On Sunday, Dec. 29, the fifth night of Chanukah, Lubavitch on the Palisades and Chabad of Tenafly, in conjunction with the IAC Israeli American Council, sponsored “Candles of Hope,” an evening in honor of Gaza hostage Edan Alexander’s 21st birthday.

The room was filled with over 900 people who came to pray for Edan’s safe return and the safe return of all of the hostages.

Edan’s parents, Yael and Adi, and his sister and brother, Mika and Roy, were present to commemorate Chanukah and his 21st birthday.

The evening included tefillot for the hostages and the tefillah for the IDF chanted by Rabbi Yitzchak Gershovitz of Tenafly. The rabbi of Chabad of Closter, Rabbi Yossi Gluckowsky, spoke and offered additional tefillot.

Rabbi Mordechai Shain, executive director of Chabad on the Palisades, lit the Chanukah candles along with members of Edan Alexander’s family.

Yael Alexander spoke about her son and how the video that Hamas recently released of Edan speaking has given her and family hope that they will soon see Edan freed along with the other hostages. She stated that she was praying for a Chanukah miracle and that she was flying to Israel to be there along with the other hostage families to pray for and hope for this miracle to happen.

The evening included an open microphone for friends of Edan to speak about their recollections of him and wish him a happy 21st birthday.

A smart phone barcode app was distributed so that all present could write to Edan and the results will be published in a birthday book for him.