Two weeks have passed since Agam Berger's release from Hamas captivity. Shlomi Berger, her father, spoke with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News about how Agam and her family are coping with the new reality in which she is home after 15 months in captivity.
"We haven't arrived home yet, we've been in the hospital for a week and we decided to make a soft landing. Right now we're at the Kfar Makabiya hotel, getting used to being together," he says.
According to him, his daughter's return is "simply a miracle," but alongside the personal joy, a heavy feeling remains. "Everyone tells me that the color has returned to my face, but I have a hard time with this 'high'. On the one hand, a weight has been relieved now that Agam has returned, but my heart is burning after what we saw on Saturday. It's hard for me to be happy as long as there are still hostages, and the situation is unclear."
Berger refers to the difficult scenes from the most recent hostage releases and says, "We understand that women were treated a little differently than men, and when we see how our men are returning, it's just heartbreaking. It shows what they went through there."
Berger says that Agam requested a siddur when she was in captivity. "She and those who were with her prayed the morning prayers, used the siddur, knew the dates and tried to keep Shabbat. She also abstained from meat as much as she could." According to him, his daughter demonstrated tremendous strength of mind, "I, as a father who knows her, am amazed by her strength and the strength of the girls who were with her. They strengthened each other and got through it in an amazing way."
He added that the family also did not stop praying, "She prayed there, and we prayed here. That's what gave us strength and kept us stable, with the faith that she would return home."
Berger emphasizes that with Agam's liberation, a new task begins, "My daughter is home, but now she needs to return to a normal life - to be able to go to the mall or the grocery store without being stopped on the way, without everyone wanting to hug her and take her picture. It's a process, and we all need to learn to let go."
According to him, despite everything she's been through, Agam doesn't ask for anything, "Everything she asks for she receives, but she's modest, family-oriented, doesn't demand anything. She's embarrassed by the treatment and the heartbreak, and doesn't yet understand the magnitude of the event. Little by little, she'll absorb it."
In conclusion, Berger addresses the people of Israel with gratitude, "I want to thank our amazing people who supported, embraced, and helped. It's not over, it continues even now. We need you, all of us – the families of the kidnapped and the bereaved families. Keep going, don't stop. With unity and mutual guarantee, we will overcome everything."