'I have chosen the path of faith' – Agam Berger shares how God got her through 482 days of captivity in Gaza

Agam Berger has emerged from the tunnels of Gaza a different woman. The 20-year-old IDF surveillance officer from Holon in central Israel was taken by Hamas from her lookout post in Nachal Oz during the Oct. 7 attack.

Having been kept in captivity for 482 days, she was released as part of the hostage deal along with Arbel Yehud and Gadi Mozes, as well as five Thai nationals.

Berger has made Psalm 119:30 her motto, declaring that she has chosen the path of faith. In the English Standard Version, the verse is translated, “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.” Rather interestingly, as she was craving closeness to God, she found a Jewish prayer book known as a “Siddur” that was somehow “set before her” in a manner of speaking, even in the tunnels of Gaza.

From Beilinson Hospital where Berger and her family remained for the first few days after her return, a request was sent to Yaffa Deri, Margalit Peretz-Deri, and Tzili Schneider from the Kesher Yehudi ("Jewish Connection") organization to come and see her. Israel HaYom reported Deri sharing some of their conversation, including the wonderful story of how a siddur helped Berger survive. 

Deri conveyed how Berger "discovered a prayer book in Gaza that became her spiritual anchor throughout her captivity. Agam believes the prayer book was inadvertently left behind by soldiers who had previously been in the area."

Yaffa Deri, wife of Shas party chairman Knesset Member Aryeh Deri, also shared how Berger "categorically refused to accept the Quran despite her captors' persistent attempts to persuade her." 

Moran Stella Yanai, an Israeli captive released during the first hostage deal in Nov. 2023, told Channel 12 that she was also under daily pressure to convert, saying that they promised she’d be released sooner if she did. They often made her read verses from the Quran and at one point forcibly put a hijab on her head.

The phenomenon of “Stockholm Syndrome” style conversions while in captivity has occurred in similar situations, such as with Joshua Boyle, Caitlan Coleman, and James Foley who all became Muslims when held by Islamic extremists. According to Business Insider, experts say that “under the intense emotional stress that people in hostage situations experience, it is not uncommon for people to reevaluate their core spiritual or ideological beliefs,” explaining that “the unique combination of a need to survive, end-of-life self-reflection, and exposure to religious ideas” can lead to voluntary conversion. 

British journalist Yvonne Ridley who was held captive in Afghanistan has also become a great advocate for Islamic extremists, defending Hamas and considering the hostage “goodie bags” an “act of kindness”. However, despite the pressure, Berger and Yanai stood strong, refusing to abandon their Jewish faith.

Like her daughter, Meirav Berger also found comfort and strength from leaning into her Jewish faith during the terrible ordeal. She urged a group of Jewish people visiting Israel from overseas about the way forward in fighting Hamas: "Agam was kidnapped because she's Jewish - be more Jewish!” 

She shared how she found great benefits from reading the Bible, saying, “I only started learning now and the Parsha [weekly Torah portion] gives me such an anchor, such a compass." Very pertinently, the Torah portion for the week in which her daughter was finally set free was the Exodus from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea.

In YNet News Meirav explained that her daughter grew up secular, but did her best to follow the commandments in captivity, keeping Jewish fast days and also observing Shabbat. 

"She prayed constantly, and it was clear to her she would get through it,” said Meirav. “She even kept Shabbat there, something she had never done before. When the terrorists told her to cook for them, she said, ‘I don’t light fires on Shabbat.’ As a Haredi woman from generations of religious observance, I don’t know if I would have had such strong faith in a situation like that."

Now Agam Berger has a message of support to give back to her people, emphasizing the importance of Israel staying strong in unity.

"When they saw our division, it made them happy," Berger said, talking about how the Hamas terrorists in Gaza responded to seeing news of Israelis angry with one another. She continued, "They told us that when we are united, we are strong. Let’s preserve our unity and strength as the people of Israel."

Arutz Sheva reported that Berger’s family members have been wearing shirts with Agam's famous quote: "I have chosen the path of faith," clarifying that it was not the path of TV studios, nor the path of politics. 

Meirav Berger urged the people of Israel to come together, saying, "We need renewal, need to go to the mikvah and come out different, all of us."