Sukkah Vigil for Hostages Held at Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom

October 10, 2025 JMORE Staff

(Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody)

In light of reports of a brokered ceasefire in Gaza and the impending release of the remaining Israeli hostages, members of Baltimore’s Jewish community came out for a solidarity vigil on Thursday night, Oct. 9, at the “Sukkah of Hope.”

Erected on the front lawn of Pikesville’s Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation, the sukkah vigil featured prayers and a candle-lighting, marking the festival of Sukkot and high hopes for the hostages’ release. The sukkah was decorated with photos and written profiles of the remaining hostages

There are believed to be 20 living hostages — all young men — in Gaza, and 28 deceased ones. These are the remaining hostages presumed to be alive:

Matan Angrest: Angrest, 22, was serving as a soldier on Oct. 7 and was seized from his burning tank at Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Released hostages disclosed that he was chained and beaten in captivity and suffered severe injuries. He appeared in one video released by Hamas in July 2024 and another in July 2025, as momentum was building toward a potential deal.

Gali Berman: Berman, 27, was kidnapped from his home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza. A relative said they had received a sign of life for both brothers — the only remaining living hostages from their ravaged kibbutz — during the ceasefire in early 2025.

Ziv Berman: Like his twin brother Gali, Ziv, 27, was kidnapped from his home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza. A sign of life was also received for him in February 2025 but officials indicated that the two brothers were being held separately.

Elkana Bohbot: Abducted from the Nova music festival, Bohbot, 36, was filmed being beaten before he was taken to Gaza. His family — which includes a young son — received the first sign of life for Bohbot during the ceasefire earlier this year. His parents said he expressed hope, through a freed hostage, that they are continuing to hold a market stall where he planned to open an ice cream shop; they are.

Rom Braslavski: Braslavski, 21, was abducted while working as a security guard at the Nova music festival during a break in his army service. His family had received no sign of life until March 2025, when a released hostage said he had formed a friendship with Braslavski in Gaza. Hamas released a video featuring Braslavski in April 2025.

Nimrod Cohen: Cohen, 20, was captured from a tank on his base near the Gaza border. His family received both a message from Nimrod through a released hostage — “I’m OK, don’t worry, I love you,” they said he said — as well as visual evidence of his state. Though his face was obscured in a video Hamas released showing hostages bidding farewell to Yair Horn, who was freed in the first phase of the ceasefire, his parents recognized Nimrod’s tattoo.

Ariel Cunio: Taken hostage with his girlfriend from Kibbutz Nir Oz, Cunio, 28, is half of one of multiple sibling pairs who remain in Gaza. His mother said in August 2024 that she had gotten a sign of life from him and his brother. His partner Arbel Yehud was released in January after being held without any contact with other Israelis for nearly 500 days.

David Cunio: Cunio, the brother of Ariel Cunio, 35, was taken hostage from his home along with his wife, their twin daughters, his sister-in-law and her daughter. All were released in November 2023 except for him. After the August 2024 sign of life, his wife said the family received another in February 2025. “David is alive,” Sharon Aloni Cunio told Channel 12 news. “And that gives us so much strength and so much air to breathe.” His daughters turned 5 in July 2025.

Evyatar David: David, 24, was taken hostage at the Nova music festival along with his best friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal. A sign of life came for him in February 2025 when Hamas brought him to view other hostages being released.

Guy Gilboa-Dalal: Gilboa-Dalal, 24, was taken hostage at the Nova music festival along with his best friend, Evyatar David. He appeared alongside David in the video released by Hamas of the pair watching other hostages be released and realizing that they would not be.

Maxim Herkin: Abducted from the Nova music festival, Herkin, 37, had returned from visiting his native Ukraine a week before Oct. 7. He was born in the war-torn Donbas region, which is part of Ukraine but claimed by Russia, and has a daughter who lives in Russia, so Russia has advocated for his release. Hamas released a video of Herkin in May 2025, saying he had been injured when Israeli troops bombed the tunnel where he was being held.

Eitan Horn: Horn, 38, was abducted while visiting his older brother, who was released in the first phase of the deal. Hamas released a video showing Horn pleading for an end to the war as his brother Yair was taken from him to be released in February 2025.

Segev Kalfon: Kalfon, 27, was taken hostage from the Nova music festival. A first sign of life came from released hostages in February 2025.

Bar Kupershtein: Kupershtein, 23, was abducted from the Nova music festival, where he was working. A report from a released hostage in February, followed by a hostage video published by Hamas in April, offered the first signs of life for him since Oct. 7.

Omri Miran: Miran, 48, was taken hostage in his own car in front of his wife and young children. He appeared alive in a video released by Hamas in April 2024, and a new sign of life was received in February 2025. Hamas then released a video of him in April 2025.

Eitan Mor: Taken hostage while working as a security guard at the Nova festival, Mor is 25-years-old. A friend with whom he was abducted was found dead in Gaza, but a sign of life was received for him during the ceasefire in early 2025.

Yosef-Chaim Ohana: Taken hostage from the Nova music festival, Ohana, 24, reportedly aided festival-goers before being abducted. His family said in February 2025 that it had gotten a “clear indication” that Ohana was alive.

Alon Ohel: Ohel, 24, was one of four Nova festival-goers to emerge alive from a shelter where 16 others were killed. The first sign of his life came after other hostages were released in February. His mother said she had been told that he was being chained, starved and beaten in captivity.

Avinatan Or: The boyfriend of Noa Argamani, who was rescued from Hamas captivity in June 2024, Or, 32, was one of the first Israelis to be seen in footage of an abduction. A released hostage said in March 2025 that he had recently encountered Or in captivity, marking the first definitive sign of life for him.

Matan Zangauker: Abducted with his partner from their Nir Oz home, Zangauker, 25, has maintained prominence because of the aggressive advocacy of his mother Einav, who was briefly banned from the Knesset because of her demonstrations. His partner was released in November 2023. When Yair Horn was released, Hamas forced him to hold an hourglass attached to a base with a picture of Zangauker and his mother, with the message, “Time is running out.” Hamas released a new picture of him in June and said he would be executed if troops tried to rescue him.

The JTA global Jewish news source contributed to this report.