Rom Brzlavski Says He Will Wear a Larger Kippah and Rejects Labels

Rom Breslavski, whose captivity and release from Hamas captivity moved much of Israel, shared a personal update on Thursday through his Instagram account. In the video, he showed followers his large collection of kippahs and said he had made a significant decision about his religious practice and appearance.

“I decided today that I will no longer wear a regular small kippah, but a larger one that covers three quarters of my head,” Breslavski said. He stressed that he is fully at peace with the choice and does not fear criticism, adding, “You can put me in a box and call me a settler, ultra-Orthodox, religious, extremist or crazy Jew, call me whatever you want. This is the decision I made, and I am taking on a large kippah.”

Breslavski also used the post to draw a clear line between his own path and what he described as extremist behavior in parts of the ultra-Orthodox public. “I am very against what the ultra-Orthodox are doing, all these protests and calling police officers ‘Nazis’,” he said. At the same time, he said his decision was rooted in Jewish identity: “I am a Jew in the State of Israel, I am proud of it, and I decided to wear a large kippah only for Judaism and Torah.”