On Oct. 7, 2023, our world changed forever. As families in southern Israel celebrated the joyous holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, unleashing a brutal attack that left over 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage, nearly all civilians. It was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Nine months later, 120 hostages remain in captivity, including eight US citizens. These are our neighbors, colleagues and friends. They are children torn from their parents, grandparents separated from their families and foreign nationals who came to Israel as workers or tourists. Some of these hostages, we now know, were murdered by Hamas – yet their bodies are still being held, denying their loved ones even the basic dignity of burial and mourning.
We bring you their stories. We plan to profile many of the 120 remaining individuals being held by Hamas in Gaza – though we dearly hope they will all come home now, rendering this project unnecessary. Until then, you will learn about their lives, their dreams and the families anxiously awaiting their return. We begin with the American hostages, including Itay Chen, Edan Alexander and Omer Neutra, young men whose futures were brutally interrupted.
This isn’t just news – it’s a call to our shared humanity. As you read these profiles, we urge you to remember that each hostage is someone’s parent, spouse or child. They range from 84 years old to one year young. Their absence leaves a void in countless lives.
We’re not here to tell you what to think or how to feel. We simply ask that you read, reflect and remember. Share these stories if they move you. Speak out if you feel compelled. In a world that often moves too quickly from one crisis to the next, we believe these individuals deserve to be more than just a fading headline.
Time is running out for those still held captive. Through these 120 stories, we hope to keep their plight in the forefront of our community’s consciousness. Because until every hostage is home, a part of all of us remains captive too.
Thank you for joining us on this journey of remembrance and hope.
DJ
Meet Jonathan: Jonathan Samerano, 22, affectionately known as “Yonati” by his friends, was a magnetic personality who brought joy and laughter to any situation. Though hailing from Tel Aviv, he had a special connection to New York, a city he fell in love with from afar and couldn’t wait to travel to. His humor and infectious laughter were balanced by a deep sense of responsibility and action, making him an anchor of his family and friend group.
He rooted for his hometown soccer team Hapoel Tel Aviv, and brought that same supportive energy to the dance floor, where he enjoyed vibing to the diverse beats of Red Axes, Omri Smadar and Arik Einstein. It was this passion for music that drew Jonathan and his friends to attend the Nova music festival in southern Israel in October 2023.
Oct. 7 and Beyond: In the early hours of Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists invaded the music festival and began slaughtering attendees – sleeping, dancing, eating. Jonathan fled on foot toward the nearby Kibbutz Be’eri, but never made it. Hamas terrorists ambushed and shot him dead, and dragged his body off to Gaza.
Days later, a video surfaced on Telegram showing that Jonathan was abducted not just by Hamas terrorists, but by a “social worker” from the UN agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) who moonlighted as a Hamas fighter. The revelation, and more like it that appeared in the weeks that followed, caused global uproar. Many have since called for UNRWA to be dissolved and replaced in light of such gross moral violations, an effort supported by the Samerano family.
Message From the Family: “A social worker for a so-called humanitarian organization kidnapped my son. How can someone working for an agency that claims to do good in this world do something so cruel and inhumane?” cried Jonathan’s mother Ayelet at the “International Summit for a Future Beyond UNRWA,” held in Geneva in February.
The family continues to raise awareness about the hostages and the UNRWA scandal. They call on people of conscience to join their fight for these causes.
Veterinary Nurse
Meet Doron: Veterinary nurse Doron Steinbrecher, 30, has always been passionate about animals – and people, too. Described as the “glue” of her social circles, she is also super close with her three young nephews, who know her affectionately as “Dodo,” a play on her name and the Hebrew word for aunt.
Doron loves sports, supporting the soccer team Maccabi Haifa, and theater, performing in many musical productions. Her favorite musicians? Justin Beiber and Britney Spears – and she has attended concerts by both of them. Since she was a child, she’s dreamed of traveling to New York and seeing loads of Broadway Shows.
October 7th and Beyond: At 6:30am on October 7th, Hamas terrorists invaded Doron’s community of Kibbutz Kfar Aza. As they went up and down the village streets, massacring every civilian they laid eyes on, she and her family locked themselves in their safe rooms. Her sister and parents remain safe, but Doron did not. At 10:30am, after four agonizing hours of hearing the gunshots and explosions draw closer and closer, she sent her last text message to her family: “They’ve arrived, they have me.”
The Steinbrecher family received confirmation a week later from the IDF that Doron was kidnapped to Gaza by Hamas.
Doron has a serious hormonal health issue, and requires medication every day. Based on a hostage video of her that Hamas released on January 26th, her sister Simona believes she is not receiving this medication, and may be suffering abuse. The family is gravely worried about her well-being.
Message From the Family: “We must unite as a global community with a singular objective – to exert pressure on Hamas to release the hostages and agree to a cease-fire. Only collective efforts can make a difference,” says Doron’s sister Simona.
“We are waiting for her to come back, and to make her dream of traveling to New York come true.”
Construction Materials Supplier
Meet Uriel: Uriel Baruch, 35, was a ray of light to all, remembered by his loved ones for “the smile that never left his face in any situation.” From the Jerusalem suburb of Givon, he was the proud husband of Racheli and adoring father of two boys. To them he was always “full of love and joy.”
Uriel found happiness and comfort in music and dancing; friends describe how his wedding to Racheli went well past 3 a.m. because the dancing just wouldn’t stop. Throughout his years, whenever possible, Uriel would try to turn on techno music and dance, even for a little while. To him, it was a way of celebrating life and spreading positivity across the world.
Oct. 7 and Beyond: It was this love for music, especially high-energy electronic tracks, which brought Uriel and his friends to the Nova music festival in southern Israel. Tragically, in the early morning of Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists invaded the site and began massacring festival-goers.
The surprise attack left Uriel’s family in an agonizing limbo; it wasn’t until hours later at when they heard anything about him at all. However, the update did not provide closure: his family spotted a clip on social media showing Uriel’s friends murdered in his car, with Uriel on the ground next to it, unclear whether he was dead or alive.
The family went on a relentless search around the country for the next 11 days, hoping that Uriel was lying in a hospital unidentified. The IDF finally confirmed to them a few weeks later that he was kidnapped by Hamas, and was being held hostage in Gaza. After months of trying to secure his release, on March 26, Uriel was confirmed to have been murdered by Hamas in captivity. Closure is still elusive: Hamas continues to hold his body as ransom, denying his relatives the dignity of burial.
Message from the Family: “To the residents of New York” – pleaded Uriel’s family in a heartfelt message – “don’t forget the remaining hostages, including eight Americans, who have been held captive by Hamas in Gaza for over 10 months! Help and support us in the fight to bring them home and secure burial for those whose lives were taken.”
Israeli Citizen | Musician
Meet Alon: Alon Ohel, 23, was born in the northern Israeli town of Lavon to parents Idit and Kobi. He has two younger brothers, Ronen and Inbar. Known as containing “an unbelievable amount of energy,” Alon has always been a source of enthusiasm and excitement for his friends, his family and anyone given the opportunity to meet him.
Undoubtedly, Alon’s main passion is music. Constantly humming a tune or thinking about a song, musical expression is “an inseparable part of him.” An especially gifted pianist, Alon was supposed to begin his studies at one of Israel’s best music academies — the Rimon School of Music in Tel Aviv – this term. And very much in that spirit, just before the school year began Alon and his friends decided to attend the Nova Festival to “celebrate life… and to dance and listen to the music he loved so much.”
Oct. 7 and Beyond: Alon and his friends arrived at Nova around 5:30 a.m. on Oct. 7, just an hour before Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and streamed toward the festival site. When they began shooting, Alon and a few others tried to escape by car, but were forced to turn around and flee on foot when they were ambushed by a sea of terrorists. Pinned down in a bomb shelter with 26 others, Alon sent a final text message to his family at 8:08 a.m. – assuring them he was safe.
According to survivors’ testimony, after hours of heroic efforts at defense, the festivalgoers in the shelter succumbed to the terror mob outside. Hamas ruthlessly slaughtered most, and dragged Alon and four others into their vehicle, dragging them off to Gaza as hostages. Alon’s family has not heard anything about him since.
Message From the Family: “I know that he’s alive,” says his mother Idit. “I know that he’s alive because he was taken alive, and I know that he’s alive because I’m a mother.”
To maintain positivity and do their part for the hostages, Alon’s family has organized regular concerts since Oct. 7 near the Gaza border in his honor. They hope that by some chance Alon will hear the music he loves, and feel some comfort. The Ohel family calls on music lovers, New Yorkers and citizens of the world to keep fighting for their son’s release and that of every single one of the hostages.
Dual US-Israeli Citizen | IDF Soldier
Meet Edan: Edan Alexander, 20, grew up in Tenafly, NJ – described by his father Adi as “a great all-American kid.” The family’s oldest child, Edan is beloved by his siblings, who look up to him greatly, and by his parents, who adore him. His mother Yael said that growing up he was “his sister’s best friend.”
In Tenafly High School, Edan thrived in and out of class, had scores of friends and won a pile of awards from his victories with the school swim team. He’s also always been a huge foodie, obsessed with Thai and Japanese cuisine.
While he initially planned to go to college and study business, when he graduated high school, Edan felt a higher calling to join the Israel Defense Forces and protect the Jewish State. His parents relate how Edan joined the IDF as a lone soldier since “he felt it was the right thing to do.” He was placed in the Golani Bridage’s 51st battalion, stationed near Israel’s border with Gaza.
Oct. 7 and Beyond: On the morning of Oct. 7, Edan’s mother, who was visiting Israel at the time, anxiously began texting her son at 6:30 a.m. when she first heard reports of the Hamas terror invasion from Gaza. While Edan tried to reassure her that he was safe, she could tell that his position was under attack. Their texts that morning were the last contact they had.
By 7 a.m., Edan was no longer answering his mother’s flurry of texts, and a week later the IDF informed the family that Edan had been taken hostage by Hamas. They have had no news or updates on his whereabouts or condition since.
Message from the Family: “We love him, and we can’t wait to give him a hug − a big bearhug!” his mother said. “We can’t wait for him to come back home. And he will come back home.”
The Alexander family called on the people of New York to keep fighting for all the hostages’ release, especially Edan and the seven other American hostages who still remain in Hamas captivity.
Dual US-Israeli Citizen | Project Manager
Meet Sagui: Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, is a beloved husband, and father to three daughters. Born to American parents Jonathan and Neomit, Sagui was raised in Bloomfield, NJ for the first ten years of his life. At that point, his family moved to Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel. When Sagui was 14, he met the love of his life, Avital – known affectionately as Mili after the Israeli actress Mili Avital – who he would eventually marry.
Sagui is highly motivated and sharp as a whip. By day, he worked as a project manager for the the Jewish National Fund’s UK branch – helping construct schools and public parks for underserved communities. After hours, he led more social initiatives to further develop the Jewish state. Friends recount that Sagui’s biggest life goal was “the flourishing of the Jewish people.” And despite working late nights on all his projects, Sagui still managed to be an incredible father to his two daughters and spouse his wife Avital, who was pregnant with their third child when the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, October 7th, 2023, arrived.
Oct. 7 and Beyond: In the early hours of Oct. 7, characteristically hard-working Sagui was up laboring in the kibbutz’s machine shop when he spotted Hamas terrorists breaching the kibbutz. He sprinted to the communal dining room and raised the alarm, sending to lockdown in their safe rooms. This action saved countless lives. And after checking to make sure his pregnant wife and young daughters were safe, Sagui ventured back outside to fend off the invaders with the rest of the kibbutz security team.
After hours of fighting, including gristly hand-to-hand combat precariously close to his wife Avital, Sagui was last heard from at 9:30 a.m., three-odd hours after the terrorist invasion. The courageous defender was carted off by Hamas to Gaza, where he is still being held hostage.
With Sagui still in captivity, Avital gave birth to their third daughter, Shachar. She has yet to meet her father.
Message From the Family: “Her name is Shachar, which in Hebrew means Dawn. She’s the brightest light in our horrific darkness right now,” said Gillian Kaye, Sagui’s stepmother. Sagui’s wife Avital added unequivocally: “This baby is here thanks to him. He protected us, so it happens thanks to him.”
The family calls on all New Yorkers to keep fighting for Sagui – one of eight American hostages still being held in Gaza – and for all the remaining hostages to be freed and swiftly reunited with their families.
Dual US-Israeli Citizen | Schoolteacher
Meet Judy: Judith (Judy) Weinstein, 70, was born in Monroe, NY to Brooklynite parents. Her mother is still alive at 95. Described by her family as “deeply connected to her inner self,” Judy was “always smiling and bringing calm to those around her.” She moved to Israel when she was young, and settled in Kibbutz Nir Oz with her husband Gadi Haggai. There, they raised a beautiful family of four children, which would eventually blossom with seven grandchildren.
Judy was an English teacher at the local high school and taught children with special needs. In addition, she taught meditation to help treat the anxiety experienced by vast amounts of the kibbutz’s children, due to years of incessant rocket attacks from neighboring Gaza. Judy impacted thousands of students’ lives for the better, and was always trying to bring more peace and coexistence into the world.
Oct. 7 and Beyond: On the morning of Oct. 7, Judy and Gadi were on their morning walk around the kibbutz when Hamas terrorists invaded the area, shattering the calm. In her last-ever contact with her family, Judy shared a 40-second video of her and Gadi hiding in a ditch near the kibbutz. In the background, the kibbutz alarm system blared, warning its citizens of incoming attacks, and the terrorists’ gunfire was getting closer and closer. Kibbutz Nir Oz was devastated, with a quarter of its inhabitants murdered or abducted that day by Hamas.
Kibbutz Nir Oz was one of the hardest hit communities on Oct. 7, with a quarter of townsfolk killed or taken hostage by Hamas on that day. After months of uncertainty regarding the couple’s fate, the IDF confirmed that Hamas killed both Gad and Judy on Oct. 7, and carted their bodies to Gaza as hostages.
Message from the Family: “There is nothing more monstrous than abducting a body and not letting us, their children, their grandchildren, our grandmother – our mother’s mother – find closure,” said Judy’s children. “We are stuck. We cannot move on with our lives until her body is returned.”
The family calls on New Yorkers to “fight for justice as we Americans know how to do, fight against terror, do not let terror take over this amazing country, this amazing city.”
Dual US-Israeli Citizen | Musician & Chef
Meet Gad: “Live your life as if it’s your last day, but learn as if you’ll live forever.”
This was Gad Haggai’s last Facebook post, published to his feed on Oct. 6, and it summed up his 73 years of life in a tragic but beautiful way. Born to American parents from Brooklyn and Detroit, Gad loved music from his earliest years. He learned the flute when he was just three years old, and went on to play saxophone at Jazz clubs across 1970s New York City. He was a member of the band Jazz Covenant, and played alongside genre greats like B.B. King.
After losing his brother to cancer in the early 2000s, Gad turned hugely passionate about health and nutrition, becoming a vegan chef and immersing himself in a plant-based lifestyle. Family members describe Gad as “incredibly funny” and charming, but also serious about equality and social justice. He lived on Kibbutz Nir Oz with his American-Israeli wife Judy, where they had four children and seven grandchildren. Lauded as a wonderful father and grandfather, he gave his family everything, and instilled within them a rock-solid moral compass.
Oct. 7 and Beyond: On the morning of Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Gad and Judy’s idyllic kibbutz community. The couple were on a morning walk at the time; the last thing their family has to remember them is a 40-second video of the couple hiding from roving terrorists in a ditch just outside the Kibbutz.
Kibbutz Nir Oz was one of the hardest hit communities on Oct. 7, with a quarter of townsfolk killed or taken hostage by Hamas on that day. After months of uncertainty regarding the couple’s fate, the IDF confirmed that Hamas killed both Gad and Judy on October 7th, and carted their bodies to Gaza as hostages.
Message From the Family: “We must do everything to bring them back for a respectful burial. We deserve a grave, and they deserve to rest in peace at home” Gad and Judy’s family cry to the world. They call on New Yorkers “not to forget that there are eight American hostages, including our two parents” still being held in Gaza, and to fight relentlessly for their immediate release.
Dual US-Israeli Citizen | IDF Soldier
Meet Itay: Itay Chen, 19, was born in the Israeli city of Netanya to New York natives Ruby and Hagit. Friends described him as a “pure soul” and natural-born leader – with an infectious smile, and a heart always open to helping others. At 17, Itay met Neta, who became his girlfriend, while working as a youth counselor at summer camp. He called her the love of his life.
Itay loved hamburgers, late-night pizza and reality TV. He and Neta dreamed of going to college in America after he completed his army service.
October 7th and Beyond: Itay’s unit was among the first to encounter the Hamas invasion on Oct. 7, 2023; he was last heard from at 6:40 a.m. that morning. After 158 agonizing days of uncertainty, on March 12, 2024, the IDF confirmed Itay had been killed by Hamas. The terror group continues to hold his body hostage, denying his family the closure and dignity of a proper burial.
Message from the Family: “Itay’s hugs could make the world right,” his parents shared. “Now, there’s a hole in our hearts where his laughter used to be.”
Ruby, Itay’s father, appeals to fellow New Yorkers: “On 9/11, New York showed the world how to unite in crisis. Today, I ask you to stand with us, to help bring my son – one of your own – home.”
Dual US-Israeli Citizen
Meet Hersh: Hersh Goldberg-Polin has friends all over the world. No, really: at only 23 years old, he’s visited scores of countries, and is described by all as a fun, calming presence even across language and cultural barriers. Born in California to American parents Rachel and Jon, he grew up there and in Virginia before moving with his family to Israel at age seven.
He is a world traveler who loves hiking, reading, befriending strangers and dancing at music festivals. He loves soccer, rooting for Hapoel Jerusalem, and channeled that passion toward meaningful goals, developing an initiative to bring Israeli and Palestinian children together through the power of the sport.
October 7th and Beyond: As part of his birthday celebrations – he turned 23 just four days earlier – Hersh attended the Nova Music Festival in Re’im, Israel. As he and thousands of other partygoers danced amid the Oct. 7, 2023 sunrise, thousands of Hamas terrorists streamed into Israel and began massacring the dancers.
Hersh and others ran madly to hide in a bomb shelter, but Hamas found them and began barbarically throwing grenades inside. At around 8 a.m., Hersh sent a text message to his family: “I love you,” followed by: “I’m sorry.” According to video footage taken by the terrorists themselves, he was then abducted by a swarm of Hamas members. His left arm is largely blown off; a young woman who was in the shelter with him testified that he had risked himself to throw the grenades out. In the process, he lost most of his dominant arm.
On April 24, Hamas released a three-minute video of Hersh in captivity.
Message from the Family: “What we miss most about Hersh is just his uplifting presence,” his parents related. “We miss his presence every second of every day.”
Dual US-Israeli Citizen | IDF Soldier
Meet Omer: Omer Neutra, 22, was born in Plainview, NY to American-Israeli parents Orna and Ronen. Described as “instantly lighting up a room” with his friendliness and compassion, Omer is also a sports fan and athlete: obsessed with the Knicks, and playing soccer, basketball and volleyball in high school.
After high school, Omer was accepted to Binghamton University, but decided to take a gap year and study in Israel. Immersing himself in Israeli culture, Omer developed a love for Israel and its history. And as a descendant of Holocaust survivors, he felt compelled to give back to the Jewish people and the Jewish state. With destiny on his shoulders, he enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces as a lone soldier.
October 7th and Beyond: When Hamas invaded, Omer was stationed near Gaza with the mission of protecting the border communities. He was last heard from on Oct. 6, when, in a phone conversation with his parents, he described his hope for a relaxing weekend after a stressful month of service. The very next morning, he was one of the first responders to the terror onslaught, already in his tank when hundreds of Hamas missiles began raining down on Israeli villages.
Hamas fired a rocket-propelled grenade at Omer’s tank, forcing him and the three young men with him out and into the open. It was an ambush; Hamas kidnapped them all to Gaza.
Message from the Family: “Our sense of time has been lost,” say Omer’s parents. “We are stuck on October 6th, in our last conversation with Omer before he was taken hostage.
They call on everyone to “wake up every morning and ask yourselves: ‘what can I do today on behalf of Omer and all of the hostages?’”
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