Roslyn’s Run for Their Lives held a remembrance walk on Sunday, June 2, to Arlene Park in honor of the lives lost during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the hostages, many of them Israeli civilians, who were kidnapped that day and are still being held in Gaza.
Run for Their Lives is a “global run/walk event calling for the immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas.” The Roslyn community meets every Sunday morning to run or walk for 18 minutes while wearing unified T-shirts, carrying flags of the countries whose citizens are among the hostages, and recording a video saying “Run for Their Lives (to) Bring Them Home,” followed by the location. They then post the video on social media to raise awareness. Run For Their Lives Roslyn Chapter Committee members include: Mayor Michael Koblenz, Deputy Mayor Brian Meyerson, Trustee Clara Pomerantz, Carmit Rozenzvig, Fanny Boneh and Alex Silber.
Hundreds of people from all over Long Island began the walk at the Park at East Hills, continued down Glen Cove Road and ended with a memorial at Arlene Park. This week’s walk held special significance as the group gathered to honor the memory of over 1,200 innocent civilians who lost their lives, the fallen heroes, and all those missed.
East Hills Mayor Michael Koblenz named Arlene Park after Arlene E. Fried, who lost her life in the World Trade Center terror attacks. Fried was well known for her work on the village’s building committee. Koblenz also said the park honors East Hills brothers Peter and Tom Langone, Roslyn Fire Department volunteers who went to help in the city on 9/11 and never came home.
A memorial took place at Arlene Park, with Ronen and Orna Neutra—the parents of hostage soldier Omer Neutra, who was killed on Oct. 7—Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, and Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip in attendance and speaking at the event.
The group planted a tree and dedicated a bench to serve as symbols of hope and remembrance. The bench reads: “October 7th, 2023 – Never Forget. Never Again. Forever United. In Honor of the Heroes, the Fallen, and the Beloved. Their Memory Lives Within Us. Their Light Guides Us Forward.” “Israel is Alive,” by Am Yisrael Chai, is also written in Hebrew on the bench. Cantor Yosef Karavani sang a vocal tribute and the Israeli national anthem, while Skylar Spitalnick gave another vocal tribute.
“This weekend, a tree and bench were dedicated in East Hills as a lasting tribute to the lives taken, the lives held captive, and the enduring strength of our community,” DeSena said in a Facebook post. “Special thanks to the Neutra family—your resilience is an inspiration to us all. May this space serve as a reminder of our unity, and the light we continue to walk toward—together.”
In the wake of the recent attack in Boulder, Colo., the weekly Sunday walks have been canceled until further notice.
