Freed Hostages Learned to Recite Shabbat Liturgy in Arabic

Israeli hostages released January 25, 2025: Top (L-R) Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa; bottom (L-R) Naama Levy, Liri Albag. (Courtesy) courtesy

20-year-old Daniella Gilboa said that in addition to learning to recite ‘Shalom Aleichem’ in Arabic, she and the other hostages with her would make the traditional Shabbat evening blessing over wine, even over water.

By JNS

Freed Israeli hostage Daniella Gilboa revealed on Tuesday that she and four of her fellow captives learned how to recite a traditional Sabbath song in Arabic during their captivity, out of fear they would be overheard.

The revelation was the latest affirmation of the critical role that faith played for the hostages during their captivity in Gaza.

Gilboa, one of seven female troops abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre in southern Israel, was released last month after a year and three months in Hamas captivity.

The 20-year-old, who was forced to record a video faking her death in captivity, told Israel’s Channel 13 TV that in addition to learning to recite “Shalom Aleichem” in Arabic, it was extremely important to her and the other hostages to make the traditional Shabbat evening blessing over wine, even over water.

Another 20-year-old female captive, Adam Berger, managed to get her hands on a Jewish prayer book, or siddur, and maintained her religious observance, including keeping a Jewish fast day, strengthening her spiritual resilience, a family friend previously revealed.

Separately, the mother of released hostage Eliya Cohen, 27, said that her son would recite the passages for donning phylacteries, or tefillin, every day, which he knew by heart. He too, would recite the kiddush over a cup of water on Friday nights, which both strengthened him and uplifted others, she said.