Mother of Freed Hostage Avinatan Or Recounts Two Years in Captivity
Ditsa Or reunites with her son Avinatan after two years in Hamas captivity, reflecting on faith, inner freedom, and national unity in a moving interview.
After two long years of anticipation and prayer, Ditsa Or has finally been reunited with her son, Avinatan Or. In an interview with Hidabroot, she recounted the dramatic moments of his return following two years spent in captivity underground, describing the spiritual fortitude that sustained him in the darkest dungeons.
The Power of Prayer
For Ditsa, Avinatan's return is an open miracle. The journey began the day her world shattered on Simchat Torah and culminated in a reunion filled with immense light. According to Ditsa, what saved Avinatan from madness under impossible conditions — often held in tunnels and narrow dungeons in iron chains — was not merely physical resilience, but the envelope of love, prayers, and Torah study from the entire nation of Israel.
"The real answer is you," she says. "The prayers, the love, everything that was sent to him. It works, it's not imagination. It reached him, protected him, gave him strength, and connected him to his divine soul."
Inner Freedom
Ditsa shared conversations with Avinatan about his harrowing ordeal, during which he had to fiercely cling to his identity and humanity. She emphasized the profound difference between physical freedom and absolute inner liberty. Even when physical liberty, food, time, and bodily autonomy are stripped away, the soul and humanity remain untouched.
She also revealed remarkable tales of heroism from the tunnels, detailing how Avinatan dug with meager tools for months just to catch a glimpse of the stars, and how he survived through the deep merit of honoring his parents.
Closing a Historical Circle
Looking at the broader historical picture, Ditsa connects the fracture and redemption of our time to the roots of Jewish history and the story of Joseph and his brothers.
"In this story of the past two years, of our kidnapped brothers, we have closed the story of Joseph," she says. "The entire nation of Israel united to bring the brothers back at any cost. We have rectified the sin of the sale of the brothers, closed this long historical account, and today we are worthy of redemption."