Families of hostages mark anniversary of Hamas attack with moment of silence in Jerusalem
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Family members of hostages stood on Jerusalem’s Aza Street near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home at 6:29 a.m., some weeping silently, others stoic, as a two-minute siren sounds from a nearby van to mark the hour that the Hamas terrorist attack began one year ago.
“You’re our hope in these hard days,” says Shiri Albag to the crowd of hundreds of supporters. Her daughter Liri Albag is one of five surveillance soldiers taken hostage from the Nahal Oz base.
“It’s been a nightmare of a year,” says Eli Albag, Liri’s father. “We won’t remember the [military] operations,” he says, gesturing toward Netanyahu’s home down the block. “What we’ll remember forever are the captives, Ron Arad and the 101 hostages. Oy vavoy if they don’t come home, because that’s all we’ll remember.”
At least 20 family members of hostages still held in Gaza were present during the early morning gathering, including the parents of hostage Naama Levy, a surveillance soldier; the family of Ofer Calderon, taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz; the daughter of Ohad Ben Ami from Kibbutz Be’eri; the daughter of Keith Siegel; the brother and father of hostage Matan Angrest, a soldier taken hostage from his tank; and the parents of Omer Wenkert, abducted from the Nova party.
Wenkert’s father, Shai Wenkert, recalls hearing Omer move around the house at 3 a.m. on October 7, getting his things together to leave for the Nova desert rave. His mother, Niva, speaks about missing Omer with every cell of her body.
“Time has frozen for me,” says Wenkert. “A year hasn’t passed for me. This is our job, 24/7, there is no recovery until the hostages are home. Who wants to live in a country where they don’t protect you?”
As several hostage family members take turns speaking, the crowd stands in utter silence, the only other sounds coming from crows squawking in the sky above.
The uncle of Edan Alexander, a lone soldier from Tenafly, New Jersey, who was taken by Hamas terrorists from his base near the Gaza Strip, speaks while wrapped in his prayer shawl and phylacteries. His words come from the High Holiday liturgy, and he emphasizes the need for the prime minister to take action.
He tells the crowd that 101 notes were sounded on the shofar in his synagogue to match the number of hostages.
“The day of judgment has arrived,” says Edan Alexander’s uncle. “We all have to face judgment on our actions.”