JERUSALEM – Eli Sharabi, a survivor of over 16 months in Hamas captivity, has shared a powerful and intimate look into his harrowing ordeal, revealing how a newfound connection to faith helped him survive the unimaginable. Before being abducted on October 7th from Kibbutz Be’eri, Sharabi, like many, had never been a religious man. However, during his months in captivity, he discovered an unwavering strength through his faith, specifically through the recitation of “Shema Yisrael,” a practice he had never followed before.
In a deeply emotional interview on the program “Uvda,” Sharabi described how, from the moment he was taken, he began reciting the “Shema Yisrael” every morning—something he had never done in his life. “I am not a religious man, but there, from the moment I was abducted, every morning I recited ‘Shema Yisrael,'” he shared. “Something I never did in my life. The power of faith is crazy. I felt I had someone watching over me.”
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This spiritual awakening was pivotal as Sharabi endured not only physical torment but also severe psychological abuse at the hands of his Hamas captors. Confined in underground tunnels and subjected to relentless threats and isolation, Sharabi clung to his faith, using it as a source of strength to survive the brutality of his captivity.
Among the numerous horrific experiences he detailed, Sharabi spoke about the crushing hunger he faced. “The hunger was something any Jew who has ever fasted on Yom Kippur can only begin to understand,” he said, describing how his body deteriorated from lack of food. The agonizing days of starvation were made even more unbearable by the psychological torture he endured. His captors would often twist his emotions by telling him that his family was still alive, only to crush that hope when he was finally released and told the devastating truth. His wife, Lian, his daughters Yaheli and Noya, and his brother Yossi had all been murdered in the Hamas massacre on October 7th.
In his time underground, Sharabi also witnessed the horrors suffered by his fellow hostages, including Ohad Yahalomi, who was severely injured but still alive when Sharabi saw him. The trauma of seeing Yahalomi, fighting for his life, and the constant uncertainty about his own fate pushed Sharabi to the brink. Yet, through it all, it was his faith that kept him going.
When Sharabi was eventually released and handed over to Israeli forces, he faced the gut-wrenching news that his entire family had been killed. The loss was incomprehensible, yet his faith, strengthened in the depths of captivity, gave him the resilience to endure. “Shema Yisrael” had become more than just words—it became his lifeline, a daily act of connection to something greater than himself that helped him survive the nearly 500 days of suffering at the hands of Hamas.
Sharabi’s story is one of unimaginable loss, survival, and the strength that can be found through faith even in the darkest of circumstances. His journey reflects the power of belief and the unbreakable human will to persevere.
כוח האמונה הוא מטורף! pic.twitter.com/Eajl6WXPLY
— אבי רבינא Avi Ravina (@AviRabina) February 27, 2025
“לא אכפת לך מהמכות שאתה חוטף, ואתה חוטף מכות ושוברים לי צלעות. לא אכפת לי, תן לי עוד חצי פיתה”: יותר מהמכות, העינויים והתנאים הסניטריים הנוראיים, אלי שרעבי מתאר חודשים ארוכים של רעב כבד, שמכלה את הגוף. הנה הקטע מהתוכנית ששידרנו הערב: pic.twitter.com/r4KWu4Bsnr
— עובדה (@Uvda_tweet) February 27, 2025
“רק מההתנהגות שלהם אתה יכול לדעת מה קרה בחדשות. לכן האחריות אצל ההנהגה. כל אמירה שהיא חסרת אחריות, הראשונים שחוטפים זה אנחנו”: אלי שרעבי חזר מהשבי אחרי 491 ימים, והוא מספר בקולו מה קורה במנהרה ביום שבו בכיר ישראלי מתרברב על החמרת התנאים של המחבלים בכלא הישראלי. הנה הקטע: pic.twitter.com/AIU8MPd6fn
— עובדה (@Uvda_tweet) February 27, 2025
“I remember not being able to fall asleep because of the pain.”
Eli Sharabi describes how he survived the grueling conditions in Hamas captivity.
🎥: @Uvda_tweet pic.twitter.com/XYfAqB4Y4E
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) February 27, 2025
Eli, Am Yisrael loves you and our heart breaks for you. Stay strong
VIN, wish you would have translated Eli’s interview with this lady. Not all of us understand Ivrit. His intonation and expression spoke volumes about what he had to convey.And yes, we love him and ALL the victims of these hamas animals. They are our brother and sisters, and as Yidden, we love them, as does Hashem as well.
I’ve always heard and been inspired by the true stories about some how Jews were able to observe a few Mitzvos in the camps during the Holocaust. The ordeals and courage of the hostages such as Elii Sharabi who said Shema, and Agam Berger who refused to cook for her captors on Shabbos and fasted on Tisha B’Av are no less inspiring, and should be taught to our young people
Wow the power of a Yidish Neshama!!. We can never underestimate a Yidish Neshama!!