Freed hostage fulfills mother’s promise to pray at rabbi’s tomb

Freed hostage Matan Angrest, 22, a soldier abducted by Hamas from his tank on Oct. 7, 2023, and released in the recent ceasefire deal, traveled to pray at the tomb of Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes in Tiberias to fulfill the promise his mother Anat made while he was held captive.

Angrest reached the rabbi’s tomb “to give thanks and praise for the miracles and wonders and to say the Nishmat Kol Chai prayer.” His mother had vowed that on his release, she would come with him to pray at the rabbi’s tomb.

During his captivity, his parents consulted with Rabbi David Abuhatzeira and decided to give him an additional name. “Rabbis recommended we add a name to our Matan. We received the blessing of the Admor Rabbi David Abuhatzeira, and we added the name Shahar,” his father Hagai explained on Kol Bara