Terrorists pressured hostage Rom Braslavski to convert to Islam; he refused, donned tefillin after release

His mother, Tami, said, “As soon as he came back, he kept saying, ‘I am Jewish… I am strong,’ and he put on tefillin.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The mother of freed hostage Rom Braslavski revealed that her son was pressured to convert to Islam during his captivity in Gaza but refused, choosing instead to reaffirm his Jewish faith and put on tefillin as soon as he was released.

Tami Braslavski told Channel 13 News that her son had been held in isolation by Palestinian Islamic Jihad for nearly two years, much of that time in harsh and degrading conditions.

“He was held alone and taken into the tunnels only two days before his release,” she said. “They demanded that he convert to Islam. He refused. He went through abuse, and I don’t want to elaborate further.”

She described psychological torment that included false claims that “Iran bombed Israel,” selective footage meant to convince him his parents had abandoned him, and repeated offers of better treatment if he would read the Quran or fast during Ramadan.

“As soon as he came back, he kept saying, ‘I am Jewish… I am strong,’ and he put on tefillin,” she said.

According to a report in Israel Hayom, Rom told Israeli authorities that at times he was held near the bodies of other hostages, and he provided their locations after returning home.

His mother said he survived severe hunger and a deteriorating physical condition, recounting one episode in which he broke free of his restraints to cook pasta over a small fire.

The smoke drew the attention of local residents, who pounded on windows, and he feared he would be lynched.

“He only wants sky, sun, and air,” his mother said, explaining that her son shuns gifts and devices, seeking instead moments of quiet recovery.

Speaking to Channel 13, she added that their family’s ordeal must serve as a reminder of those still left behind.

“It’s not over,” she said. “We still have hostages whose bodies must be returned.”