Captivity survivor Rom Braslavsky spoke in the hospital about his experiences during his captivity in Gaza and the realization that grew within him as a result.
"The strength in the place I was in - the knowledge that everyone around me was not Jewish, and the fact that I was sitting there, the reason was because I am Jewish. Everything I went through, the reason is because I am Jewish," Braslavsky shared in a conversation with Shai Graucher.
He added, "We need to return to being a united people, and people need to start keeping the commandments. People need to understand and know that we are Jews. Look what happened to me, what they did to me, just because I am Jewish."
According to him, Jewish identity is a source of strength and confidence. "It means that a person who is Jewish needs to know that they are in a great place, that they are different from someone who is not Jewish. We need to strengthen the Judaism within us, and I hope that the people of Israel will remain alive, strong, and united."
Yesterday, Tami Braslavsky, Rom's mother, spoke about what happened to her son during the past two years.
She noted that his captors wanted him to convert to Islam and promised to "compensate" him with food. They told him that if he read the Quran or fasted during Ramadan, he would receive small gifts and food. However, Rom was determined to maintain his Jewish identity, and according to his mother, he repeatedly said: "I am Jewish, I am strong, I will not break." "As soon as he returned, he put on tefillin," she said with emotion.
She added in a conversation with Ynet: "Thank God, now we are back to smiling a real smile, not a forced one. We are back to life. Rom went through very hard captivity, two very difficult years. But if there is someone who can survive this, it's Rom. He is strong, I believe in him."
"He tells all sorts of terrible things that happened to him there as if they were everyday occurrences. I hear this, and my heart tightens. This time, I can really hug him - he is not there, he is here beside me." She added: "We still have a way to go. I am doing this journey with him, from the first step until we see him truly smiling with all his heart."