Chareidi journalists Sivan Rahav-Meir and Yedidya Meir were the speakers this past Shabbos at a Shabbaton in Herzliya.

After Shabbos, Sivan wrote about a moving phone call between the event’s organizer, Tzachi Weiss, and the mother of freed captives Itay and Maya Regev.

Sivan wrote: “We were about to begin our lectures in Herzliya on Friday night and then Tzachi Weiss got up and told the audience. ‘We invited the Regev siblings, residents of the city who finally returned from captivity, to the event.’

“‘I spoke with their mother Mirit before Shabbos and this is what she told me: ‘In captivity, Maya made a promise that for every Shabbos that she’s in Gaza, she’ll keep Shabbos when she’s free. She spent seven Shabbatot in captivity and this the third Shabbos she’s keeping.’

‘It turned out that Mirit made the same promise in her home in Herzliya, that when her children return from captivity, they’ll keep Shabbos.’

‘I invited them to Sivan and Yedidya’s lectures but it’s a far walk from their house and Maya’s still on crutches so for the kedushas haShabbos, the Regev family isn’t with us.'”

“Well continue davening for the return of Omer Shem-Tov, a resident of the city, and for the return of all the captives.'”

Sivan added: “I publicized this after receiving permission from Mirit Regev on Motzei Shabbos.”

Omer Shem-Tov, 21, a resident of Herzliya and a friend of the Regev is still in Gaza and in need of tefillos. Please daven for the safe return of Omer ben Shelly Malka and all of the hostages.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)