Ex-hostage to rabbi: ‘I was saved by God’s mercy alone’

“Even there, in the great darkness, I felt that I was not alone, and faith in God strengthened me,” Alexander Trufanov tells prominent rabbi.

By World Israel News Staff

Former hostage Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov visited the home of a prominent rabbi last week to thank him for his prayers, stressing that he credited God with his freedom.

Trufanov met in Bnei Brak with Rabbi Yitzhak Silberstein, who gifted the ex-captive with a tallit (prayer shawl.)

According to a Ynet report, in a deeply emotional moment, Silberstein was moved to tears while blessing the tallit for Trufanov.

In recent months, Silberstein met with the families of numerous hostages and led prayers for their safe return.

Trufanov told the rabbi that he “knew that people were praying” for him while he was in captivity.

“Even there, in the great darkness, I felt that I was not alone, and faith in God strengthened me,” he added.

“I was freed only by the grace of God and not by anything else.”

Zilberstein urged Trufanov to continue deepening his faith, saying he had become a symbol for the Jewish people.

“Jewish history will remember you and the other abductees, and you can no longer see yourself as a private individual,” the rabbi said. “You must continue to sanctify the name of God.”

He added that Trufanov “should serve as an example of the spiritual strength of the people of Israel, which continues to exist and prevail despite all the trials and complex challenges.”

On October 7th, Trufanov was kidnapped by Islamic Jihad terrorists alongside his grandmother, mother, and girlfriend from the family home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Trufanov’s father, Vitaly, was murdered in the terror onslaught.

Although the family was secular, Trufanov’s mother began keeping Shabbat while in captivity – a practice she has maintained even after her release in a December 2023 hostage deal.

Trufanov’s girlfriend, Sapir Cohen, has spoken to the media about her time in captivity, emphasizing that her faith in God was the only thing that sustained her throughout her ordeal.