By: Chaya Sora Jungreis-Gertzulin

Now that all the living hostages are home, we are learning more and more about their amazing inner strength, and their powerful spirit.

My zeide, HaRav Avraham Jungreis zt”l, used to say that the term ‘Holocaust survivor’ is a misnomer… Today, I hear his words echo as I listen to the stories of the hostages of October 7. He would say that those who made it through the horrors of the Holocaust, the atrocities of the concentration camps, are fighters, not survivors. And so it is with the hostages. They are all fighters, with emuna and bitachon as their ammunition.

I saw a clip from an Israeli human-interest show, “Pulse of Israel”. The broadcaster spoke of the “trend hachi cham”, the hottest trend among secular Israeli teens… it was Shabbos. Who would believe. It was attributed to the heightened sense of spirituality since October 7. A spirituality inspired by the former hostages, and their faith in HaShem. A faith that kept them going in the tunnels of Gaza.

Allow me to share some of the inspiring words from several hostages.

“There is a song based on the words of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. ‘Even in the darkest places, when you don’t feel G-d, when it seems He is hiding, He is still there with you.’ I would sing this song over and over to myself. It gave me strength.”—Bar Kuperstein.

Bar, a combat medic, was off-duty while at the Nova festival. He stayed behind to aid the wounded, and was taken hostage. He was subjected to beatings and starvation.

“In the darkness of Gaza, I found the greatest light. Every night I spoke to G-d. Not to ask for things, but to say ‘Abba, how are You? Thank you for everything You have given me.’ If there is anything I miss from captivity, it’s how close I felt to Him.” – Omar Shem Tov

Omar was abducted from Nova and spent most of his captivity shackled in the tunnels. He speaks publicly about his increased faith, and his fight for survival.

“All week we set aside a piece of our daily pita for Shabbat. On Friday night, I recited Aishet Chayil, thinking of my wife and family. I made kiddush on water and hamotzie on pita. – Eli Sharabi

Eli was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri.

He was subjected to physical and psychological torture. Upon his release, Eli learned that his wife, Lianne, and two daughters, Noya and Yael, were murdered by Hamas. His brother, Yossi, was kidnapped alive and killed in captivity.

“On Shabbat, we made Friday night Kiddush and shook the tunnels.” – Segev Kalafon

Segev was taken while fleeing Nova. During his captivity, his parents focused on mitzvos and davening, as a z’chus to bring him home. Segev suffered from PTSD and asthma prior to his abduction, making his captivity even more difficult.

“Every morning, I would stand in the corner and imagine putting on tefillin. I would go through the entire process, step-by-step, in my head.” – Elya Cohen

Elya hid with others in a bomb shelter at Nova. Hamas terrorists threw grenades into it. It became known as the “Death Bunker”. Elya hid under dead bodies, but was found and taken hostage.

“I learned, as my ancestors did, that my faith and covenant with G-d are more powerful than any captor. Hamas tried to coerce me into converting to Islam, even forcing a hijab on my head, but they couldn’t take my soul.” – Agam Berger

Agam was abducted after working only one day at an IDF lookout tower. When she was finally safe in Israel hands, she wrote a sign for all to see, paraphrasing Dovid HaMelech’s words in Tehillim: “B’derech emuna bocharti, I chose a path of faith, U’vederech emuna chozarti, And I returned through a path of faith.”

“The only thing that gave me strength was knowing that everything done was simply because I was a Jew. It made me realize that we are truly different. We must return to being a united people, to keeping mitzvos, to understanding what it means to be Jewish.” – Rom Braslovski

Rom was a security guard at Nova. He tended to the wounded, and then was captured by Hamas.

Each of the hostages has their story. Each of them have their words of faith and inspiration. From where did they get the strength to rise above the physical pain and mental anguish…

Reading the words of these modern heroes, I’m reminded of the very first Jew who faced the unknown with faith – Avraham Avinu. Pirkei Avos tells us that Avraham Avinu was tested with ten life challenges. (Avos 5:4) The first, as well as several others, can be found in this week’s parsha, Lech Lecha. HaShem instructs Avraham to leave his land, his culture, his birthplace, even his father’s house and his family. To leave it all behind. To go “El ha’aretz asher ar’echa, To the land that I will show you.” The unknown.

Avraham and Sora picked themselves up and left behind everything familiar. The life they knew for so long. They trekked to Canaan. But that wasn’t the end of the tests. In Canaan, they faced famine and had to once again pick themselves up and head to Mitzrayim. There, Sora was abducted by Pharaoh. The tests continued – one after another. Years of childlessness. Avraham giving himself a bris at age 99. Dealing with Yishmael. And then, the final test. The Akeida.

Both Avraham’s leaving his homeland and the final test of the Akeida, were given with instructions of “lech lecha”. A message to Avraham… a life lesson to us. At times, we have to “pick ourselves up”, to motivate ourselves, to take action in order to accomplish.

Each day, as we say the Shemoneh Esrei, we open with mentioning the Avos, the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchok, the G-d of Yaakov. But we close the bracha with the words magen Avraham, the shield of Avraham. The Chidushei HaRim teaches that within every neshama there is a spark. A spirit that is able to withstand life’s tests and trials. The magen, the shield of Avraham, is that spark. A spiritual gene that is passed down from generation to generation. Each of us is a carrier of that gene. The spark to withstand, the ability to rise above whatever challenges come our way. A spark that will never be extinguished, but will always be with Klal Yisroel.

That is the magen Avraham that protects us. That is what protected the hostages in the tunnels of Gaza. It is the spark that burns within every Jew, the light that no darkness can extinguish. That is the shield that helped the hostages keep the sparks of light burning even in the dark tunnels of Gaza.

Shabbat Shalom!

Chaya Sora

Chaya Sora can be reached at [email protected]

This article was written L’zecher Nishmas / In Memory Of HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Osher Anshil HaLevi, zt”l and Rebbetzin Esther bas HaRav Avraham HaLevi, zt”l