The parents of captivity survivor Omer Shem Tov told Channel 13 that when their son was in captivity, the terrorists gave him books that IDF soldiers left behind.
Among the pamphlets and books, Shem Tov received Dvar Malchus - a weekly study pamphlet published by Chabad - which he studied throughout his captivity.
The pamphlet belonged to a soldier named Yoel Elbaz, and the Shem Tov family is currently looking for him so Omer could thank him personally.
The terrorists also gave him a Hebrew copy of the novel "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest," which he read five times in captivity, as well as a booklet with the Traveler's Prayer and Psalm 100.
Omer's father Malki told Arutz Sheva-Israel National News how faith kept his son strong in captivity.
He describes Omer as a hopeless optimist and says: "We never lost hope or faith, we were always positive, even at the toughest moments. Yes, there were ups and downs, but we knew that Omer was coming home. He also told us that throughout his entire time in captivity, he lived with the total knowledge that he would return home. Despite the unhuman difficulties he faced, he for a moment never lost hope and faith."
Omer worked to maintain his Jewish identity, even in captivity. "They would recite the Kiddush [on Friday night] for five months on a bottle of grape juice that they received. These things really gave him strength. The faith, to know that he was being watched over from above, helped him survive. He said that he wanted to fast on Yom Kippur, but he didn't know the date. He listened to the radio once in a while and one day, the Israeli stations didn't play anything but the other ones did. Looking back, he understood that it was Yom Kippur, and he was a bit saddened when he understood that he missed the fast."