CLEVELAND — In the more than 11 months since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, attention to the plight of the remaining hostages may have faded from the headlines, but for the families of those still being held, the pain has not. That's why the Jewish Federation of Cleveland has begun putting up billboards around Cleveland as a reminder that real people are still being held.
"Someone's daughter, imagine your daughter not coming home from a Taylor Swift concert, instead being taken into Gaza," said Jason Wuliger, who is Chair of the federation's government relations committee. "Imagine your grandfather being taken from his front yard."
Batya Mantzur doesn't have to imagine that. She told News 5 on a visit to Cleveland in June, that's exactly what happened to her father Shlomo.
"They asked for the car keys and they took my dad handcuffed and took him towards the car," Mantzur said, adding that along the way, one of the captors hit her father, the oldest hostage taken that day, in the face.
"He told them, 'Why do you do this? I didn't do anything,' and my Mom said, 'He's an old man. Don't do that.'''
Schlomo Mantzur is one of those featured on a billboard on I-480.
"For many in this community, there are connections to those who were either killed on October 7, who are serving in the military or who are still missing," said Wuliger.
No one knows that more than Ella Caspi, who arrived in Cleveland from Israel to work at the Jewish Federation on October 6, the day before the attack.
"You look at the news and you read the names and you say, 'Oh my gosh, I went to high school with this one, and I was in the military with this one and I know this name,'" said Caspi. "You recognize more than one name."
One of those names belongs to a friend, 20 year-old Agam Berger.
"She's a shy person. She's younger than me, but you could not not pay attention to her," she said. "She plays violin, she's a musician, she's very talented. She has this sweet smile and she's very gentle."
She is also featured on a Cleveland billboard along I-77, which Ella now sees daily while driving to work.
"I was so excited. I was alone in the car, and I started to scream. I was like, 'Oh my God, oh my God.' And I turned around and I had to go by it again. I think it's a sign that the first place that her billboard is being placed is right next to where I live."
As what Agam would think?
"She would be so embarrased for the fact that we had her beautiful face all over but if that's what we need to do, that's what we'll do," she said.
Ella's in touch with Agam's Mom and sister back in Israel and sent them pictures of the billboard.
"She was so moved by it. She said 'I can't believe that its happening outside of Israel.' And I said 'yes, we're thinking about her, I'm doing everything I can to talk about her and to raise the awareness.'"
Awareness that leads she prays to a resolution to this nearly year long ordeal and a reunion of the remaining hostages with their families.
