Emily Damari, who recently returned home after spending a grueling 471 days in captivity, is set to share her deeply personal journey of survival on national television. In an intimate new interview, she revealed how her time as a hostage profoundly strengthened her religious faith in ways she never could have anticipated. Her upcoming documentary appearance will give viewers a firsthand look at her path to recovery.
Damari will participate in the twelfth season of the docu-reality series Connected, where viewers will see raw and shaking moments from her daily life post-release. She discussed the spiritual routines that carried her through the darkest periods of her confinement by Hamas terrorists. My faith definitely got stronger there, Damari explained when reflecting on her ordeal.
The former hostage noted that while she always believed in G-d, the isolation of captivity pushed her spiritual connection to a completely new level. She claimed to have experienced multiple supernatural events and answers to her prayers while being held in Gaza. She stated that crazy things happened to me in captivity, requests and signs that I asked from Him and were revealed to me, crazy things.
Finding the inner strength to remain thankful during such a horrific experience proved to be her ultimate psychological and spiritual lifeline. Every single morning, despite being surrounded by terror, she made a conscious choice to recite specific Jewish prayers of gratitude and faith. Damari expressed that to come and say every day in the morning, while I am in the worst place in my life, Mizmor Letoda, it is the biggest thing I could do.
In addition to the standard morning prayers of thanksgiving, she relied heavily on reciting the traditional Shema Yisrael prayer to maintain her sanity. These spiritual practices provided a protective shield during moments of extreme physical danger as the war raged around her. Her survival was put to the test multiple times when the structures housing her were caught in the crossfire.
She recalled specific instances where she narrowly escaped death during intense military operations targeting the infrastructure of the terrorists. They blew up a tunnel I was in, and I am here, they blew up a house next to me that I was in, and I am here, Damari shared. The sheer memory of these close calls still gives her full-body chills as she processes her miraculous return.
When she looks back at those terrifying moments of near-destruction, she feels nothing but overwhelming appreciation for her survival. Her immediate reaction to surviving those explosions remains rooted in the religious phrases that kept her alive. She summarized her current emotional state as a mix of chills, Mizmor Letoda, Shema Yisrael, and thank G-d.
The revealing interview took place during the festive premiere event for the upcoming twelfth season of Connected, which heavily features her story. The highly anticipated television show is scheduled to broadcast its premiere on July 1 on video-on-demand and streaming platforms. Regular television broadcasts will follow shortly after, allowing the public to witness her inspiring journey of survival and unbroken faith.
