Former hostage Rom Braslavski says he will wear a larger kippah in a sign of faith

Rom Braslavski, the former captive whose kidnapping and release from Hamas captivity moved many in Israel, shared another personal update on Thursday about his spiritual journey since coming home. In a video posted to his personal Instagram account, he said he has decided to stop wearing the small kippah he used to wear and instead adopt a much larger one that covers most of his head.

Braslavski showed followers several kippot he owns and explained that the new choice reflects both an outward and a spiritual change. He also posted a lighthearted photo of himself in the new kippah and sunglasses, joking, “It reminds me of the Arabs in Bab al-Hutta.” He said he is fully at peace with the move, even if people label him as a settler, ultra-Orthodox, religious, extreme, or “a crazy Jew.”

He also used the post to draw a clear line between himself and extremist behavior. Braslavski said he strongly opposes violent protests and the use of insults such as calling police and security forces “Nazis” by radical fringes, stressing that this conduct does not represent him.

He concluded that the only reason for wearing the larger kippah is that he is a Jew living in Israel and proud of it. Braslavski said the decision is an expression of respect for Judaism, love of the Torah, and gratitude to God after the miracles he says he experienced.