She Left for Shabbat—And That’s What Saved Her Life

"My daughter experienced a huge miracle—Hashem truly protected her—all thanks to Shabbat," says Shirel Agmon, her voice trembling with emotion.

Shirel’s daughter, Hila, was supposed to be at the party in Kibbutz Re’im where a horrific massacre took place on Shabbat. Hila, a young woman from Eilat and a recently discharged soldier, had gone to the party with friends. It started on Thursday and continued into Friday. But by Friday afternoon, Hila made a decision that would save her life—and the lives of those with her.

"Just two weeks earlier," Shirel recalls, "Hila and I went to a Shabbat gathering in Jerusalem to strengthen our faith. Over the years, I’ve slowly been getting closer to Judaism, and I invited her to come with me. She agreed, and we both listened to inspiring talks. One speaker, Rabbi Shneur Gueta, encouraged everyone to take on something small for spiritual growth, even just for a short while."

Hila took that message to heart. On the way home, she told her mother she had decided to keep Shabbat for the next month. True to her word, that Friday afternoon at the party, she turned to her friends and said: “I’m leaving now to get back to Eilat before Shabbat.”

“There was no other reason for her to leave,” Shirel emphasizes. “But because of her decision, she and her friends got in the car and drove back before sunset.” The next day, while Hila and her friends were safely in Eilat, terrorists attacked the party.

There’s another chilling part of the story. “On Motzaei Shabbat, a friend called Hila in a panic. He said he had dreamed about her on Friday night—seeing her at the party, then seeing her hurt. He didn’t even know she had been there. He just had this terrible feeling all through Shabbat.”

Shirel feels it’s all part of the same divine message. “There’s no explanation other than Hashem’s direct protection. Hila made a holy choice, and she was saved.”

Did she get to hug her daughter afterward? “We spoke, but we haven’t met yet. I want nothing more than to hold her in my arms. Hila is still in shock. Many of her friends were killed or hurt. She’s trying to process everything, but she also knows deep down—this was a miracle. I pray she’ll continue to keep Shabbat, knowing now just how powerful and protective it truly is.”