CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Shani Louk, a 23-year-old German-Israeli woman, was kidnapped by Hamas militants on Oct. 7. On Monday, there was confirmation that she has been declared dead.
At the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland's Oakwood campus in Cleveland Heights, they recognized the loss of Louk's life and prayed for the safe release of more than 200 others. One by one, their pictures were shown, including that of Agam Berger
"We went to high school together; I've known her since she was in seventh grade," Ella Caspi told those assembled for a vigil. "Agam is a friend, she's a future. I worry who Agam will be when she comes home."
Home to Israel, where Agam lives. Caspi says she and Agam's family witnessed something they have never seen before.
"All of us watched in a state of unimaginable shock, horror, and heartbreak a video of Agam being kidnapped from her [military] base, being driven into a car into Gaza with three more girls from her base."
Hamas took hostages from the base, from the desert at a music festival, from their homes in Kibbutz. On Monday in Cleveland Heights. hundreds attended the vigil for those hostages, wondering when and if they would be released while now feeling a connection knowing some of their stories.
"That makes it personal — a name, an age, a little story about where they are and why they were in Israel," one attendee said.
"It personalizes it," another added. "You may hear about 100, 200 people taken hostage, but to hear their stories — to hear about the gentleman who had his arm blown off — it's more impactful."
So as they pray for the release of the hostages, they remind everyone with dozens of pictures there is a person with family behind each name, family who have no idea where they are.
After the prayer service, members of the center handed out posters of the hostages. They will hang them around Greater Cleveland until all the hostages are released.