Pittsburgh Jewish community rallies to ‘Bring Them Home’
“These gatherings give us a space to process our grief and draw strength from one another.”
More than 150 Pittsburghers gathered at the Jewish Community Center’s Levinson Hall to remember the 50 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza and to call for their release.
The July 13 “Bring Them Home Now!” rally — hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, StandWithUs and the Pittsburgh-Israeli community — took place 646 days after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that left nearly 1,200 people dead and more than 250 kidnapped. It is believed that just 20 of the hostages still held in Gaza are alive.
Based on those who spoke during the near hour-long rally, the length of time the hostages have remained in Gaza has done nothing to lessen the trauma felt by the Jewish community, and the friends and families of those in captivity.
Julie Paris, StandWithUs’ Mid-Atlantic regional director, opened the rally, speaking of a recent trip she took to Israel, and her time at Hostage Square and the site of the Nova music festival.
Paris recounted meeting with family members of those murdered and held hostage.
“This is a stain on humanity and against the world that has allowed this tragedy to persist,” she said. “We will remember every single one of these 646 days, the 50 precious souls — mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends — that have been held in the suffocating grip of Gaza.”
Paris’ remarks were followed by live and prerecorded messages from several Israelis. Each told the story of a hostage to whom they held a connection.
Yuval Jislin and Idit Ohel both spoke of Alon Ohel — a hostage still held by Hamas who has lost sight in one eye and is in increasing danger of losing sight in his other eye if not released soon.
“I saw the video of Alon’s kidnapping,” Jislin told the crowd. “I couldn’t look at the screen for more than two seconds, but I had to because his mother was staring at the screen without hesitation. If she could, who I am not to look at the video — at the horrific video of her son being dragged by terrorists, by savages.”
In a prerecorded message, Alon Ohel’s mother, Idit Ohel, urged those in attendance to “keep speaking, keep standing with us.”
Pittsburgher Etti Martel, who also is Israeli, said the Jewish community “refuses to forget those who are still waiting. This is a promise that their stories will not be forgotten that their families will not stand alone and that that there will continue to be solidarity until the last hostage is home.”
Gilad Shai, a friend of hostage Tamir Nimrodi, said it’s important to continue to do everything possible to bring all the hostages home.
Karmiel resident Ben Bechar spoke in memory of his friend Sgan Yaakov Ilian. The two went through basic training as IDF soldiers together.
“Everything he did was marked by humility and kindness,” Bechar said.
Local Pittsburgh spiritual leaders Rabbis Aaron Bison and Yitzi Genack, and Rebbetzin Chani Altein offered prayers for the state of Israel, the hostages and a Tehillim reading.
Rona Kaufman, Duquesne University associate professor of law, and Jennifer Murtazashvili, University of Pittsburgh professor and director of its Center for Governance and Markets, also addressed the crowd.
Kaufman recently returned from India and Israel, and Murtazashvili has received a Fulbright scholarship to serve as a distinguished scholar at Tel Aviv University.
“We are here because we understand and are faithful to the Jewish principle: ‘All Jews are responsible for one another,’” Kaufman said. “We do not abandon one another in times of peace and prosperity and celebration, even more so in times of war and capture and rising antisemitism. We show up, and by showing up lighten the loads of those who are suffering so acutely at the moment.”
Murtazashvili said that despite the antisemitism that has surged since Oct. 7, she hopes the community created in its aftermath stays united.
“That this light that we created out of this incredible darkness shines a light on our children, on this city and our future, not just until the release of the hostages happens but for years and years to come,” she said.
The rally concluded with the singing of the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah,” led by Jeff Pollock.
Elected officials, including Sen. John Fetterman, Allegheny County Councilmember Bob Macey and Edgewood Borough Councilmember Bhavini Patel, also attended the rally.
In an interview with the Chronicle, Fetterman said it was important to continue to hold rallies for the hostages because “it’s been nearly two years in hell. I can’t forget that there are people that have been in hell for almost two years.”
He said that considering what Israel has accomplished against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, the possibility of “true peace” exists once the hostages are returned.
“It’s heartbreaking for the families,” Fetterman said. “That’s why it’s so frustrating that the media has almost normalized this. There’s no moral outrage that they’re keeping human beings, as if it’s a legitimate negotiation tactic.”
Rally attendee David Knoll, chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Relations Council, said the release of the hostages would bring a sense of closure to their families, as well as to the Jewish community.
The world shouldn’t forget their suffering, he said.
“They’re living in deplorable conditions. They’re experiencing psychological warfare. They’re malnourished. They’re being held in chains.”
Karen Gal-Or said rallies such as Sunday’s are an important means for community members to take care of one another.
“Over the past two years, we’ve learned that many who once claimed to stand with us vanished when it became politically inconvenient,” she said. “So, we show up — for ourselves, for our people and for the hostages — because no one else will do it for us.”
The community, Gal-Or said, must continue to tell the hostages’ stories, say their names and keep them in the public eye.
“If we don’t, who will?” she said. “We do it to give their families even the smallest comfort that they are not alone. We do it to remind elected officials who might look away that we are still watching.”
The support of those like Fetterman, who stand with the Jewish community, matters deeply and isn’t taken for granted, Gal-Or said.
“These gatherings give us a space to process our grief and draw strength from one another,” she continued, “but they also help others begin to understand how close this really is to home—and they serve as a reminder that the hostages are still there, still waiting, and must not be forgotten.” PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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