Jewish Identity, the Strongest Weapon
The ONE Thing Terrorists Couldn't Take: How the Berman Twins Are Healing
Released after more than 700 days in Hamas captivity, the Berman twins take a significant step in their healing journey by performing the Jewish ritual of laying tefillin in Florida.
Gali and Ziv Berman, the twin brothers recently released after two grueling years in Hamas captivity, have marked a deeply personal milestone in their journey toward recovery: performing the Jewish ritual of laying tefillin. The act, a powerful symbol of spiritual reconnection, took place in Florida with Rabbi Moshe Scheiner, the Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in Palm Beach.
The moment was particularly poignant as it was revealed that for one of the twins, this marked the first time performing the ritual since his Bar Mitzvah.
Spiritual Re-Entry After Trauma
The laying of tefillin, the daily binding of leather boxes containing biblical verses onto the arm and head, is a central ritual for observant Jewish males. For the Berman brothers, 27, who were seized from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023, and held separately in Gaza for over 700 days, this act symbolizes a profound reclamation of self and faith.
"Reconnecting with such a core practice is a critical step in the psychological and spiritual rehabilitation of survivors," noted one community leader familiar with the situation. The return to the ritual after a prolonged absence, particularly post-trauma, often signifies a move from the fear and isolation of captivity back into the stability and comfort of tradition.
The Berman Brothers' Ordeal
Gali and Ziv were among the final cohort of living Israeli hostages released under the recent ceasefire agreement in October 2025. Their dual separation during captivity, a cruel psychological blow for the famously close twins, made their eventual reunification and subsequent public message of thanks particularly emotional.
The twins, who were visibly exhausted but in stable health upon their release and subsequent discharge from Sheba Medical Center, have sought quiet spaces for recovery. Their visit to Florida and their meeting with Rabbi Scheiner, the long-standing founding rabbi of the Palm Beach Synagogue, highlights the deep support extended by the global Jewish community and Chabad's extensive network to the returning hostages.
The private religious ceremony is a quiet but powerful counter-narrative to the brutal public ordeal the twins endured, underscoring the personal and faith-based elements of recovery that follow such a national tragedy.