A street in Long Island, New York, now bears the name of Omer Neutra — the 21-year-old American-Israeli soldier kidnapped and killed by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel.
Born and raised in New York, Omer had no duty to serve in the Israeli army — but he left college in the U.S. and volunteered for the IDF. He became a tank commander in the 77th Battalion, stationed near Gaza. That’s where he was abducted from, along with four other soldiers, during Hamas’ brutal raid on Nir Oz — a small kibbutz where nearly one in four residents was killed or kidnapped.
For months, his family held out hope. Omer’s grandmother Tamar Tzohar says they believed he was still alive. Then in December 2024, Hamas coldly announced that Omer was dead. “We were in New York visiting our daughter when it happened,” she recalls, holding back tears. “He told us Friday afternoon he expected a quiet Saturday. Hours later — catastrophe.”
In Tel Aviv, at Hostage Square, Georgian journalist Mikheil Khachidze met with Omer’s grandparents — Tamar and 83-year-old Simcha Tzohar, a Holocaust survivor. They were heartbroken, yet their eyes still held a spark of hope. After all, hope dies last.
Now, Omer’s hometown honors his memory with a street in his name — a quiet but powerful tribute to a young man who chose to serve a country he didn’t have to, and paid the ultimate price.
Omer wasn’t just a soldier. He was a symbol of courage, conviction, and the kind of loyalty you can’t teach.
