Gratitude for Freedom

November 6, 2025 in From the Clergy, Hazzan Asa Fradkin, Israel, Scroll

By Hazzan Asa Fradkin

Thank God. Thank God the hostages are home. If we had not gotten them back now, two weeks ago as of this writing, I certainly would have been here speaking about the freedom they so desperately dreamed of for over 700 days.

As it happens, I just finished Eli Sharabi’s book, Hostage, which details the horrors of his capture and captivity for 481 days in the tunnels of Gaza.

If you read this book looking for confirmation of Hamas’s evil, you will find readily available examples, whether it’s the food deprivation, the squalid conditions, the disease, or the psychological torture and the constant lies the men told Sharabi and his fellow captives.

What’s astounding is that Sharabi never lost faith that he would be freed, because from the moment he was taken, his one goal, his mission, was “to survive.” He taught this mantra to his fellow captives when they despaired, and as the eldest of the men he shared his predicament with, he acted as a brother and as a father figure.

He especially connected with Alon Ohel, a young, handsome man and gifted pianist who kept his hope alive by reciting pieces in his head. Sharabi acted as a father figure to Alon and told the press that, despite the horrific murder of his own family, he was excited to see Alon, embrace him, and welcome him home.

Eli Sharabi’s resolve to continue living, both in captivity and after he learned of his family’s murder, has made him a modern day hero in Israel.

This is largely due to his resolve to live in the face of unimaginable suffering. Rachel Goldberg Polin holds a similar place in the Jewish world for her refusal to give up on her people, even when her son was murdered. When the hostages came home Rachel said, “We have to hold joy and grief at the same time.”

The Jewish people prize life and freedom above all else. This is because, as the Psalmist writes (Psalm 6:5), “Who can praise you in the grave?” Indeed it is only in life that we can praise God and offer God blessings.

As we read Sharabi’s words and watch his astounding resolve through interviews across the world media landscape, may we always remember that we are blessed still to be a free people in our land. Thank you to all the soldiers who fought to keep that freedom, and may the bodies of the slain hostages soon return to us.