Current:Home > NewsAn American mom and daughter are missing in Israel. Their family says Hamas is holding them hostage-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
An American mom and daughter are missing in Israel. Their family says Hamas is holding them hostage
View Date:2024-12-24 07:21:39
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Judith Raanan and her teenage daughter, Natalie Raanan, were excited to travel to Israel to celebrate a relative’s 85th birthday and the Jewish holiday season, according to their rabbi.
The pair had been sending updates as the trip progressed and were enjoying “this really special mom and daughter time together,” Meir Hecht said.
The family hasn’t heard from either mother or daughter since a week ago, after Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack. The community in their suburb north of Chicago fears they are among roughly 150 people abducted by Hamas militants.
“We received this terrible news that Judith and her daughter Natalie are missing and apparently were most likely taken as hostages to Gaza,” Hecht said. “It feels like our community has been violated.”
They had been celebrating Simchat Torah, a festive Jewish holiday that marks the conclusion of the annual reading of the Torah. They were in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz in Israel about a mile (1.61 kilometers) from the Gaza border.
Natalie Raanan, 17, recently graduated from high school and was looking forward to taking a break and visiting family overseas, her uncle, Avi Zamir, said at a community event for the Raanans in Evanston on Thursday evening.
“Kind person. She’s a sweetheart. She loves animals,” Zamir said. “We fear for her. We pray for her. We hope she’s together with her mom.”
Through tears, Natalie Raanan’s aunt, Sigal Zamir, said: “I pray for them to come back alive. They’re innocent and loving, and they didn’t do anything.”
Just before she left for Israel, Judith Raanan dropped off a pink prayer book for the Hechts’ 7-year-old daughter, who loves the color, said Yehudis Hecht, the rabbi’s wife and Judith’s friend.
“Judith, we’re thinking of you. Of your resilience, your hope, your love, your generosity, your faith and strength,” Yehudis Hecht said. “We know you’re a strong woman and we pray that we see you safely very soon with your dear Natalie.”
___
Savage reported from Chicago and is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
veryGood! (595)
Related
- Taylor Swift touches down in Kansas City as Chiefs take on Denver Broncos
- A good friend and a massive Powerball jackpot helped an Arkansas woman win $100,000
- William Friedkin's stodgy 'Caine Mutiny' adaptation lacks the urgency of the original
- U.N rights commission accuses South Sudan of violations ahead of elections
- Deion Sanders says he would prevent Shedeur Sanders from going to wrong team in NFL draft
- Police officers won't face charges in fatal shooting of protester at 'Cop City'
- A Hong Kong man gets 4 months in prison for importing children’s books deemed to be seditious
- Whales and dolphins in American waters are losing food and habitat to climate change, US study says
- Man Found Dead in Tanning Bed at Planet Fitness Gym After 3 Days
- Harvesting water from fog and air in Kenya with jerrycans and newfangled machines
Ranking
- Louisville officials mourn victims of 'unthinkable' plant explosion amid investigation
- Harvesting water from fog and air in Kenya with jerrycans and newfangled machines
- Connecticut woman arrested, suspected of firing gunshots inside a police station
- Woman arrested after gunshots fired in Connecticut police station. Bulletproof glass stopped them
- Man gets a life sentence in the shotgun death of a New Mexico police officer
- Marching bands have been struggling with extreme heat. Here's how they're adjusting
- Puerto Rican man who bred dogs for illegal fighting for decades sentenced to 7 years in prison
- The job market was stunningly strong in September
Recommendation
-
Food prices worried most voters, but Trump’s plans likely won’t lower their grocery bills
-
Giving birth in a war zone: The struggles of many Syrian mothers
-
Flood unleashed by India glacial lake burst leaves at least 10 people dead and 102 missing
-
Want flattering coverage in a top Florida politics site? It could be yours for $2,750
-
Video shows masked man’s apparent attempt to kidnap child in NYC; suspect arrested
-
Drake's new album 'For All the Dogs' has arrived: See the track list, cover art by son Adonis
-
The Nobel Peace Prize is to be announced in Oslo. The laureate is picked from more than 350 nominees
-
A judge rules against a Republican challenge of a congressional redistricting map in New Mexico