Nearly 600 days after he was abducted by Hamas during the October 7 massacre, Edan Alexander returned home to New Jersey on Thursday to a deeply emotional homecoming. Hundreds of residents lined the rain-soaked streets of his hometown of Tenafly, waving American and Israeli flags and holding handmade signs, eager to welcome him back.

Alexander, 21, was seen smiling and waving from the passenger seat of a black SUV as it slowly rolled through the 50,000-resident town, flanked by a police motorcade and cheering supporters.

“Our community has been praying for him—585 days,” said Rabbi Mordechai Shain, the family’s longtime rabbi. There was a march every week for him to come home. It was like we lived it.”

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Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, Alexander moved to Israel at 18 to volunteer for military service in the IDF’s Golani Brigade. He lived with his grandparents in Tel Aviv and at Kibbutz Hazor, where he was part of a group of lone soldiers.

Alexander was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when he was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during its deadly assault on southern Israel when he was 19 years old. 

In May, he was released after more than 19 months in captivity, in what was described as a goodwill gesture following quiet negotiations between U.S. officials and Hamas. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Special Hostage Envoy Adam Boehler, played a key role in securing his release.

Rabbi Shain, who has known Alexander since he was two years old, said Edan was known for his quiet kindness. “Even when he was a little boy, he was the one who helped without anyone knowing,” the rabbi recalled, noting that Edan had taken a friend’s shift on October 7, so the other soldier could go home—an act that led to his capture.

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“As a person and a family, he just wants to go back to life and move on,” said the rabbi. “This is a process. It’s going to take time to heal because we don’t even know how much torture he went through. He hasn’t told us.”

During his time in captivity, Tenafly’s Jewish community held weekly prayers, marches, and even celebrated Edan’s birthday in his absence. “Over 800 people came to his Hanukkah birthday celebration,” said the Rabbi. “We wanted him to know we hadn’t forgotten.”

Alexander is expected to remain in New Jersey for now as he focuses on his recovery. He reportedly weighed just 121 pounds upon his release and suffered hand injuries.