Hundreds of members of the Jewish community, including Holocaust survivors, gathered at the Jewish Heritage Museum Wednesday. They called for the release of the more than 200 people captured by Hamas militants and held hostage by the terror organization.

“For me, it was very emotional,” said Holocaust survivor Sam Steigmann. “I’m praying that the hostages will be released.”

For Steigman, holding a photo of one of the hostages currently being held captive by Hamas militants was difficult but necessary.

He was one of 240 Holocaust survivors — one for each of the hostages — who did so at the Lower Manhattan museum. 

“The poor hostages,” said Holocaust survivor Paul Galan. “What did they do to anyone?“

Organizers plan to have those pictures assembled into one composite image that will be shared widely in the hopes of helping to free those in captivity by keeping them top of mind for people around the world.

Others, like Nitzan Mintz and her partner Dede Bandaid, have raised attention by posting fliers with photos of the hostages.

“The numbers of people being slaughtered,” Bandaid said. “Kidnapped, raped.”

“We just were so far away from home and so isolated and so worried and we just had to do something,” Mintz said.

The Israeli natives came to the U.S. for an art program in September and don’t know when they’ll return home. They didn’t expect their country to be attacked.

They also didn’t expect their fliers to be torn down in New York City by people who disagree with Israel’s war tactics or feel too little attention is being paid to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“We don’t want fight,” Bandaid said. “We want peace like many people on both sides. We put the posters in good intentions to bring innocent people home.”

Both Steigman and Galan believe tearing down the posters is a form of anti-Semitism.

“It’s inhumane,” Galan said.

“The Jew hatred that is happening in the United States and worldwide is unreal,” Steigmann said.

They, too, fought for tolerance and peace, which helped them survive the Holocaust. Both say natives of Nazi Germany helped save their lives.

“Our lives were saved by a German officer who told us to leave a certain village,” Galan said.

“A German woman saved my life at the risk of not only herself but her entire family,” said Steigmann

If the hostages are able to see the images of Holocaust survivors holding their pictures, organizers of the event as well as Holocaust survivors are hoping it gives them some sense of hope as well.

The event was organized by the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, a non-profit that uses lessons from the Holocaust to fight hatred and bigotry. It also provides humanitarian assistance to victims of mass atrocities and genocide.