On September 23rd, 2024, a delegation of families, victims of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023, met with Archbishop Elpidophoros of America at the Archdiocese Headquarters. The meeting was deeply emotional, with each family member sharing personal stories of their loved ones who were murdered or abducted. The victims included an 84-year-old father and grandfather, a 22-year-old nephew and son, and an entire family, among others.
Archbishop Elpidophoros personally greeted each family member, offering his ongoing and vocal support. He made a solemn commitment to stand by them until their relatives are found and safely returned home. During the heartfelt exchange, His Eminence emphatically condemned the brutal attack, the abduction and murder of hostages. He strongly affirmed that such atrocities can never be justified in the name of God, religion, or any political ideology.
List of guests:
• Tamar Barukh- mother if Sahar Barukh RIP. (Sahar was kidnapped from Kibutz Beeri and later was murdered by Hamas in captivity).
• Alon Nimrodi- father of Tamir Nimrodi (Tamil is a soldier, was kidnapped from his base alongside 2 friends who were murdered).
• Omri Lifshitz- son of Oded Lifshitz (Oded was kidnapped from Kibutz Nir Oz, his wife was also kidnapped and returned after 17 days).
• Yair Mozes- son of Gadi Mozes (Gadi was kidnapped from Kibutz Nir Oz).
• Yuval Mantzur- granddaughter of Shlomo Mantzur (Shlomo is the oldest hostage. Was kidnapped from Kibutz Kissufim).
• Mazy Zafrani- aunt of Bar Kuperstein (Bar was kidnapped from the Nova music festival).
• Amir Daniel- father of Oz Daniel RIP (Oz was a soldier, who was murdered during battle while protecting Israel, and his body was kidnapped into Gaza by Hamas)
Accompanying the delegation were representatives from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Consulate General of Israel in New York.
Photos: GOARCH/Brittainy Newman
