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JAILED US CONTRACTOR WAS TRYING TO SET UP SATELLITE LINK FOR CUBA’S JEWS


REVIEW REVEALS ALAN GROSS WANTED TO ESTABLISH UNCENSORED INTERNET SERVICE FOR
JEWISH COMMUNITY

By Desmond Butler 13 February 2012, 8:07 am
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USAID worker Alan Gross arriving at a Havana courthouse for his trial in March
2011. (photo credit: AP Photo/Franklin Reyes, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Piece by piece, in backpacks and carry-on bags, American aid
contractor Alan Gross made sure laptops, smartphones, hard drives and networking
equipment were secreted into Cuba. The most sensitive item, according to
official trip reports, was the last one: a specialized mobile phone chip that
experts say is often used by the Pentagon and the CIA to make satellite signals
virtually impossible to track.

The purpose, according to an Associated Press review of Gross’ reports, was to
set up uncensored satellite Internet service for Cuba’s small Jewish community.

The operation was funded as democracy promotion for the U.S. Agency for
International Development, established in 1961 to provide economic, development
and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of U.S. foreign policy
goals. Gross, however, identified himself as a member of a Jewish humanitarian
group, not a representative of the U.S. government.




Cuban President Raul Castro called him a spy, and Gross was sentenced last March
to 15 years in prison for seeking to “undermine the integrity and independence”
of Cuba. U.S. officials say he did nothing wrong and was just carrying out the
normal mission of USAID.

Gross said at his trial in Cuba that he was a “trusting fool” who was duped. But
his trip reports indicate that he knew his activities were illegal in Cuba and
that he worried about the danger, including possible expulsion.

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One report says a community leader “made it abundantly clear that we are all
‘playing with fire.'”

Another time Gross said: “This is very risky business in no uncertain terms.”

And finally: “Detection of satellite signals will be catastrophic.”

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The case has heightened frictions in the decades-long political struggle between
the United States and its communist neighbor to the south, and raises questions
about how far democracy-building programs have gone — and whether
cloak-and-dagger work is better left to intelligence operatives.

Gross’ company, JBDC Inc., which specializes in setting up Internet access in
remote locations like Iraq and Afghanistan, had been hired by Development
Alternatives Inc., or DAI, of Bethesda, Maryland, which had a
multimillion-dollar contract with USAID to break Cuba’s information blockade by
“technological outreach through phone banks, satellite Internet and cell
phones.”

Judy Gross and Peter J. Kahn, respectively wife of and lawyer for U.S.
government contractor Alan Gross, arrive at the courthouse in Havana in March.
(photo credit: AP/Javier Galeano)

USAID officials reviewed Gross’ trip reports and received regular briefings on
his progress, according to DAI spokesman Steven O’Connor. The reports were made
available to the AP by a person familiar with the case who insisted on anonymity
because of the documents’ sensitivity.

The reports cover four visits over a five-month period in 2009. Another report,
written by a representative of Gross’ company, covered his fifth and final trip,
the one that ended with his arrest on Dec. 3, 2009.

Together, the reports detail the lengths to which Gross went to escape Cuban
authorities’ detection.

To avoid airport scrutiny, Gross enlisted the help of other American Jews to
bring in electronic equipment a piece at a time. He instructed his helpers to
pack items, some of them banned in Cuba, in carry-on luggage, not checked bags.

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He once drove seven hours after clearing security and customs rather than risk
airport searches.

On his final trip, he brought in a “discreet” SIM card — or subscriber identity
module card — intended to keep satellite phone transmissions from being
pinpointed within 250 miles (400 kilometers), if they were detected at all.

The type of SIM card used by Gross is not available on the open market and is
distributed only to governments, according to an official at a satellite
telephone company familiar with the technology and a former U.S. intelligence
official who has used such a chip. The officials, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the technology, said the chips are
provided most frequently to the Defense Department and the CIA, but also can be
obtained by the State Department, which oversees USAID.

Asked how Gross obtained the card, USAID spokesman Drew Bailey said only that
the agency played no role in helping Gross acquire equipment. “We are a
development agency, not an intelligence agency,” he said.

Cuba’s communist government considers all USAID democracy promotion activities
to be illegal and a national security threat. USAID denies that any of its work
is covert.

Gross’ American lawyer, Peter J. Kahn, declined comment but has said in the past
that Gross’ actions were not aimed at subverting the Cuban government.

Cuban authorities consider Internet access to be a matter of national security
and block some sites that are critical of the government, as well as pages with
content that they deem as counterrevolutionary. Most Cubans have access only to
a severely restricted island-wide Intranet service.

Proponents of providing Internet access say it can undermine authoritarian
governments that control the flow of information to their people. Critics say
the practice not only endangers contractors like Gross, but all American aid
workers, even those not involved in secret activities.

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“All too often, the outside perception is that these USAID people are
intelligence officers,” said Philip Giraldi, an ex-CIA officer. “That makes it
bad for USAID, it makes it bad for the CIA and for any other intelligence agency
who like to fly underneath the radar.”

Even before he delivered the special SIM card, Gross noted in a trip report that
use of Internet satellite phones would be “problematic if exposed.” He was aware
that authorities were using sophisticated detection equipment and said he saw
workers for the government-owned telecommunications service provider conduct a
radio frequency “sniff” the day before he was to set up a community’s Wi-Fi
operation.

USAID: NO COVERT WORK

U.S. diplomats say they believe Gross was arrested to pressure the Obama
administration to roll back its democracy-promotion programs. The Cuban
government has alleged without citing any evidence that the programs, funded
under a 1996 law calling for regime change in Cuba, are run by the CIA as part
of an intelligence plan to topple the government in Havana.

While the U.S. government broadly outlines the goals of its aid programs in
publicly available documents, the work in Cuba could not exist without secrecy
because it is illegal there. Citing security concerns, U.S. agencies have
refused to provide operational details even to congressional committees
overseeing the programs.

“The reason there is less disclosure on these programs in totalitarian countries
is because the people are already risking their lives to exercise their
fundamental rights,” said Mauricio Claver-Carone, who runs the Washington-based
Cuba Democracy Advocates.

USAID rejected the notion that its contractors perform covert work.

“Nothing about USAID’s Cuba programs is covert or classified in any way,” says
Mark Lopes, a deputy assistant administrator. “We simply carry out activities in
a discreet manner to ensure the greatest possible safety of all those involved.”

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The U.S. National Security Act defines “covert” as government activities aimed
at influencing conditions abroad “where it is intended that the role of the
United States Government will not be apparent or acknowledged publicly.”

USAID’s democracy promotion work in Cuba was spurred by a large boost in funding
under the Bush administration and a new focus on providing communications
technology to Cubans. U.S. funding for Cuban aid multiplied from $3.5 million in
2000 to $45 million in 2008. It’s now $20 million.

Gross was paid a half-million dollars as a USAID subcontractor, according to
U.S. officials familiar with the contract. They spoke only on condition of
anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case.

USAID head Raj Shah said democracy promotion is “absolutely central” to his
agency’s work. The Obama administration says its Cuba programs aim to help
politically repressed citizens enjoy fundamental rights by providing
humanitarian support, encouraging democratic development and aiding the free
flow of information.

U.S. officials say Gross’ work was not subversion because he was setting up
connections for Cuba’s Jewish community, not for dissidents. Jewish leaders have
said that they were unaware of Gross’ connections to the U.S. government and
that they already were provided limited Internet access. USAID has not said why
it thought the community needed such sensitive technology.

Asked if such programs are meant to challenge existing leaders, Lopes said, “For
USAID, our democracy programs in Cuba are not about changing a particular
regime. That’s for the Cuban people to decide, and we believe they should be
afforded that choice.”

Others disagree.

“Of course, this is covert work,” said Robert Pastor, President Jimmy Carter’s
national security adviser for Latin America and now director of the Center for
Democracy and Election Management at American University in Washington. “It’s
about regime change.”

HARD TO MISS

Gross, of Potomac, Maryland, was a gregarious man, about 6 feet (1.8 meters) and
250 pounds (113 kilograms). He was hard to miss. He had bought a Rosetta Stone
language course to improve his rudimentary Spanish and had scant knowledge of
Cuba. But he knew technology. His company specialized in installing
communications gear in remote parts of the world.

Gross’ first trip for DAI, which ended in early April 2009, focused on getting
equipment in and setting up the first of three facilities with Wi-Fi hotspots
that would give unrestricted Internet access to hundreds of Cubans, especially
the island’s small Jewish community of 1,500.

To get the materials in, Gross relied on American Jewish humanitarian groups
doing missions on the island. He traveled with the groups, relying on
individuals to help bring in the equipment, according to the trip reports.

Three people briefed on Gross’ work say he told contacts in Cuba he represented
a Jewish organization, not the U.S. government. USAID says it now expects people
carrying out its programs to disclose their U.S. government funding to the
people they are helping — if asked.

One of Gross’ reports suggests he represented himself as a member of one of the
groups and that he traveled with them so he could intercede with Cuban
authorities if questions arose.

The helpers were supposed to pack single pieces of equipment in their carry-on
luggage. That way, Gross wrote, any questions could best be handled during the
X-ray process at security, rather than at a customs check. The material was
delivered to Gross later at a Havana hotel, according to the trip reports.

USAID has long relied on visitors willing to carry in prohibited material, such
as books and shortwave radios, U.S. officials briefed on the programs say. And
USAID officials have acknowledged in congressional briefings that they have used
contractors to bring in software to send encrypted messages over the Internet,
according to participants in the briefings.

An alarm sounded on one of Gross’ trips when one of his associates tried to
leave the airport terminal; the courier had placed his cargo — a device that can
extend the range of a wireless network — into his checked bag.

Gross intervened, saying the device was for personal use and was not a computer
hard drive or a radio.

According to the trip reports, customs officials wanted to charge a 100 percent
tax on the value of the item, but Gross bargained them down and was allowed to
leave with it.

“On that day, it was better to be lucky than smart,” Gross wrote.

Much of the equipment Gross helped bring in is legal in Cuba, but the volume of
the goods could have given Cuban authorities a good idea of what he was up to.

“Total equipment” listed on his fourth trip included 12 iPods, 11 BlackBerry
Curve smartphones, three MacBooks, six 500-gigabyte external drives, three
Internet satellite phones known as BGANs, three routers, three controllers, 18
wireless access points, 13 memory sticks, three phones to make calls over the
Internet, and networking switches. Some pieces, such as the networking and
satellite equipment, are explicitly forbidden in Cuba.

Gross wrote that he smuggled the BGANs in a backpack. He had hoped to fool
authorities by taping over the identifying words on the equipment: “Hughes,” the
manufacturer, and “Inmarsat,” the company providing the satellite Internet
service.

The BGANs were crucial because they provide not only satellite telephone
capacity but an Internet signal that can establish a Wi-Fi hotspot for multiple
users. The appeal of using satellite Internet connections is that data goes
straight up, never passing through government-controlled servers.

AWARE OF THE RISKS

There was always the chance of being discovered.

Last year, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee asked about clandestine
methods used to hide the programs and reports that some of them had been
penetrated.

“Possible counterintelligence penetration is a known risk in Cuba,” the State
Department said in a written response to AP. “Those who carry out our assistance
are aware of such risks.”

Gross’ first trip to Cuba ended in early April 2009 with establishment of a
communications site in Havana.

He went back later that month and stayed about 10 days while a site was set up
in Santiago, Cuba’s second-largest city.

On his third trip, for two weeks in June 2009, Gross traveled to a city in the
middle of the island identified by a U.S. official as Camaguey. He rented a car
in Havana and drove seven hours rather than risk another encounter with airport
authorities.

Gross wrote that BGANs should not be used outside Havana, where there were
enough radio frequency devices to hide the emissions.

The report for Gross’s fourth trip, which ended early that August, was marked
final and summarized his successes: wireless networks established in three
communities; about 325 users; “communications to and from the U.S. have improved
and used on a regular basis.” He again concluded the operation was “very risky
business.”

BACK TO CUBA

Gross would have been fine if he had stopped there.

In late November 2009, however, he went back to Cuba for a fifth time. This time
he didn’t return. He was arrested 11 days later.

An additional report was written afterward on the letterhead of Gross’ company.
It was prepared with assistance from DAI to fulfill a contract requirement for a
summary of his work, and so everyone could get paid, according to officials
familiar with the document.

> ‘I am deeply sorry for being a trusting fool. I was duped. I was used’

The report said Gross had planned to improve security of the Havana site by
installing an “alternative sim card” on the satellite equipment.

The card would mask the signal of the BGAN as it transmitted to a satellite,
making it difficult to track where the device was located.

The document concluded that the site’s security had been increased.

It is unclear how DAI confirmed Gross’ work for the report on the final trip,
though a document, also on Gross’ company letterhead, states that a
representative for Gross contacted the Jewish community in Cuba five times after
his arrest.

In a statement at his trial, Gross professed his innocence and apologized.

“I have never, would never and will never purposefully or knowingly do anything
personally or professionally to subvert a government,” he said. “I am deeply
sorry for being a trusting fool. I was duped. I was used.”

In an interview with AP, his wife, Judy, blamed DAI, the company that sent him
to Cuba, for misleading him on the risks. DAI spokesman O’Connor said in a
statement that Gross “designed, proposed, and implemented this work” for the
company.

Meanwhile, the 62-year-old Gross sits in a military prison hospital. His family
says he has lost about 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and they express concern about
his health. All the U.S. diplomatic attempts to win his freedom have come up
empty and there is no sign that Cuba is prepared to act on appeals for a
humanitarian release.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.



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November 2, 2024
Current Top Stories
Live
Israeli commandos said to nab top Hezbollah naval commander in north Lebanon
raid
By ToI Staff
More than 25 troops reportedly raid chalet south of Tripoli * Senior official in
Iraqi pro-Iran militia says it’s coordinating with Tehran on response to Israel
 * 14min ago
   Drone sirens also sounding in Haifa area; IDF tracking target from Lebanon
 * 18min ago
   Over 100 BBC staff accuse UK outlet of favoring Israel in Gaza war coverage
   -- report
 * 25min ago
   Suspected drone sirens sounding in Nahariya area in northern Israel
 * 43min ago
   UNFIL denies involvement in alleged capture of Hezbollah naval commander by
   Israeli commandos -- Arab media

11 hurt, three moderately, in overnight Hezbollah rocket attack on central
Israel
By Emanuel Fabian, ToI Staff and Agencies
IDF says Friday strikes killed two top members of terror group; Lebanon’s health
ministry reports 52 dead, transport minister says Syrian border crossing forced
shut
One wounded in Hezbollah rocket barrage; IDF strikes hit Beirut for first time
in days
By Emanuel Fabian and Agencies
7 people killed in Hezbollah rocket attacks, marking deadliest day in months for
north
By Emanuel Fabian and ToI Staff
Israel said seeking US commitment for freedom of action if Hezbollah breaches
truce
By ToI Staff and Agencies
Khamenei threatens Israel and US with ‘a crushing response’ to Israel’s
airstrikes
By AP and ToI Staff
Iran’s leader makes harshest threats yet, sending currency to new low; IRGC
general says reprisal for Israeli attack that followed Iran’s missile barrage
will be ‘wise, powerful’
Khamenei aide warns Iran may review nuclear doctrine if facing ‘existential
threat’
By ToI Staff and Agencies
Pentagon bolsters US presence in Middle East with B-52 bombers and warships
By AP
Iraq trying to reel in Iran-backed groups to prevent confrontation with Israel
By Reuters and ToI Staff
Trump appears in Michigan with Arab supporter who claims ‘Palestine is being
erased’
By Agencies and ToI Staff
‘No amount of money and power should be prioritized over human life,’ Dearborn
restaurant owner tells GOP candidate, who calls for end to Israel-Hezbollah
fighting in Lebanon
Trump draws outrage after saying Liz Cheney should have guns ‘trained on her
face’
By Reuters
Pro-Harris group counters pro-Trump ad with rebuttal filmed at same Jewish deli
By Ron Kampeas
AnalysisNetanyahu likely prefers Trump in historically close race, but he’s
hedging his bets
By Ron Kampeas
Hostage families to rally, saying deal to free all captives would be ‘glorious
victory’
By ToI Staff
Families Forum criticizes proposals for staggered-release discussed in latest
talks in Doha; Tel Aviv rally numbers limited by security restrictions amid
Lebanon rocket fire
Live updates (closed)Nov. 1: Mossad head said to tell hostage families Hamas
hasn’t rejected proposed 12-day deal
By ToI Staff
Hamas rejects any hostage deal that doesn’t end war, despite mediators’ efforts
By ToI Staff and Agencies
Several suspects arrested amid probe of PM’s office over alleged classified
intel leak
By ToI Staff and Jacob Magid
Judge says authorities suspect leak harmed achievement of Israel war aims,
confirms Shin Bet, police and IDF probing incident; report says aim in question
was potential hostage deal

Citing war, Netanyahu expected to request delaying his testimony in corruption
trial
By Jeremy Sharon
Blinken speaks with top Netanyahu aide as US deadline for Israel to boost Gaza
aid nears
By Jacob Magid and Agencies
AP review of UN and Israeli data shows the number of trucks entering Strip daily
remains well below the 350 per day that the administration is demanding by
mid-November
AnalysisHow will Israel’s new anti-UNRWA laws impact the controversial agency’s
operations?
By Jeremy Sharon
Lawmakers behind UNRWA ban dismiss international criticism as ‘misplaced’
By Sam Sokol
Premiering as missiles fly, ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran’ rewrites Israeli-Iranian
script
By Jessica Steinberg
Renowned Israeli filmmaker Eran Riklis, known for humanizing complex conflicts,
reflects on working with Iranian actresses to bring a 2003 memoir to life
UK Conservative Party picks pro-Israel Kemi Badenoch as new leader
By AP and ToI Staff
Anti-woke politician becomes first Black woman to head a major UK political
party, vows to work to bring Tories back to power in wake of July’s election
defeat
IDF says it killed one of the last remaining Hamas politburo members still in
Gaza
By Emanuel Fabian and Jacob Magid
Military announces that Izz al-Din Kassab, who served as terror group’s head of
national relations, was killed alongside his assistant in Khan Younis area

IDF Cpt. Yarden Zakay, wounded in Gaza’s Rafah in September, dies of his
injuries
By Emanuel Fabian, ToI Staff and Agencies
ToI podcast
ToI Staff
What Matters Now to Haviv Rettig Gur: US elections through an Israeli prism
ToI’s senior analyst on the massive dissonance between US Jews and Israelis in
how they view the two leading candidates for US president — and why

Settlers with US citizenship hope to see Trump back in the White House
By AFP and ToI Staff
West Bank’s Palestinian-Americans wary of US election: ‘Nobody cares about us’
By AFP and ToI Staff
Cabinet approves 2025 budget proposal after last-minute backtrack over stipend
freezes
By ToI Staff and Agencies
Ministers agree to scrap proposed freeze for Holocaust survivors, bereaved
families; opposition pans agreement; Gantz: Anyone who supports this should feel
shame for rest of their life
Chief justice accuses Levin of harming separation of powers in budget
intervention
By Jeremy Sharon
2025 state budget to increase defense spending, cut social services and
education
By Sharon Wrobel and Sam Sokol
Analysis
Mati Wagner
As religious Zionist IDF casualties rise, so does resentment of Haredi exemption
bill
Rift between two religiously observant communities deepens as the Knesset
debates a law on ultra-Orthodox military enlistment, or lack thereof, amid the
ongoing multifront war

AnalysisIn his blusterous fight for Haredi draft exemptions, Goldknopf is
increasingly isolated
By Shalom Yerushalmi
Reporter's notebook
Indigenous leaders rally in Jerusalem to affirm historical Jewish ties to the
land
By Gianluca Pacchiani
Dozens of tribal representatives from around the world gather in the capital in
solidarity with Israel amid war, and to refute narrative that the Jewish state
is a colonial enterprise
How rabbis in battleground states are approaching a razor-close US election
By jacob gurvis
While doing their best to keep politics out of the pulpit, rabbis find
themselves fielding more questions than ever from congregants concerned over
Jewish community and Israel

On campaign trail for Harris in Michigan, Bill Clinton defends Israel’s war in
Gaza
By Jacob Magid and ToI Staff
US Jewish security groups monitor conspiracy theories, polling sites ahead of
election
By Luke Tress
Shock jock Sid Rosenberg has become one of Trump’s most aggressive Jewish
surrogates
By Luke Tress
After speaking at a NYC campaign rally Sunday panned by critics as
‘misogynistic, bigoted and crude,’ the radio host doubles down on the only
candidate he sees as good for the Jews
First legal camel race held in Israel with thousands of spectators
By ToI Staff
Bedouin host says Negev event is symbol for coexistence with Jewish communities:
‘We are here together, and we will stay together and we will live here together,
in peace’
Follow ToI on WhatsApp and never miss an important update
By Sarah Tuttle-Singer
Get notified about top news items as they happen: Follow Times of Israel on
WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, X, Telegram or Threads
More Headlines
Columbia paid $395,000 after suspending Jewish student for using ‘fart spray’ at
protest
By Luke Tress
Argentina’s Javier Milei selects Jewish envoy to US as replacement for FM he
fired
By Juan Melamed
Israeli conservationists release endangered hawksbill turtles into Red Sea
By Reuters and ToI Staff
Egypt denies claims it took in explosives shipment for Israeli defense firm
By Reuters
Haaretz in government crosshairs after publisher calls terrorists ‘freedom
fighters’
By Stuart Winer
New York synagogue reveals sexual assault allegation against renowned late rabbi
By Jackie Hajdenberg
Top Ops
Ariel Beery
Why ending UNRWA unlocks peace
Supporters of a two-state solution should favor the dissolution of a body that
perpetuated the idea that Israel could cease to exist
Joshua Davidson
What I told my Jewish students about this terrifying political moment
No matter how ugly American politics have become, we can’t turn away in despair
Mijal Bitton
The aftermath of disaster: Noah and choosing hope
Like Noah who survived the flood and promptly drank himself into a stupor, we
may be fighting despair. To get free of it, hold onto goodness
William Kolbrener
Writers boycott (Israeli) writers
The boycotters condemn all Israeli writers as apologists for the country’s
policies, unfortunately and ironically missing the inherent diversity in their
work
Tom Phillips
Where is the line between antisemitism and legitimate criticism of Israel?
As the UK’s ambassador to Israel in the ’90s, I know well that Israel isn’t
perfect, but I’m also on guard for anti-Jewish animus
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Brad Schneider, Kathy Manning and Greg Landsman
Harris is a strong ally for Israel and American Jews
Four Jewish US Congress members: Kamala has a strong record on Israel, while
Trump opposed a security assistance bill and his running mate voted against it
Avi Davidi
Iranians should seize the moment to topple the regime
With the country’s axis-of-evil proxies weakened and its vulnerabilities
exposed, the people have a chance to replace the dictatorship
Gary Epstein
Et tu, Bret?
It’s a betrayal to vote against Trump when you know he will likely be better for
an Israel that is fighting for its survival
Tehila Elitzur
To MK Aryeh Deri, a leader of the Haredim who do not serve in the IDF
I ask myself how a Jew can send Jews into combat while keeping himself and his
constituency out of it. Could it really be that you don’t see us fellow Jews?!
Bar Fishman
When TV ratings serve politics: A grave threat to privacy
Under the guise of transparency, a law to take control of viewing data will give
the government dangerous power over the public discourse
Alexandra Herfroy-Mischler
Israel is nowhere near ready to commemorate October 7
Survivors of all kinds must be heard, seen, respected, and receive reparations.
Leadership must make amends. Only then can we begin to craft memorials
Latest Articles
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Full Coverage 2023-2024 Israel-Hamas war
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Those we have lost
Stories of the civilians and soldiers who have fallen in the Israel-Hamas war

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   By ToI Staff
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   By ToI Staff
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 * 
   Those we have lost
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Those we are missing
The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown

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 * 
   Those we are missing
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 * 
   Those we are missing
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 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Bipin Joshi, Nepalese student who deflected grenades
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Tsahi Idan, terrorists promised daughter his safe return
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Ziv Berman, from his home in Kfar Aza’s young generation
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   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
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   By ToI Staff
 * 
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 * 
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 * 
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   Taken captive: Tamir Nimrodi, walked by gunmen to base gate
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Ariel Cunio told brother ‘We are in a horror film’
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Itzik Elgarat, shot in his hand by Hamas terrorists
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Matan Angrest, turned 21 while held hostage in Gaza
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Surasak Lamnau, Thai worker abducted with employer
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Gali Berman, from Kfar Aza’s ‘young neighborhood’
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Alon Ohel, pianist’s family recorded song for him
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Guy Gilboa-Dalal, took a selfie with his brother for mom
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: David Cunio, abducted from burning house
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 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Informal educator Eitan Horn visiting from Kfar Saba
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 * 
   Those we are missing
   Taken captive: Eitan Mor, guard at rave who helped save others
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Tales of the Times
The quirky, improbable, infuriating and uplifting

 * 
   Baa me a ticket
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 * 
   Sister act
   Rutu Modan graphic novel ‘The Property’ reaches the big screen
   By Jessica Steinberg
 * 
   Music therapy
   13 orchestras to perform around country, marking year since Oct. 7
   By Jessica Steinberg
 * 
   'How do you spell that?'
   Sabrina Carpenter addresses ‘too hot’ Israeli fan, is stumped over his name
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   A 'coming of age' story
   Israelis star in Netflix bible epic ‘Mary,’ also with Anthony Hopkins
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 * 
   Wings and a prayer
   Paul McCartney spotted rocking Yom Kippur services in Chile
   By ToI Staff and JTA
 * 
   When nature and duty call
   Army cleans up its act with eco-toilets
   By Sue Surkes
 * 
   Netflix apparently does
   ‘Nobody Wants This’ gets 2nd season — now with more Jews
   By Andrew Lapin
 * 
   A canopy of peace
   Shared Home Sukkah project to be held after organizer killed on Oct. 7
   By Jessica Steinberg
 * 
   Photo essay
   October 7 commemoration ceremonies held around the world
   By AP and ToI Staff
 * 
   Prayer for salvation
   Israeli Opera marks Oct. 7 anniversary with ‘Gate of Mercy’ arrangement
   By Jessica Steinberg
 * 
   Swat team
   Melania: Smacking Trump’s hand in Israel wasn’t sign of marital ire
   By ToI Staff
 * 
   'It's all intuition'
   Parents, creators discuss how to talk to kids about war, hostage crisis
   By Jessica Steinberg
 * 
   The pen is mightier
   National Library counts 169 publications so far about Oct. 7
   By Jessica Steinberg
 * 
   Home is where the hearth is
   Evacuees miss their kitchens, even dishwashing, in new exhibit
   By Jessica Steinberg
 * 
   If these walls could speak
   US ambassador fills home with Israeli art showing post-Oct. 7 resilience
   By Jessica Steinberg
 * 
   Son of liberty
   Rare document shows Jewish financier’s role in American Revolution
   By Jackie Hajdenberg
 * 
   Tiny treasure
   Museum of the Bible unveils newly dated ‘oldest Jewish book’
   By Asaf Elia-Shalev
 * 
   In safe hands
   This year’s Jerusalem Design Week looks to be a port in a storm
   By Jessica Steinberg


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