You hold a Rubik's Cube in the dark - how would you stay sane?

A captured engineer is held in Gaza with only a Rubik's Cube - how do you stay a person when no one can confirm you're alive?

You hold a Rubik's Cube in the dark - how would you stay sane?

In this episode, we follow the story of Avinatan Or from the morning of October 7, 2023 through the long months his family spent hoping for news. We lay out his background, how he was classified by his captors, and the conditions of his confinement to ask how someone endures total isolation and literal darkness.

Person: Avinatan Or Date: October 7, 2023; 738 days in captivity Location: Gaza Occupation: Electrical and computer engineer at NVIDIA Family actions: Fundraising, public rallies, video messages, reward offered

- Or and his partner Noa Argamani were filmed during their capture at the Nova music festival as militants separated them. - Because of prior service in the Gidonim Unit, Hamas classified Or as a captured soldier, affecting his treatment. - For 738 days Or was held in solitary confinement in a space described repeatedly as literal darkness. - The family raised 250,000 New Israeli shekels and appealed publicly for verified information about his condition or location. - During part of his captivity, the only physical object Or had was a Rubik's Cube, which his father later confirmed.

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