The Prayer Book Saved Me in War, and Only After 48 Years I Found Its Owner

War is a difficult and unforgettable time, and no soldier will ever forget the days of battle and wartime memories. But in the case of Tzvi Pravda, who fought in the Yom Kippur War, these are not only memories but also a very special prayer book he found during that war, which accompanied him for more than 50 years.

The Prayer Book Protects and Saves

"The story begins in 1973, when the Yom Kippur War broke out," Tzvi recounts, "I was then a tank commander in the reserves, and my company was urgently called to a certain building in the Golan Heights. When we entered the building, we discovered benches and tables with hot food on them, indicating that people had left not long ago. By the table, next to the plates, I noticed a small prayer book. Though I don't define myself as a religious person, I felt a strong urge to take the prayer book. I put it in my pocket, thinking: 'It will protect me, and I will protect it.'"

Tzvi notes that from that moment on, he felt he had special protection. "The war was not easy at all, we fought like lions, and during the battles, there were several times when I was in real mortal danger – soldiers to my right and left fell, but I felt that I was being watched over from above, thanks to the prayer book."

The war ended. Tzvi returned home with the prayer book, and soon decided he wanted to find its owner. He assumed it wouldn't be too difficult since the name "Avraham Koren" appeared on the first page of the prayer book, with "Yeshivat HaDarom" listed below.

"Of course, I called the yeshiva's administrative offices," Tzvi recalls, "but they claimed that no student by the name of Avraham Koren studied there. I decided to search through phone books and additional lists, but nothing helped. The name 'Avraham Koren' didn’t appear anywhere."

Efrat, Tzvi’s wife, intervenes at this point and notes that she witnessed her husband’s numerous attempts to locate the prayer book’s owner. "I explained to him many times that the owner had surely given up and wasn’t looking for the prayer book anymore, but he wasn’t willing to listen. It was really important to Tzvi to find the owner, and he wouldn't agree to put the prayer book in a genizah (sacred Jewish text storage) or donate it to a synagogue. Every Passover evening, I would suggest we part with the prayer book, but Tzvi wouldn’t hear of it. Thus, the prayer book continued to accompany us for decades, it even moved with us several times. We never used it, Tzvi always believed that one day it would return to its owner."

"I always had hope it would happen," Tzvi adds emotionally, "I don't know where I got the strength, but every now and then I would take the prayer book and make another phone call and yet another, to try and find the owner, even my children can testify that the prayer book truly accompanied me throughout my life."

"I Believed I’d Find the Owner"

The small prayer book continued to be tucked away in a drawer in the Pravda family home, and every Yom Kippur eve, Tzvi would open the drawer and take out the prayer book. Its pages had turned yellow, but the name 'Avraham Koren' still stood proudly. Every year Tzvi's heart was heavy with the failure to find the owner. This continued for forty-eight years, until something unexpected happened.

It was about two years ago, on the eve of Tzvi's 80th birthday, when he decided with his children to publish a biography detailing his life story. To accomplish this, Tzvi approached an author named Ehud, and they met several times, during which Tzvi shared his life story. Among other things, he happened to mention that prayer book and its significant meaning to him.

"I told Ehud about the special connection I have to this prayer book, and how I really feel it saved me in the war," Tzvi says, "Ehud asked to see it, so I naturally took it from the drawer. Ehud flipped through the prayer book, saw the name on the first page, and then proposed a theory we hadn't considered before – perhaps the family name on the prayer book is 'Kiehn' instead of 'Koren'. When we looked at the letters, we suddenly realized that it might indeed be written that way, and Ehud suggested immediately trying to contact the Kiehn family, thinking the prayer book might belong to them."

Tzvi’s voice shakes when he notes that after just three tries Ehud found the right place, and Avraham Kiehn’s daughter, who had previously studied at Yeshivat HaDarom and fought in the Yom Kippur War, answered the phone.

A Greeting from Father

At this point, Adele Offen, Avraham’s daughter, joins our conversation. She wasn’t the one who answered the phone, her sister did, but her sister immediately informed the entire family of the startling news: "There is a man named Tzvi Pravda claiming he found Dad’s prayer book."

Adele sounds very emotional as she recounts: "Dad never told us about the prayer book, but we always knew he fought in the Yom Kippur War. Unfortunately, he died about eight years ago from a serious illness, so he didn't get to see the prayer book return to him, but my sisters and I were overwhelmed with emotion. It was so hard for us that Dad isn't here, and to suddenly see his prayer book, with his handwritten name on it, was like receiving a message from him. It felt as though he was with us again.

"We were also greatly moved by the thought that Tzvi kept the prayer book for so many years. It’s simply unbelievable; for so many years he waited and hoped for the moment it would be returned to its owner."

And where is the prayer book now?

"Tzvi and Efrat are amazing people," Adele emphasizes, "they invited us to visit them that very same week, and when we arrived, we discovered that Tzvi, who is an artist, had designed a wooden box for the prayer book, presenting it to us as though it were a precious etrog.

"Now the prayer book is with me at home, as I am the only religious member of the family and see great value in keeping it. It stands in the display case next to the Shabbat candles, and my children are already deliberating among themselves about who will inherit the prayer book in the future. Everyone understands its immense value, because it is not just a prayer book that protected during the war, but also a prayer book that demonstrates the good and special people in the world."