Patience & Hope
Just like many of his Jewish peers around the world, 12-year-old Yagil Yaakov was eagerly anticipating his upcoming bar mitzvah and diligently preparing for the big day. Then, on October 7th, his cheery demeanor turned to sheer horror when terrorists violently broke into his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz took Yagil, his brother Or, and their father, Yair, hostage.
In the days that followed, the owner of a nearby Judaica store noticed a custom tefillin bag, ordered by a family in Nir Oz, had not been picked up as scheduled. Knowing this community had been devastated in the recent attacks, he called the family to see how they were doing. Yagil’s mother, Ranana, informed him of the heartbreaking and inconceivable reality: her family, including the soon-to-be bar mitzvah boy, had been taken prisoner.
Shocked by this news and hoping to offer whatever support he could, the owner offered to refund the order. With Yagil in captivity, who knew how long it would be until he was able to perform the sacred ritual of becoming a bar mitzvah, if ever. Yagil’s mother, however, refused to accept the refund, insisting that “Yagil will come home, and there will be a giant celebration, with G‑d’s help.”
Nearly a month later, Ranana received a glimmer of hope. She knew Yagil was alive. A terrorist group released a video, featuring a tormented and distressed clip of her once jubilant son. Hope was not lost, and she continued to pray for her family’s release.
On November 27, after 51 days as hostages at the mercy of terrorists, Yagil, with his brother, returned to Israel, to his mother’s arms, and to the promise of becoming a bar mitzvah. His father remains captive in Gaza - g-d-willing he will return to his family and give his son the long-awaited gift of tefillin.
