Omer Shem Tov, Freed Hamas Hostage, Throws Ceremonial First Pitch at Fenway Park on Jewish Heritage Night

Fenway Park hosted a special moment on Monday with a ceremonial first pitch tossed by Omer Shem Tov, a Jewish captive formerly held by Hamas.

The pitch came ahead of the Boston Red Sox’s homestand against the New York Mets, kicking off their three-game series.

It was Jewish Heritage Night, and what better way to honor that occasion than by welcoming Shem Tov, who had been held captive for more than 500 days under Hamas' terror …

Faith and a Red Sox home win headlined the night at Fenway.

"It was amazing, amazing," said the 22-year-old Shem Tov, speaking with the Boston Herald. "It’s a great opportunity, and it’s an honor for me to be here tonight."

Despite being in the middle of the energy of the Red Sox home crowd, Shem Tov still had a message to spread. On his sneakers, Shem Tov wrote "Bring them home" to highlight the remaining hostages still under Hamas’s rule.

Hamas still holds an estimated 58 hostages, stemming from the attack on Israel in 2023 when nearly 1,200 innocent Israelis were killed, with 251 Israelis captured and taken hostage. Shem Tov was among the concert-goers at the Nova Music Festival taken by Hamas terrorists. He was 19 at the time of his kidnapping.

"After the thing that I’ve been through, there is really, I don’t know, a small amount of things that can affect me, make me nervous," Shem Tov said. "I was excited."

Speaking with WBZ, Omer shared that he survived by eating one biscuit a day and water. Terrorists largely kept him in a space 40 meters underground, leaving him to spend days in darkness. He was finally released on Feb. 22, 2025, as part of a hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas.

"First things first, it’s the hostages. This is human lives on the line. We have to get them out as soon as possible, all of the 58 hostages dead or alive," Shem Tov shared. "It’s my goal right now, so I’ll speak, and I’ll do, and I believe me speaking, it’s also healing me."

PETAH TIKVA, ISRAEL - FEBRUARY 22: Released hostage Omer Wenkert reacts as he celebrates his release while being driven to Beilinson Hospital on February 22, 2025 in Petah Tikva, Israel. The six hostages released by Hamas today are Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov, Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed. Israel is expected to release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire agreement between the both sides. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

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