Under the bright lights of Times Square, hundreds of people recited Israel’s national anthem: Hatikvah.

Jewish New Yorkers and their allies gathered to call on Hamas to free roughly 200 Israeli hostages abducted during the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.

“We vowed in that room outside of Tel Aviv that we would do everything we can and get our great country, the United States of America, to do everything we could do bring them home now! To bring them home now!” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at Thursday’s rally.

Among those also in attendance Thursday night were Ester Allen and her three young children. She said she’s lucky to be in New York after fleeing Israel that morning. 

“We are here, we arrived here, but we still have a lot of family over there under attack. Under this horrific massacre that happened to the Jewish people on October 7th,” said Allen.

Allen said she’d been scouring the El Al website for the last two weeks, praying for a flight out of Israel. Finally, three days ago, she found one to Kennedy Airport.

“It was almost impossible because there are no international airlines flying out or in from Israel,” said Allen.

Before the war began, Allen and her family traveled from Rishon Lezion to northern Israel to celebrate the Jewish holiday Sukot. She said she’ll never forget the sound of that first siren. 

“He woke me up at 6:30 in the morning when we had to wake up and go to the shelter and the sirens, they don’t stop,” said Allen.

At least 1,400 Israelis have been killed since the war began Oct. 7th. The Gaza Health Ministry said 3,785 people have been killed in Gaza. Israeli leaders say no civilian — Israeli or Palestinian — deserves to be killed. 

“We are against radicalism. We are in favor of civilization and we need to make sure Hamas receives the message that there is a price tag attached to butchering innocent civilians and moving forward with their radicalism that they have done,” said Aviv Ezra, the acting consulate general to the state of Israel to New York.

Fifteen billboards in Times Square now show Israeli flags and the faces of the hostages.

“Omer is now considered to be held by Hamas together with over 200 hostages. Soldiers, civilians, infants, children, wounded, elderly and frail. All families,” said Ronen Neutra, the father of 22-year-old Omer who was abducted by Hamas.

“We are heartbroken. We are worried. But we are focused and resolute on doing everything to bring Omer back,” said Omer’s mother Orna.

Meanwhile, Allen and her children will travel Friday to Tennessee where they have family. But their hearts are with their loved ones in Israel who are unable to leave. 

“We are here temporarily. We have a strong family. We have a strong home. We have a strong nation. We are here for the kids, but we will be back there stronger than we have ever been,” said Allen.

The U.S. Department of State says 32 Americans have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war began and 11 remain unaccounted for.