Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old IDF staff sergeant, has finally returned to his hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey, after being held captive for 584 days by Hamas since the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. A celebration was held at Huyler Park, where thousands gathered to honor his return, showing immense community spirit. While the atmosphere was joyous, many attendees, like Leeron Mosayov and Shira Watermann, reflected on the ongoing suffering among others still affected by the conflict, highlighting a bittersweet sentiment during the celebration.
I haven't slept for two nights preparing for this. This day is so important and so exciting for us. We were waiting 584 days for our community member, our beloved son of this community, to come back home.
As a mother, I can only think about his mom and how she feels, and how hard it must have been for her and how happy she is today.
It feels good to be with the community, to be with people who all want the same thing.
It saddens me that it's only him. We're celebrating, but the wounds have not all healed following the deadly terror attack.
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