Hostage Survives 738 Days, Kept Faith in Gaza Tunnels

Deep in the pitch-black tunnels beneath Gaza, a father refused to let his faith die.

Elkana Bohbut spent 738 days as a hostage after Hamas attacked the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. The Israeli event producer had stayed behind during the assault to help wounded attendees escape, heroically saving many lives before being violently abducted.

Locked underground with little food and no sunlight, Elkana faced severe physical torture and psychological warfare. His captors lied repeatedly, telling him his mother and wife were dead. One terrorist even prayed in front of him that his young son would die.

But Elkana made a choice that would sustain him through the darkness. He begged his captors for a watch, claiming he needed to track time while secretly using it to know when to pray at the proper hours each day.

Without physical prayer tools, he improvised in stunning ways. Every morning, he moved his hands as if wrapping tefillin, vividly imagining the straps and boxes as he recited his prayers. Every Friday night, he sang Kiddush over a meager cup of water, his voice joined by fellow captives.

His devotion extended to the smallest details of observance. When given a single flashlight to navigate to the bathroom, Elkana refused to use it on the Sabbath, choosing total darkness over violating religious law. During Chanukah, he shined that same flashlight onto his fingers, holding up the exact number corresponding to each night as he recited blessings.

For his son Re'em, Elkana found scraps of torn fabric on the tunnel floor and sewed a small doll he named Merlin. Holding that handmade toy became his physical promise that he would survive to return home.

His captors tried one final cruelty, forcing him to watch videos of fallen soldiers. Instead of breaking him, it sparked a sacred vow: if freed, he would first honor those who gave everything for his release.

Why This Inspires

Elkana's story shows what happens when faith meets impossible circumstances. His daily rituals weren't just religious observance but acts of resistance against despair. By maintaining his connection to something larger than himself, he preserved his humanity in a place designed to strip it away.

After his miraculous release, Elkana kept both promises. He visited a military cemetery to thank the fallen heroes, then traveled to New York to stand in the synagogue known as 770 and give thanks.

His journey from darkness to light proves that hope can survive anywhere.