Shelly Shem Tov, the mother of Omer Shem Tov who was released from captivity in Gaza on Shabbos, publicly thanked Hashem for her son’s release on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference at Beilinson Hospital, Shelly, who became Shomer Shabbos exactly a year before her son’s release , said: “ברוך אתה ה׳ אלוהינו מלך העולם שהחיינו וקיימנו והגענו לזמן הזה, הודו לה׳ כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו.”

” For 505 days, every morning I sat in Omer’s room and davened to the Borei Olam to protect and guard our Omer from all harm and evil and return him to us alive, healthy, and whole. And now I stand here and thank You, Borei Olam, that You did not leave my prayers unanswered and that our Omer has returned home.”

Shelly thanked everyone who worked toward her son’s release and briefly described her son’s harrowing ordeal in captivity. “Omer was held in a tunnel alone for 450 days under difficult conditions that included periods of starvation and psychological torture,” she said.

Previously, Shelly had described how Omer made Kiddush in captivity, saying that one day, when he was still held with other hostages, they received a small bottle of grape juice and some pretzels. They removed the salt from the pretzels and saved it. “Every Friday night, they covered their heads with a ‘kipah’ made out of toilet paper and Omer recited Kiddush,” she said.

They then would recite a bracha on a few pretzels in place of challah after Omer salted them.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)