Vue lecture

Young Israeli Hostage Says Finding Faith Helped Him Survive Hamas Captivity

How Omer Shem Tov, who was 20 years old and not particularly religious when taken hostage, survived 505 days in captivity.

© Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times

Omer Shem Tov, now back at home, says that turning to Jewish rituals and prayer helped him survive after he was seized during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
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