\nIn his well-known book Do Not Raise Your Hand Against the Boy<\/em>, Rabbi Lau described how Jews, suffering under the Nazis in inhuman conditions, risked their lives to preserve their Jewish identity. Today, those stories take on new life in the testimonies of the hostages who were freed from Hamas captivity.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/pesach2-1024x683.jpg\")
They avoided chametz and fasted on Yom Kippur<\/strong> Several weeks after her release, another observer, Agam Berger, published a video message ahead of Shabbat Zachor\u2014the Sabbath before Purim\u2014saying, \u201cWe must remember what Amalek did to us, and what was done to us on October 7. I ask anyone who can: please take upon yourself to keep this Shabbat\u2014for the sake of the safe return of all the hostages, and in memory of those who gave their lives to protect us.\u201d<\/p>\n A higher power was with me<\/strong> And it\u2019s not just the hostages. Among the IDF fighters\u2014many of them young conscripts from this very generation\u2014there was a consistent commitment to spiritual awareness before heading into battle. A decade ago, some sneered when Givati Brigade Commander Ofer Winter quoted \u201cShema Yisrael\u201d in his pre-battle message during Operation Protective Edge. In the current war, the cry of \u201cShema Yisrael\u201d has echoed from almost every battalion, filling the battlefield and infusing the fighting spirit with a deep sense of Jewish identity.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at the present\u2014the heroes of this generation live and breathe Jewish consciousness\u201d<\/strong> With all due respect, I believe that to draw hope and optimism, we don\u2019t need to rely solely on memories of the distant past or prayers for the future. It is enough to look at the present\u2014at the heroes of today\u2019s generation, who embody Jewish consciousness and show us that the people of Israel live and fight not only for the nation and the land, but also for\u2014and through\u2014the power of Jewish heritage and tradition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Moshe Vistuch<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Is today\u2019s young generation disconnected from Jewish consciousness? Is it detached from the values taught in the Passover Haggadah? A closer look at the spiritual courage of former hostages and young soldiers reveals the truth is quite the opposite.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":19628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,129,85,88],"tags":[4163,1482,4164,4165,3161,3108,3332,4161,4160,3059],"class_list":["post-19626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-judaism","category-positive-moment","category-will-remember","tag-hamas-war","tag-hostages","tag-idf-faith","tag-idf-field-observers","tag-israeli-soldiers","tag-jewish-identity","tag-passover","tag-rabbi-yisrael-meir-lau","tag-sasha-troponov","tag-shabbat"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nFrom the moment the IDF Field Observers\u2014Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy\u2014were released, reports emerged that despite the brutal conditions in which they were held, they refused to eat chametz on Passover, fasted on Yom Kippur, and some even kept Shabbat with remarkable devotion.<\/p>\n
\nFormer hostage Sasha Troponov recently said in an interview with Shabbat B\u2019Shabbato<\/em>, \u201cBefore captivity, I was very far from anything that had a whiff of Judaism. I always thought I was in control, that I could plan what would happen to me. Suddenly I understood I wasn\u2019t in control at all, and that there is a higher power guiding me.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/pesach3-683x1024.jpeg\")
\nAt the end of his interview, Rabbi Lau emphasized his optimism: \u201cWe need patience and endurance. We must learn from history and look ahead with great hope, faith, and optimism.\u201d<\/p>\n