TENAFLY, N.J. (PIX11) -- Israeli-American Edan Alexander was united with his family in Israel on Monday afternoon after they'd traveled there from this North Jersey town immediately after his release from Hamas was announced.
Watching it all unfold were hundreds of friends, neighbors, and supporters who filled the entire main square of Alexander's hometown, starting before sunrise on Monday.
Among the celebratory crowd was Michael Leschner, Alexander's best friend since the now-21-year-olds began high school here in this North Jersey town of 15,000 residents.
"This is someone I love with all my heart," said Leschner, in an interview with PIX11 News, as the crowd watched images on a giant, portable video screen. A split second after declaring his deep friendship, Leschner broke out into screams and yells.
It was because the first images published of his best friend, having been turned over to the Red Cross by Hamas, had just appeared on the video screen.
"That says it all," Leschner said. "If that doesn't, I don't know what does."
It marked the end of 584 days in captivity for the Tenafly resident who'd moved to Israel after graduating from high school here. Months later, Alexander joined the Israeli Defense Forces. He was among a variety of Israeli military personnel kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Now, he's been freed. His mother, a Tenafly resident, shrieked when she saw him in the emotional reunion her family had with Alexander on Monday.
"We've been talking with them," said Orly Amos, a close friend of the Alexander Family, at the outdoor rally. "We took them to the airport," she said, about what led to the emotional reunion in Israel of the Israeli-American soldier and his parents and siblings from New Jersey.
Amos said that this town, where Alexander spent almost his entire life through high school, has been praying for him constantly. Then, on Sunday, Alexander's mother, Yael, got word that the release was happening and let her best friend, Amos, know.
"Since then," said Amos, "we don't sleep, we literally don't sleep. So it's a dream come true. We've been waiting for this since October 7, so for us, it's a miracle."
Local residents have held a vigil every Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. since October 7, 2023, for Edan Alexander and all of the other hostages. Even though Alexander is the last living American hostage, 58 hostages remain in Hamas custody. Various Tenafly residents said that they'll keep holding the weekly vigils until all of the hostages are home.
They also said that plans are underway to welcome Edan Alexander back soon, although no official date has yet been set.
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