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.
Starting today, 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.
Itay Chen | A natural leader with an unforgettable smile
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.”
Hersh Goldberg-Polin | Peace-Loving World Traveler
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.”
Omer Neutra | Fanatic Knicks Fan from Long Island
Dual US-Israeli Citizen | IDF Soldier
Meet Omer: Omer Neutra, 22, was born in Plainview, New York 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?’”
