Although I’ve never met him, I’ve written and spoken about Alon Ohel with the media. He is the face I hold in my mind when I think of the Israeli hostages. Alon is from our Partnership2Gether Region community of Misgav. Several of us have had the honor of meeting with his incredibly strong parents and hearing about him as a person and his love of music. In Hostage Square in Tel Aviv and in our own JCC, there is a piano to remember him, with a sign on top that says “Alon, you are not alone”.

On Sunday, the media reported that Alon is still alive. One of the hostages released last Saturday shared information about his condition. He has a severe eye injury, and like the other hostages, he is emaciated and shackled in a tunnel deep underground. I can’t imagine what his parents are feeling. On the one hand, they must be relieved that he is alive. At the same time, they must be in deep pain knowing his condition.

I will be in Israel in a few weeks for meetings and hope to visit his parents with our volunteer and professional leadership from our overseas funding area. That being said, my real hope is to be able to see Alon on this next trip.

I am proud knowing that our Israel Emergency Campaign dollars, as part of the national Federation efforts that raised well over $860 million, are supporting families like the Ohels in this troubling time. To all our donors, thank you. Your generosity extends a huge hug from Pittsburgh to families like the Ohels.

This Tuesday will mark 500 days since Hamas’ brazen attack, killing Israelis and taking hostages like Alon. Join us and other organizations (StandWithUs, the JCC and the Pittsburgh Israeli community) on Tuesday at 7:30 pm at the JCC in Squirrel Hill as we come together to stand in solidarity with the hostages and show unity as a Jewish community. For more information, please visit the event page.

We are hopeful that three more hostages will be released tomorrow. Their plight will once again reveal the horrific conditions these hostages endure, underscoring the urgent need to Bring Them Home Now!

Shabbat Shalom.