Over the past two years, dozens have gathered each Sunday outside of the Har Sinai Oheb Shalom Congregation in Pikesville to show support for Israel. This week, they celebrated the release of living Israeli hostages and called for the bodies of dead hostages to be returned.
With Israeli and American flags in hand, the group sang and celebrated the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, in what is known as both “HaShabat HaShḥora” (Black Saturday or Black Sabbath) and “The Simchat Torah Massacre.” In the attack, some 251 hostages were abducted from Israel.
The group, Run for Their Lives, rallied each Sunday at the congregation urging the release of all hostages. On the two-year anniversary of the attack, 48 Israeli hostages were believed to still be held, including 20 hostages that Israel said were still alive, according to the Associated Press.
The living hostages were released by Hamas early last week as part of a U.S.-brokered deal to potentially end the ongoing war that has resulted in the death of over 66,000 Palestinians. The United Nations and Middle East scholars have described the war as a genocide being committed by Israel against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip — a charge Israel denies.
Sunday’s celebration marked what attendees said is a joyful turning point in the conflict, but one they said they have seen before.
“We are here celebrating life, celebrating survival, celebrating the hostages who made it home. Their return is nothing short of a miracle,” said Caren Leven, executive director of the Baltimore Zionist District. “Their courage, their strength and their will to live reminds us of the unthinkable spirit of our people, Jewish people.”
“Joy and relief are the first words that come to mind but we also have concern,” said Michael Goldberg, a former Israeli soldier and an attendee of the weekly marches at the congregation. “We know who we’re talking about and we know it is very difficult to hold [Hamas] true to their word and we were incredibly skeptical.”
The celebration drew the attendance of Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume, of Maryland’s 7th Congressional District. Mfume said has met with both Palestinians for Peace and pro-Israel groups like Run For Their Lives since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
At Sunday’s rally, Mfume wore a dog tag necklace that said “bring them home” to honor the Israeli hostages. He said he understands “in a special way” the pain the war has caused for both sides of the conflict.
“The key is whether or not we in the United States are prepared to support that in a way that expresses our love, our concern and our pain from both sides of this issue for innocent Palestinians, for innocent Jews — all of which came about because of some very wicked people,” Mfume said, adding that he thanks God that “the killing has ended.”
As a congressman, Mfume said he wants to focus on rebuilding Palestinians’ livelihoods while simultaneously supporting the people in Israel.
“This is about peace, this is about celebration, it’s about the end of war and it’s about families getting back together again,” Mfume said. “The fact is, we all celebrate the end this war and hostages are getting returned and peace will get a chance to break out in the Middle East.”
Jay Bernstein, a co-organizer of the weekly Run For Their Lives rally, said he is also joyful about the release. Even though he was skeptical about the ceasefire, Bernstein said he feels his skepticism was “unwarranted” and that he is glad to be “at the finish line.”
However, Bernstein said the ceasefire is just the start of bigger challenges ahead.
“In some ways, this is the easy part — the living hostages are home, the bodies are starting to come home, but we are talking about disarming Hamas, reorienting the whole attitude toward Israel in the Middle East, we are talking about rebuilding Gaza,” Bernstein said. “The challenges ahead are enormous, and hopefully they can be met.”
According to the Associated Press, the ceasefire faced “a major test” Sunday morning after Israel’s military said its troops came under fire by Hamas in southern Gaza. Israeli security officials said the transfer of aid into the territory would be halted until further notice due to an alleged ceasefire allegation, which AP reported resulted in a wave of Israeli strikes that have killed 19 Palestinians.
Besides the return of the living hostages, attendees of the rally said they want to ensure that all of the remains of the deceased Israeli hostages are returned home as well.
Another co-organizer of Run For Their Lives, Randi Framson, has been wearing a yellow pin in support of the Israeli hostages — a symbol she said she will continue to use until the bodies are returned.
“When bodies are missing, families are left in a painful limbo,” Framson said. “Without a grave, there is no place to mourn and no closure. Bringing them home is an act of love, responsibility, dignity and faith. We can not turn away now.”
Framson and Bernstein said that with the return of the living hostages and newly-brokered ceasefire, their focus will remain on supporting Israel.
Noting the attendance of local elected officials at the weekly rallies and Mfume’s attendance on Sunday, Bernstein said the Jewish community has gained a lot of support from elected officials at all levels.
“It is great to have support, and I think it reminds us all that [we] at the grassroots level can make a difference,” Bernstein said. “We know that these walks took place all over the world and did make a difference, and kept the plague of the hostages on the agenda, and ultimately led to the release in some small way.”
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