In a dimly lit gym on the Upper East Side, around 200 friends, family and community members of American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra gathered on Sunday afternoon to play a few games of basketball. The event, held as Neutra turned 23, marked his second birthday in captivity after being taken hostage by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 of last year. 

“We’re here together with the community to make sure nobody forgets… We are here to make sure that leaders will make brave decisions,” said Ronen Neutra, Omer’s father.

The event, hosted at The Ramaz Middle School, was one of many aimed at bringing awareness to the plight of Omer and the other Israeli hostages this year. It was co-hosted by Schechter School of Long Island (SSLI), Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum (NY) and Hiltzik Strategies. 

Earlier Sunday morning, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum (NY) also held a march on the Upper West Side to bring awareness to Omer’s captivity.

But the hoops game was a bit different. Though open to the public, a majority of attendees had direct ties to Omer or the Neutra family, specifically from synagogue, school and summer camp, observed Josh Leeman, a classmate of Neutra’s from the Schechter School. 

“It’s unfortunate circumstances why we’re here, but at the same time it brings us together. I know that we’re all supporting the Neutras, but we’re also all supporting each other,” said Leeman.

Part of the intention behind the event was to create a space for that community, and to gather to do what Omer loves to do on his birthday, Omer’s brother, Daniel Neutra, told eJewishPhilanthropy. 

“Omer has always loved basketball. He’s always loved the NBA, it’s his favorite thing to follow along with and watch…so today we brought together a bunch of his old friends from his team along with some younger people who are currently in school, to just play some basketball,” said Neutra. 

In addition to being captain of the basketball team at the Schechter School, Omer was also awarded Most Valuable Player, a testament to his discipline and good sportsmanship, said Neutra. 

“We won one game in two years…we all thought that we had a chance, every game, because we had him. He was the only guy who was going to fight with the big guys,” said Ari Kantorowitz, a teammate of Neutra’s growing up, in a speech towards the end of the event.  

According to Yasmin Magal, Omer’s cousin, while the event was a celebration of who Omer is, it was also a stark reminder of ways the situation in Gaza has not changed. 

“A year ago was just a week after Omer was taken. There was no way on earth that we would do something like this a year ago because we were such a mess… No one thought we would be celebrating his [birthday] without him, again. No one thought we would be here still wishing for the same thing a year later,” Magal told eJP.