Charlie Lerner has religiously followed the news since Oct. 7 and hopes that his best friend, Omer Neutra, will return home safely.
As one of eight Americans taken hostage by Hamas, Neutra’s release will likely only come once a hostage deal is reached or if he’s rescued by an IDF mission.
Born in New York City in 2001, Neutra grew up on Long Island before heading to Israel and joining the IDF.
Lerner said the situation has been surreal from the day of the attack until now.
“I texted Omer and didn’t get a response,” Lerner told Unpacked of his actions when reports first came in on that fateful day. “He’d been telling me a month before that he wasn’t getting much sleep and was patrolling all the time, working hard because he needed to. The next day one of our good friends called me to tell me they thought he was kidnapped.
“It was very tough and still is. I think about him every day. You have to hold on to that hope that he will be okay. It’s crazy to think that my best friend is a hostage. We haven’t heard anything, and Glob praised Neutra’s parents, Orna and Ronen, who have tirelessly advocated for their son which is really scary. I really hope he comes home soon.”
Friends of 22-year-old Omer Neutra told Unpacked about his joyful spirit, humor, and passion for the Knicks and the State of Israel.
Building community through humor
Lerner said Neutra was a celebrity at the Conservative movement’s United Synagogue Youth, and made a hilarious speech while running for regional president in high school.
“Nobody wanted to run against him,” Lerner said. “Instead of writing an actual speech about his achievements, he wrote a speech about Chipotle. I guess USY was the bowl and other things he did were ingredients. It didn’t really make sense, but it was really funny. He got elected anyway.”
Lerner said Neutra convinced him to join USY and encouraged him to work at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, NY, where Neutra served as a lifeguard and Lerner as a counselor. While the campers went home at 4 p.m. the counselors lived on site. The best friends lived in a bunk with more than 10 other guys.
“When there was dancing on the main lawn, before the kids left, I remember every single time he’d be the one dancing so hard and singing the (Israeli) songs,” Lerner said. “At the time, I would laugh and wonder why he was doing it, but he liked to have a good time. He was always comfortable being himself.”
Aidan Golub said one thing stood out about Neutra.
“The first thing that anyone says about Omer is the kind of leader he is,” Golub told Unpacked. “He would always be in front of the room and getting people excited but would be the first one on a packed floor to go to someone who was by themselves and might have felt left out. He uplifts everyone. He radiates such joy himself. He’s also a big goofball and has a joy and silliness that radiates everywhere. A lot of guys have an ego that might make them afraid to look corny, but Omer would never shy away from having fun.”
Lerner agreed that Neutra was always welcoming to new people and made conversation with those at parties who were shy. When his high school soccer team was down a goalie, Neutra was the first to volunteer, even though he didn’t have much experience.
Full of passion and dedicated to immersing his life in Israel and Judaism
Hayden Roth, said that Neutra is a New York Knicks fan and was a fact book of the team’s statistics.
“He is a huge fan,” Roth told Unpacked. “He’s always wanted to see them go far and win a championship. He loves basketball and would always support the Knicks, whether they would win or lose.
Roth said Neutra, in addition to watching and playing multiple sports, liked to make other people laugh and feel accepted. Lerner added that his friend loved to ask questions of those with different life experiences than him, curious about learning about their opinions and outlook.
Lerner, who described Neutra as “the nicest guy,” added that he is a big fan of Ariana Grande’s music.
Golub said while Neutra would often joke around, he always took his passions seriously.
“His love for Judaism and Israel was always clear,” Golub said. “We were all proud when he deferred college and decided to defend the Jewish State. It meant a lot to him and all of us. He spent so much time organizing events and educating people about Israel. Then when he had the opportunity to actually put his whole intention behind it, he did it. If he wanted to do something, he went all in.”
Lerner recalled visiting Neutra in Israel, and at an ice cream shop, where Neutra joked with an employee that Lerner’s Hebrew was not quick enough in good-natured ribbing. He said that it was important to Neutra to connect to Israel by serving in the IDF and valuing his language acquisition.
“He told me ‘I’m dreaming in Hebrew,’” Lerner said.
Omer Neutra’s family continues to advocate for his release
Golub, who graduated from Harvard in the spring, said while thinking of Neutra and others held hostage, he was bothered by the fact that people across the world would rip down posters of hostages. He said for many American Jews, the hostage situation might seem foreign. However, for those in the U.S. who know and love Neutra, the pain of the Israel-Hamas War is palpable.
“Growing up in America it feels far away with hostages and heroes trying to save them,” Golub said. “But in an instant, it becomes very real and very scary when you see the images online, especially when you are close with someone taken hostage.”
Golub said he was “grateful” for the efforts to bring his friend home and the advocacy for the hostage situation in the U.S., calling them “a glimmer of hope.”
Lerner, Roth and Glob praised Neutra’s parents, Orna and Ronen, who have spoken on their son’s behalf tirelessly. They spoke at a Manhattan rally on Oct. 12, 2023, only days after the attack. Orna spoke at the Republican National Convention with her husband by her side. There were chants of “Bring Them Home” before she addressed the crowd.
In her speech, Orna said her son was born only a month after the attacks of 9/11. She recounted her experiences fleeing Manhattan while pregnant in the aftermath of the terrorist attack and said that it was chilling that she had to worry once again about her son and terrorism.
“Eight months pregnant, I walked across the Queensboro Bridge towards home that day,” Orna Neutra said. “And here 23 years later… he’s the victim of another vile terrorist attack.”
“Imagine over nine months, not knowing whether your son is alive, waking up every morning praying that he too is waking up every morning,” she said, adding that she recites Psalm 23 every day.
In July, Orna spoke to those who attended a zimriyah, or song festival, at Ramah Day Camp. She explained that during her son’s gap year in Israel, he decided to join the IDF instead of pursuing his undergraduate studies at Binghamton University.
She described how their family’s history with antisemitism and Israel encouraged her son to stay in the Jewish homeland and become a tank commander in the Israeli military.
“As a descendant of Holocaust survivors on both sides of his family, he knew how important a strong Israel is, not only for Israelis but for Jewish peoplehood,” she said. “…He felt obligated to support his new friends…And so he was drafted into the IDF as a lone soldier…”
Golub said it was difficult to imagine what Neutra’s parents have gone through over the past 10 months of uncertainty and danger.
Asked how he tries to stay positive not knowing the fate of his friend, Golub said it is difficult, but Jews must rely on each other.
“We rely on each other as a community,” Golub said. “There’s a reason why the national anthem is called ‘Hatikvah.” It is essential to keep hope alive. I think it’s what it means to be a Jew. I think that’s what it means for Israel to be a democracy in the Middle East surrounded by neighbors who may not share our values. Generations before us have had hope and faith and it’s on us to continue it.”
