Dear AJC Friend,

For 735 days, the hostages and their families have had to bear agony and anguish that no one should ever have to endure. After all this time, hope for the hostages’ release feels closer than ever.

For two years, I have stood with and advocated for hostage families—listened to their fears, shared in their heartbreak, and witnessed their unwavering faith that their loved ones would come home. I’ve come to know the hostages’ children, their moms and dads, their dreams, their life stories. Each name on the list below represents a whole world that Hamas tore apart on October 7, 2023. Their stories deserve to be known—and never forgotten.

Click their names below to read their stories and share with others.

Tamir Adar | Muhammad Al-Atarash | Matan Angrest | Sahar Baruch | Uriel Baruch | Gali Berman | Ziv Berman | Elkana Bohbot | Rom Braslavski | Itay Chen | Nimrod Cohen | Amiram Cooper | Ariel Cunio | David Cunio | Evyatar David | Ronen Engel | Guy Gilboa-Dalal | Meny Godard | Hadar Goldin | Ran Gvili | Tal Haimi | Asaf Hamami | Inbar Hayman | Maxim Herkin | Eitan Horn | Guy Illouz | Bipin Joshi | Segev Kalfon | Bar Kupershtein | Eitan Levi | Eliyahu Margalit | Omri Miran | Joshua Luito Mollel | Eitan Mor | Omer Neutra | Tamir Nimrodi | Yosef-Chaim Ohana | Alon Ohel | Sontia Ok’Krasari | Avinatan Or | Dror Or | Daniel Oz | Daniel Perez | Sontisek Rintalk | Lior Rudaeff | Yossi Sharabi | Arie Zalmanowicz | Matan Zangauker

Since Hamas’ massacre on October 7, 2023, American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, has been advocating side-by-side with more than 50 hostage families and amplifying the hostages’ stories in world capitals, in the halls of power, on television, social media, and beyond.

And at the same time, we’ve urged elected officials in the United States and across the globe to sustain pressure on Hamas to release the hostages.

Tonight, as we light the Sabbath candles for the 105th consecutive week without these hostages, I pray it’s for the last time.

Shabbat Shalom, and Am Yisrael Chai,

Julie Rayman
AJC Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs

P.S. This is an especially powerful time to read A Prayer for Those Who Wait, written by my colleague Rabbi Noam Marans, which beautifully gives words to what I and so many in the Jewish community are feeling right now as we await the release of the hostages. Read now.