Omer Neutra, a lone soldier from New York, grandson of Holocaust survivors, and avid sports fan, was finally brought to Israel to recieve a proper burial.
Capt. Omer Neutra, 21, was slain during the October 7 massacre, and his body was taken by Hamas to the Gaza Strip before finally being brought back to Israel on sunday night.
Intelligence information came to light allowed a special military commission of rabbis, scientists, and lawyers to finally confirm his death around 14 months later, despite long-standing suspicions that he was dead.
Neutra was a lone soldier from New York, serving as a tank platoon commander in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Brigade. He had deferred his enrollment at Binghamton University to join the IDF with Garin Tzabar.
He was abducted to the Gaza Strip on October 7 along with members of his tank crew. One such member of Neutra’s crew was tank gunner Nimrod Cohen, who was released last week after more than 736 days of captivity.
Omer loved sports, played soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and served as captain of his school’s sports team.
Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of Israeli-American hostage Omer Neutra. (credit: LUKE TRESS)
A park in his memory
After his death, Neutra’s hometown of Plainview, New York, dedicated a park in town, complete with a basketball court. One of his passions in life was basketball, and he was a die-hard Knicks fan. He often wore basketball legend Kobe Bryant’s number, 24.
Neutra loved his cats, Ronni and Lizi. Those closest to him knew him as a “smiley goofball,” and said that he gave “powerful hugs.”
“His family and friends described him as a warm, optimistic, and people-loving person who ‘lights up the room the moment he enters,'” the forum added.
Neutra was known for his love for summer camp, having attended and taken leadership roles at various camps, including but not limited to Sprout Lake, Camp Tel Yehud, and Camp Ramah in Nyack, and participated in USY on wheels.
He was the grandson of Holocaust survivors, leading him to feel a strong responsibility to defend Israel and serve the Jewish people. This deeply motivated him to enlist as a lone soldier in the IDF.
Neutra’s “bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Garin Tzabar, the program through which Neutra enlisted, said of him.
“We will continue to demand that Omer be brought home to be laid to rest in the land he fought to defend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and loved ones during this unimaginable time,” the program further noted.
