Former hostage Maxim Herkin speaks during a protest at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas, November 15, 2025. (Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
“Of all the places, it was in the Hamas tunnels that I discovered faith and trust in God. That faith instilled in me the strength to overcome the difficult days of captivity.”
Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Maxim Herkin, recently freed from Hamas captivity, took part in a circumcision ceremony in Moscow that marked both a personal milestone and his formal entry into Jewish ritual life.
The event, held at the MTS hall during the festivities for the Lubavitch holiday of 19 Kislev, drew religious leaders and community members who gathered to greet him after his return.
Chief Rabbi of Russia Rabbi Berel Lazar presided over the ceremony, offering a blessing and granting Herkin the name Zalman Zelig in honor of his maternal grandfather.
Lazar also guided him through his donning of tefillin for the first time, a moment described by participants as deeply symbolic given the circumstances of his release.
Herkin spoke briefly about the internal journey he experienced while held in Gaza.
He said his years-long distance from faith shifted during captivity, noting, “Of all places, it was in the Hamas tunnels that I discovered faith and trust in God. That faith instilled in me the strength to overcome the difficult days of captivity.”
The ceremony was part of the wider celebration of 19 Kislev, a significant date on the Chabad-Lubavitch calendar marking the release of the the group’s first Rebbe from Russian prison and traditionally linked to renewal and spiritual recommitment.
Organizers said the timing added meaning to Herkin’s decision to take on new religious obligations so soon after returning home.
In October, Herkin was reunited with his five-year-old daughter.
Herkin, a dual Israeli-Ukrainian citizen, was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7.
His daughter lives in Russia with his ex-partner, and he had seen her just a few days before his abduction.
“She gives me a lot of strength,” Herkin said of Monica. “I promised her that I’m with her, and I’ll always be here for her.”
Herkin told local media that he is “slowly” returning to normal life, though readjusting to freedom remains a gradual process.
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