Rom Braslavsky, a former hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, said in a post that he embraced religion during his captivity — constructing a personal prayer recited three times daily and committing to observe Shabbat for the rest of his life, according to the statement.
Rom Braslavsky, a former hostage freed in a 2025 ceasefire deal, posted a statement Sunday evening in which he described a religious transformation during his 738 days in Gaza. "I returned to religion in Gaza," he said. "I built a prayer for myself and said it three times a day. I keep Shabbat and will continue so all my life."
The statement adds a new spiritual dimension to Braslavsky's evolving public account of his captivity, coming hours after earlier reports from The Zioneer focused on the harsh physical conditions he endured. At 17:54 Jerusalem, Braslavsky described being held in a sealed, airless, stinking tent, reported clinical death multiple times during torture, and said learning of his captor's death "returned his smile." His account has been corroborated across multiple interviews and platforms, from Channel 14 to his own social media posts.
As The Zioneer previously reported, Braslavsky has also spoken about his ongoing struggle with PTSD, received treatment abroad, and thanked President Donald Trump at the White House for efforts to secure his release. Another former hostage, Idan Alexander, similarly described resuming military service after returning home, reflecting a wider pattern of public testimony by freed captives.
It remains unclear whether Braslavsky's religious practice began spontaneously during captivity or was influenced by external factors. No additional details about the content of his prayer or the precise timing of his decision to observe Shabbat have been disclosed.
7 developments
- DevelopingFreed hostage Rom Braslavsky recalls first moments after rescue: 'Just wanted to see the sky'
- DevelopingFreed hostage Rom Braslavsky says guard threatened to kill him minutes before release
- DevelopingFreed hostage Rom Braslavsky tells rally: '1,000 days for you, an eternity for me'
- StrongFreed hostage Rom Braslavsky says only now he can say '100 percent that I won'
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