Edan Alexander’s Heroic Return to New Jersey After 585 Days as Hamas Hostage

After 585 grueling days in Hamas captivity, Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old New Jersey native, returned home to a hero’s welcome in Tenafly on Thursday. Rain-soaked streets brimmed with hundreds of residents waving American and Israeli flags, their handmade signs a testament to a community’s unwavering hope. Alexander, smiling from a black SUV escorted by police, soaked in the love of a town that never forgot him.

Raised in Tenafly, Alexander moved to Israel at 18, volunteering for the IDF’s Golani Brigade. On October 7, 2023, while serving near the Gaza border, he was abducted during Hamas’s brutal attack. His quiet act of kindness—taking a friend’s shift that day—led to his capture. "He was always the one who helped without anyone noticing," said Rabbi Mordechai Shain, who’s known Alexander since he was two.

His release in May, secured through delicate U.S.-Hamas negotiations led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler, was a rare moment of diplomatic triumph. Alexander, weighing just 121 pounds and nursing hand injuries, now faces a long road to recovery. "This is a process," Rabbi Shain noted, hinting at the unseen scars of 19 months in captivity.

Tenafly’s Jewish community kept Alexander’s spirit alive with weekly marches, prayers, and a Hanukkah birthday celebration attended by over 800 people. "We wanted him to know we hadn’t forgotten," Shain said. As Alexander rebuilds his life, his story underscores the resilience of a young man and the community that carried him home.