"It’s Been Nearly 300 Days, But We Haven't Lost Hope for a Moment"

"If I could speak to Omer and send him a message, I'd tell him that we're all praying for him, doing everything to bring him home and won't stop," says Genya Tzohar, aunt of Omer Naotrah, a lone soldier who came from the U.S. to enlist and was kidnapped to Gaza on Simchat Torah. Since then, there has been no sign of life from him.

Last week, Omer's parents attended the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, where they addressed millions, moving the crowd profoundly. Orna, Omer's mother, concluded her speech with a verse from Psalms: "Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me." She and her husband directly addressed Omer, saying, "Omer, we love you and will not stop fighting for you."

Genya, Omer's aunt residing in Israel, echoes these sentiments. "Not a day passes when I don't wake up in the morning and ask myself, 'What about Omer?'" she recounts. "As an aunt so close to him, I can't help but think about what he might be enduring in captivity: Did he eat? Drink? Is he even alive? These thoughts are so heavy and worrying. How can we return to normalcy with 120 hostages in Gaza?"

The Magic of Omer

Omer's parents are Israelis born and raised in the country, but have been living in the U.S. for the past 25 years. Omer was born there, but according to Genya, he always had a deep love for Israel. It was this love that led him to join the army as a lone soldier and insist on experiencing Israeli life from its closest quarters.

"He didn't want to stay with host families or go on 'tours of the country'; he simply integrated quickly into Israeli society," Genya explains. "Since his parents spoke to him in Hebrew at home, he managed the language wonderfully, adapting quickly to everyone around him and becoming an inseparable part of the Israeli fabric."

Genya emphasizes that "Omer didn't define himself as religious, but whenever he stayed with us for Shabbat, he was patient and respectful, just by nature. He never understood the talks about 'us' and 'them' because, for him, it wasn't an issue. There were no statuses, ages, religious or secular groups. There were just people, and that's his magic."

"Regarding children, he showed great respect," Genya reminisces. "The last memory we have of him was from a Sukkot celebration at my son's eleventh birthday party. He brought a gift and played games with him as if he were the same age. It was so important to him that the child be happy and enjoy."

"After Omer was kidnapped and the struggle for the hostages began, I felt that no one could represent him better. Because the hostage issue is inherently undefined. The consensus is that the hostages belong to all of us—they're religious, kibbutzniks, left-leaning, right-leaning, coming from all sides of Israeli society. No one can claim them for themselves because, in the end, we are all unified by one shared desire—to see these children return home."

Genya is unable to forget the day they learned of Omer's abduction. "We are religious people, and until the holiday ended, we had no idea anything had happened. After Havdalah, we first understood the chaos. I sent Omer a message asking to hear that everything was okay. I never thought something had happened to him, but I must mention that his parents feared from the start that he had been kidnapped, and they were right. Two days later, it was officially confirmed that he was in Gaza, captured by Hamas."

A Connection Through Prayer

Genya, a real estate event producer by profession, hasn't been able to return to her routine since the war broke out. Instead, she organizes a unique weekly initiative at Hostages Square, where hundreds gather for prayer, song, and closeness to Hashem.

"Omer always contributed to others," she explains. "He cared so much about those around him and adapted to everyone. I remember he once visited us and soon after got up and asked to leave. We asked him, 'Why are you going? You just arrived,' and he explained, 'I have a soldier in emotional distress, and I need to go encourage him.' My husband and I were amazed. But Omer truly ended his visit prematurely and went to help that soldier. It's haunting to think Omer, who spent his life helping others, cannot help himself now. Our role is to unite for him and the other hostages, to keep them in our thoughts and join the calls for their release. This call, which I personally relay to everyone I meet, crosses all sectors and truly appeals to everyone. The hostage-takers didn't care who observes Shabbat or votes a certain way—the hostages are our brothers and sisters."

As part of her efforts for the hostages' return, Genya initiated the 'Singing and Praying for the Hostages' project, which takes place every Tuesday at Hostages Square. "This project is all about unity, meant to bring us closer and create joint prayers," she explains, emphasizing that it's about unity, not uniformity, as we can pray together despite having different beliefs and behaviors."

"Our project is all about unity," Genya stresses. "It’s important to highlight that its purpose is not political or to influence the government one way or another. We simply want to sing unifying songs and pray for a better future for the country, without division, in hopes of rebuilding Israeli society."

Genya notes that one of the beautiful aspects created weekly is conversations about the hostages and their personalities. "So many people pass their posters and treat them just like images, without understanding the person behind them. I believe it’s essential for everyone to know who Omer is, who is Shiri, who is Agam, and who each of the hostages are. Just to learn and listen."

Are people startled when you talk to them about prayer?

"The initiative has been running for months, and I haven't encountered significant resistance," she responds. "Personally, I always ensure to emphasize that prayer doesn’t have to be in a religious concept, because everyone has a wish that is essentially a prayer. But over time, I realized that even prayer in its true sense no longer frightens people. Since the war started, there's much more openness and readiness to accept, as people begin to understand that words like 'prayer' and 'faith' aren’t divisive but connective."

What is your role in the event?

"I handle the 'artistic' part of the event. Each week, I strive to bring speakers and people who will speak and strengthen us all, according to the time and situation. For instance, three weeks ago, we marked the tenth anniversary of the kidnapping of the three boys, so I brought Bat Galim Sha'ar, Gil-ad Sha'ar's mother. Each time, I recruit various initiatives and bodies, all calling for the unity of the people of Israel."

"My initiative requires me to find and engage people weekly who can address and fortify the public. However, I never plan more than a week ahead, as I always have the hope that our prayer gathering will one day become a grand thanksgiving celebration."

Optimism and Faith

No Israeli has gone unaffected by the latest war events, and Genya admits the experience shook her deeply. "Personally, I have to say the war has strengthened my faith to levels I never imagined," she says. "I feel daily how faith sustains us, and without it, we are lost. Belief doesn’t mean everything is good; sometimes, there are difficult situations beyond explanation, but even in hidden places, Hashem is there. This journey doesn’t provide answers; what’s required is to bow our heads and accept not just the good times but also the less pleasant ones. It’s obviously not easy, especially in uncertain situations, but I tangibly feel faith protecting me. Each morning I cry out 'Mizmor L'todah,' thank Hashem, and say: 'This is for the great joy you'll bring us soon...'

Have you received any sign of life from Omer over the elapsed time?

"It's been nearly 300 days since we've received any sign from him, but we prefer to take it positively, believing that since we haven't learned something happened to him, he must be alive and well, ready to return. We anticipate that every moment, and no Shabbat goes by without his place set at the table, always with his picture there. We believe the prayers will not go unanswered and that good news will arrive soon."

But how can you remain optimistic in such a painful situation?

"I genuinely am optimistic, understanding and believing that to keep myself and my family intact, I must remain hopeful and not fall into despair. I also believe in the direct impact of our prayers here, sending energy to Omer to endure what he’s facing there, as I’m sure his journey is far more complex than ours."

What do Omer's parents say about your initiative?

"As one might expect, an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Omer’s parents are amazing people, just like him, always holding respectful and accepting dialogues with everyone. They invest everything they have in the U.S., frequently staying connected to Israel. We act from here, hoping to soon celebrate the good news of Omer’s return together. May we soon embrace him, and when he returns, may he find pride in the vast number of people who out of unity anticipated seeing him."