Hostage Survivor Meets Rabbi, Credits Him for Religious Observance

Rom Bar, a former Hamas hostage released about a year ago from Gaza, met with Rabbi Yigal Cohen, head of the 'Yabia Omer' institutions and a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council. During their emotional encounter, Bar told the rabbi, "Thanks to your lessons, I took upon myself the observance of "shmirat negiah" (abstaining from physical contact with the opposite sex)."

The meeting, documented by Noam Eliyahu, highlighted the profound impact religious teachings can have on individuals, even amidst extreme circumstances. Bar's statement suggests that his time in captivity, and perhaps the teachings he received or recalled during that period, led him to adopt a more religiously observant lifestyle upon his return.