Tears streamed down the faces of some of the hundreds of people gathered in a synagogue in Johannesburg as Or Levy described his release after 491 days as a hostage of Hamas.

Levy was brought to South Africa, the country that filed a case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice, by the local branch of the Jewish National Fund (JNF), a state-linked Israeli organisation.

Since May 2024, local Jewish groups have organised at least 16 similar events with former captives, survivors or families of victims of the militant group's October 7, 2023 attack.

Levy's release in February was "simultaneously the best and worst day of my life", said the 30-something, still gaunt six months later.

It was the day he learned that his wife had been among more than 360 people killed in Hamas' attack on the Supernova Music Festival, when he was among 40 others captured.

It was also when he was reunited with his four-year-old son.

"He just told me: 'Mom is dead'. I know, it's the hardest sentence to hear from a child," said Levy to the weeping audience, a yellow ribbon pinned to his suit in honour of those still in captivity.........

© Al Monitor