Hairstyling in captivity: The moving story behind Israeli hostages' braids

In all the emotion of the moment, people may or may not have noticed that the three released hostages all had braided hairstyles. The more astute will have noticed that they aren’t the first to come out of captivity in braids. 

Dafna and Ella Elyakim, two sisters released in the last hostage deal, along with Hen Goldstein-Almog and her daughter Agam all had braided hair. Is there any significance to the hairstyle? 

Was it an effort to make the hostages appear kempt on their return? A directive from Hamas after endless months with infrequent showers and the possibility of lice? Or an initiative from the hostages themselves?

Several of the returned captives talked about the woman who braided their hair in the tunnel before their release, asking which kinds of braids they wanted.

A common thread throughout the testimonies of the women regarding the braiding was that hair had become a symbolic source of strength in a world where everything had been taken away from them.

“It suddenly became something very human, warm, and empowering for women, for that bit of humanity where you want to feel like a person again and feel... normal in the midst of something so abnormal,” Goldstein-Almog explains.

In a nightmare scenario stripped of all humanity and dignity, the decision of what to do with their hair remained one small area of choice left in the hands of the hostages. 

Now the women are finally free, they can have the full spectrum of choices about hairstyles.  

Romi Gonen’s hairstylist from Kfar Vradim was invited to come and pamper the three heroines. “Now they can decide for themselves whether to get a haircut, keep braiding their hair, or let it flow freely. The main thing is that they choose.”