By Rabbi Yair HoffmanIn the darkest moments of Jewish history, Hashem sends beacons of light that illuminate the path forward for all of Klal Yisroel. Agam Berger has emerged as such a beacon – a young woman whose story transcends our modern understanding of faith and devotion, embodying the deepest truths of Jewish survival and divine providence.
Raised in secular Israeli society, Agam discovered within herself what Judaism has always known: that the burning flame of Torah lies dormant in every Jewish Neshama. When faced with unimaginable terror, surrounded by resha’im gmurim who sought to destroy not just her guf but her neshama, she made an extraordinary choice. Without any formal Torah education, without the warmth of Shabbos candles in her childhood home, she chose to observe Shabbos in captivity.
This choice reflects the fundamental Jewish understanding that the Borei Olam is not merely the Creator, but the source of all goodness and ethical behavior. When Agam wrote “דרך אמונה בחרתי” (“I have chosen the path of faith”), she wasn’t just making a personal statement – she was connecting to an unbroken chain of Jewish conviction stretching back to Har Sinai itself.
Klal Yisroel’s survival defies historical precedent. While mighty civilizations like the Carthaginians, Incas, and Aztecs have vanished into the melting pot of history, the Jewish people have maintained their distinct identity through two millennia of exile. Agam’s story provides a living testament to this miraculous survival.
Just as the land of Israel lay uncultivated until its people returned – a historical anomaly that points to divine providence – so too did the seed of faith lie dormant in Agam’s soul until the moment of greatest need. The divine synchronicity of her mother simultaneously being drawn to Shabbos observance, miles away and unaware, echoes the words of our Sages: “More than the Jews have kept Shabbos, Shabbos has kept the Jews.”
When Agam’s mother declared she would wait until after Shabbos to reunite with her daughter, she stood in the tradition of countless mothers throughout history who understood that our covenant with Hashem supersedes even the strongest human bonds. Her decision recalls a previous Prime Minister, Menachem Begin’s passionate defense of Shabbos observance: “Shabbos is one of the loftiest values in all of humanity, it originated with us. It is all ours.”
Together with her fellow captives, Agam maintained Jewish dignity through faith under the most trying circumstances. They fasted on Yom Kippur despite their weakness. They refused non-kosher food despite their hunger. In doing so, they joined the ranks of Jewish women throughout history – from Sarah Imeinu to the heroines of the Holocaust – who maintained their faith in the face of overwhelming adversity.
The power of their message lies not just in the acts themselves, but in their source. Here were no scholars or rabbis, but young women who discovered within themselves the eternal truth that Judaism has always taught: that ethical monotheism isn’t just a philosophical concept, but a living reality that demands action. Through their choices, they transformed private suffering into public kiddush Hashem.
Agam’s story reminds us that Judaism’s mission – to declare the concept of God and the obligation to emulate Him in all we do – continues in every generation. In an age of confusion and spiritual darkness, her crystal-clear choice of faith over fear, tradition over trauma, serves as a modern-day illustration of an ancient truth: that within every Jewish soul, no matter how distant they may seem from tradition, lies a divine spark waiting to illuminate the world.
When mother and daughter finally reunited, their first words were not of personal relief but of gratitude to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. In that moment, they exemplified Judaism’s eternal understanding that concepts and ideas are not enough – they must be accompanied by action. Their story has become a living mussar sefer, teaching us that even in our modern world, the path of faith remains as vibrant and relevant as ever.
