When Faith Replaces the State — On Religious Strengthening in an Age of Trauma

In the aftermath of October 7, amidst unimaginable loss and national trauma, a phenomenon is emerging with increasing prominence: the strengthening of religious faith among the families of the kidnapped and the soldiers. This is not merely a personal resurgence of faith, but a social trend indicating a deep fracture of trust in state institutions. When people feel that the military and the government have failed to protect their citizens, they turn to a place where certainty seems guaranteed: religious faith. But is this a path of strengthening, or does it lead to isolationism and the disintegration of national unity? 

Sasha Troufanov, who returned from captivity after nearly 500 days, was welcomed with endless love from his family, but also with a sign of dramatic change: his mother and partner chose to strengthen their faith and repent so earnestly that they preferred to spend a whole day enduring the nerve-wracking wait for his arrival at the base of Re’im, to avoid desecrating the Sabbath. This moment illustrates how personal tragedy becomes a tool for strengthening faith. 

Agam Berger, who was held captive during those terrible days, also kept kosher throughout 477 days of captivity, despite the famine and inhumane conditions. In both cases, religion was not just a source of comfort but a conscious choice in the face of a loss of control over reality. The urge to turn to faith in moments of crisis is understandable. History shows that when a society faces loss, trauma, and uncertainty, many seek stability in tradition and religious belief. This was also the case after the Holocaust, when some survivors strengthened their faith, but the difference then was that religion was used as a tool for rebuilding life, not as an escape from reality. 

In today’s situation, religion seems to function more as a compensatory mechanism for disappointment with state institutions. Instead of demanding answers and accountability from the government, we are witnessing a shift inward — to the Holy One, rather than to the government and the military. However, this process also has a problematic aspect. Faith can be a reinforcing factor, but it can also become a means of avoiding the truly painful questions: How did our country reach a point where citizens feel vulnerable? Why do families seek answers from rabbis rather than leaders? Will such religious strengthening lead us to stability, or does it signal a departure from civic responsibility and the common ethos of the state?

The central concern is that this process does not occur in a vacuum. As religious strengthening expands, we may witness a social process of polarization and seclusion — a shift from a broad national identity to a cohesive but isolationist religious identity. This is reflected, for example, in the trend of alienation between the religious and secular public and in the growing sense of distance between those who believe the solution lies in faith and those who believe it lies in actions and demands on the state. Of course, one should not judge those who find comfort in faith — this is a personal and legitimate choice. But when this trend becomes mainstream, we must ask: are we approaching a model where the state becomes less relevant to its citizens, while religion takes its place? Is Israeli society, built on values of civic and national solidarity, beginning to crumble under the weight of lost trust? 

The call for deeper processing of trauma is not an attack on faith but an attempt to provoke thought about the direction we are headed. The families of the kidnapped, instead of finding a supportive shoulder from the government and the military, find it in the religious community — is this evidence of political failure, or is it an inevitable change in Israeli identity? 

The answers to these questions are not simple, but they are necessary, especially when we look ahead and ask: Is repentance the way to deal with the crisis, or is it just a warning sign of a society that has lost faith in itself?