Hostage survivor Eliya Cohen, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival and released after 505 days in Hamas captivity, was interviewed on Wednesday on Reshet Bet, ahead of Yom Kippur.
According to Cohen, Yom Kippur is a particularly difficult day for him: "From the moment I was released, I knew it was the day I was most afraid of, because I lived this fast for so long. I know there are friends who are experiencing this fast now. But it is also a day of soul-searching. And if there is one thing we did a lot in captivity - it is daily soul-searching," he shared.
He added: "Every day is Yom Kippur there. People ask me how it feels after a year and a half. I always say - it is like Yom Kippur that never ends. Only the meal that we eat before the fast is pita bread and not rice and chicken."
Cohen continued by saying that he did not always know when Yom Kippur fell, but guessed based on the dates. He said he found solace in the fact that "every day seemed like Yom Kippur - I didn't touch electricity, I didn't eat, I fasted. But deep down I wanted to give myself my place on this day, and I thought about what I would do when I got out."
He describes faith as the only support he had left: "When you have nothing - you find God. The only thing I had to offer Him was prayer. I promised that if I got out, every morning I would say a psalm of gratitude. There were many moments when I asked him to have more food or water, and I would say the blessing before eating or drinking."
Cohen recalled one of the moments in captivity: "I lay on the floor and asked God, 'Show me that you are here.' Minutes later, the radio in the room changed to Hebrew - I heard a mother of another hostage talking and Benny Gantz talking about the numbers of those killed and kidnapped. For me, it was a sign, as if he had sent me the message."
"Deep down, I knew that people were thinking about me, that they were praying for me," he shared. "When I was released, I felt a sense of obligation to meet these people, so that they would understand how much they had saved me on a spiritual level."
He addressed the hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza: "My brothers, if you hear me - know that there is an end to this. Do not lose hope. The entire State of Israel, the entire world stands behind you and prays for your well-being. I seek to turn the world over so that you will not be forgotten."
Cohen shared his prayer on this Yom Kippur Eve: "Health and peace of mind for everyone. May everyone return home safely - both the hostages and the soldiers. I hope we have a boring year, that we will not have to deal with anything anymore and that everyone will return to their lives and the things they love."