This past Sunday, the one-year anniversary of the Riverdale Run 4 Their Lives initiative coincided with the release of three female hostages, Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher. After months of walking every Sunday morning in a show of solidarity for the hostages’ release, it was a miraculous moment for all.

“We are filled with so many different emotions all at the same time, “ said Leffell High School junior Netta Pack, who started the movement in 2023 along with family friend and Abraham Joshua Heschel High School junior Ari Vogel. “We have happiness for Roni, Doron, Emily and their families, and emotions of fear and anxiety for their future and what the next weeks will look like,” she said. “We never imagined we would be here a year after we started this walk. Last week we could only hope and imagine that the hostages were coming back. Today it is turning into a reality.”

While more than thrilled for the release of the hostages, Pack explained her personal frustration with the deal. In exchange for the hostages, Israel has to release hundreds of prisoners, many who have been held since before October 7, and many who have blood on their hands. As part of the deal, the terrorist who was responsible for an attack in 2012 that injured and ultimately killed her great-grandfather, Yitzchak, will be set free. She said: “This shows us that what has been happening has been happening for years. We all must sustain this pain together. Three beautiful souls are coming home today but there are still 96 left. On our walk, we will be chanting ‘Bring them all home now.’”

“We have hoped and hoped and hoped, and cried and cried and cried,” said Vogel, “but we will always choose life, the life of a baby, the life of a mother or a father, because that’s who we are.”

The program has drawn participation from Riverdale residents every Sunday morning with a walk from Seton Park through the Riverdale community while chanting, “Bring them ALL home!,” culminating in an emotional gathering at the Bell Tower. On this morning, participants carried yellow balloons to represent freedom for the hostages and orange balloons to commemorate the youngest hostage Kfir Bibas’ second birthday in captivity this week, as a nod to his hair color.

Once the group was assembled at the monument, they were addressed by several emotional speakers. Congressman Eric Dinowitz exclaimed, “I can finally say, ‘Good morning,’ and for the first time in a long time feel good about it. We’ve all been looking forward to this moment, and nothing is more important than our brothers and sisters coming home today.”

Rabba Sara Hurwitz of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale said: “At a wedding we break the glass, which represents the brokenness. On a day we are experiencing so much joy and celebration, I’m noticing the fear and anxiety and sadness. I look around and see the poster of Hersh [Goldberg-Polin, murdered by Hamas on August 31, 2024] and feel the hurt that he couldn’t have survived a little bit longer, and I see the photo of Kfir, who celebrates his second birthday in captivity. I can only hope and pray that all of the hostages will return.”

Rabbanit Bracha, also of HIR, added: “As I look around, I see this community is a reflection of the hostages as well. People of all ages and from all walks turn out to show how important this is. For so many Sundays, I was so grateful to have this, as I thought to myself, ‘When is this going to end? How do we keep that hope burning?’ The song we sang today, ‘V’shavu Banim L’Gvulam,’ says, ‘and our children have returned to Israel and our children should return to Israel.’ It refers to what happened as well as a prayer for the future.”

“It’s an upbeat moment but a heavy moment,” remarked Rabbi Avi Weiss, the founding rabbi of HIR. “Zion is ecstatic for its children, that the hostages are coming home. At a wedding, when we break the glass, it’s a moment of ultimate ecstasy and this is that moment. Because there are other hostages, and no one knows what will be with them.” He said that sometimes in life we must understand that two emotions can come together as one. “There are deep emotions this morning, unbelievable joy even as we hear the sounds of the shattering glass in the background.”

The walk will take place every Sunday morning until all of the hostages return home, continuing the unwavering commitment to the cause.