When 55-year-old German-Israeli hostage Ohad Ben Ami was released from Hamas captivity, he wanted to learn how to conduct havdallah, the ceremony at the end of Shabbat. In Gaza, he had participated in havdallah conducted by other hostages, and he drew closer to Judaism.
Ohad, father of three, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri together with his wife Raz, who was released in a previous hostage deal in November 2023. After his wife’s release, Ohad was held together with five other hostages in a tiny room, 6 square meters (65 square feet) in size. He returned to Israel emaciated and frail.
Ohad’s daughter Yulie said at a news conference, “My father lost much of his weight, but not his spirit. My father is strong, and I admire him. He survived hell.”
“I got stronger in captivity,” Ohad said in a social media reel showing him conducting havdallah at home. “I really felt that there was Someone Above watching over me, and I needed to be strong.”
In another social media reel, Ohad, wearing tefillin, said, “What unites us is faith in G-d. On a personal level, it strengthened me and saved me. Thanks to G-d I am here now, after captivity... Our faith gives us strength at times when we feel crushed.”
