this victorious and together we will recover.

Love you, your wife, Rebecca.”

SUNDAY EDITION
TIME