Israelis and Jews around the world were heartbroken by the story of released hostage Eli Sharabi, who after enduring atrocities and starvation in Gazan captivity, returned to Israel only to find out that his wife and teenage daughters were murdered.

Despite such unimaginable suffering, one of Eli’s first requests when he returned to Israel was a pair of tefillin.

Rabbi Shneur Raskin, Chabad shliach to Alfei Menashe who supported Sharabi’s family throughout his captivity, fulfilled the request, acquiring a set of tefillin and custom embroidered tefillin and tallis bags. The tallis bag states: “Am Yisrael embraces you.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)