Freed Israeli Soldier Says Tefillin and Prayer Sustained Him in Hamas Captivity

TEL AVIV — After enduring nearly two years of brutal captivity in Gaza, 22-year-old IDF soldier Matan Angrest said that tefillin and daily prayer were his anchor through the darkness.

Angrest was captured during fierce fighting in Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023, after his tank was hit. The only survivor from his crew, he was taken into Gaza and held under horrific conditions — starved, beaten, and kept in isolation. Yet, he said, his faith never wavered.

“Even in that nightmare, I needed to stay connected,” Angrest recalled. “I demanded tefillin, a prayer book, and a Tanakh. Somehow, they brought them. From that day on, I prayed three times a day — morning, afternoon, and night. It gave me strength. It protected me.”

Doctors at Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv, where Angrest is now recovering from his injuries, said his physical wounds are severe but his spirit remains strong. On Wednesday, Tzili Schneider, founder of the Kesher Yehudi organization, visited him and presented a new pair of tefillin to replace those lost in captivity.

“Matan is a living miracle,” Schneider said. “He is a hero who held on to his faith even in hell. His story is one of light overcoming darkness.”

Angrest’s parents, who spent two agonizing years waiting for news, described their son’s survival as nothing short of divine. “He suffered unimaginable torture,” his mother said. “But his belief in Hashem kept him alive.”

As Angrest begins his recovery, his story has become a symbol of faith, resilience, and Jewish identity—a reminder, he says, “that even in the deepest tunnels, the soul can’t be taken captive.”