The Consulate General of Israel in New York marked Israel’s 77th Independence Day in New York City at a festive celebration on Sunday night, May 11.
Among the speakers at the event were New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Congressman Mike Lawler. The most celebrated and powerful speakers of the evening were released hostage Agam Berger and her mother, Meirav. Agam’s smile throughout her speech spoke even louder than her words.
It was lost on no one that just a few hours before the event, media had been widely reporting that hostage Edan Alexander, a resident of Tenafly, was hopefully soon to be released. (He was freed the next day, May 12.) Consul General Ofir Akunis stated: “As we learned just a few hours ago, American citizen Edan Alexander will be coming home soon. We are saying from here to the Hamas terrorists and all their partners, let them all go now!”
Judith Falk is the creator of the Upper West Side Shtetl Facebook Group. You can follow her on [email protected]. She is an employee of the City of New York and is writing this article in her personal capacity and not as an employee of the City of New York.
