Released hostage Agam Berger visited Joseph's Tomb last night alongside Samaria governor Yossi Dagan, her mother Merav, and Rabbi Eliyahu Levanon.
Before entering the tomb complex, Agam and her mother visited a winery in the Elon Moreh area.
Inside Joseph's Tomb, Berger and Dagan lit the Ner Tamid, a light that is traditionally kept burning continuously in synagogues. Dagan presented her with a special certificate of appreciation containing a quote that Berger wrote on her way back from Gaza: 'I chose the path of faith.'
“To dear Agam Berger, with your unwavering faith, you maintained the Jewish spirit. Your strength inspired an entire generation. With your determination, you granted the Jewish people power and hope. We deeply appreciate your visit to Joseph's Tomb,” read the certificate of appreciation.
Dagan also gifted her a prayer book engraved with her name, saying, “You symbolze faith. You have no idea how much the Jewish people love and admire you.”
Rabbi Levanon blessed Agam and her mother and led a prayer for the return of hostages and victory in the war. “May you be a messenger of the Jewish people with your inner strength, to bring good news and to see the good in everyone.”
Agam Berger stated, “I want to thank the soldiers. Stay safe; you are truly heroes. Let’s not forget anyone. They need us, they need our prayers, and they need us to be strong for them.”
Yossi Dagan added, “Agam, you and your mother, who raised you to be this way, symbolize something superhuman. You shared incredible hair-raising stories, keeping kosher and honoring Jewish values under conditions that no one could withstand. They respected you more because of this—those barbarians.”
"You are here with us, in this holy place, at the Tomb of Joseph the righteous, who came out of the pit to kingship. Our sister, we are excited that you are here, and we are glad you chose to come here to pray together with the strength of Joseph the righteous, who came out from the pit, and with your strength, that you continue to embody. May the Almighty send, through the IDF, the Israeli government, and all the Jewish people, salvation and bring all the captives out of the pit with a great victory.”
Merav, Agam's mother, also spoke: “After October 7, there were two occasions when I almost reached Joseph's Tomb. It was planned and did not succeed, and today it came to fruition. It feels like Joseph the Righteous invited you, that this will happen with you here. From here, I pray for the redemption of the Jewish people."
"'I am my brother's keeper.' I think this is the Jewish national moral mission of utmost importance. October 7 was a time to take personal and collective stock. I came here to pray for our brothers to receive a hug from their families. Agam in captivity missed her family very much. Family is a sacred value; we need to return to the basics and see ourselves as a family. May the captives merit to visit this holy place, which belongs to us Jews, and not in the dead of night. Agam was abducted as a Jew, and it is time for us to return to our identity, to our values, to act as Jews.”
Dagan thanked the security forces for escorting the group to the tomb, the volunteers of the Local Holy Sites Administration of the Samaria Regional Council, and the team from the Samaria Regional Council that coordinates visits.
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