On Sunday afternoon, scores of residents—police estimate almost 2,000 people—gathered on Homer Street to re-dedicate a display honoring Israelis held hostage by Hamas exactly six months earlier.

The display had been defaced in one of many reported hate crimes aimed at people displaying signs supporting Israel since the Hamas attack of Oct. 7 and Israel’s subsequent military action in Gaza.

The homeowners, Jeff and Miriam Kosowsky, decided to fight back by hosting an unveiling of the newly fixed wall display and a rally against antisemitism.

“With your help, we will amplify awareness of each hostage 1,000-fold, both today and going forward” Jeff Kososky said.

The event featured Jewish prayer and speakers including Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Newton.

Fuller emphasized the need to call out what she called “a pure act of hate.”

“We have to keep repeating that, because we are seeing an explosion of antisemitism across the globe, across the commonwealth and across Newton” Fuller said. “We will not tolerate this here in Newton or anywhere else.”

Newton police have reported an uptick in hate crimes in recent months, particularly hate crimes that are antisemitic and anti-Israel in nature.

“We proclaim with one voice that antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel have no pace in our community,” Auchincloss said. “We stand together against the depravity of Hamas, holding innocent men, women and children hostage for six brutal months. We proclaim with one voice that the hostages must be returned immediately and unconditionally. And we stand together against the ominous echoes of history.”

Children lined up and read the names and ages of each hostage as well as something about the hostage that made them unique, as they peeled back black paper and revealed the hostages’ faces.

Boston University student Ben Spira spoke about his friend, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is among those held hostage in Gaza.

Spira told a story about a time Hersh discovered a fully operating bar in a kibbutz bomb shelter. He talked about Hersh’s kindness and caring nature and his passion for travel.

Spira said he was in shock and denial when he first heard Hersh was taken hostage. He heard Hersh had lost an arm throwing grenades back at the attackers, ironically in a bomb shelter, but that has not been confirmed.

“If that doesn’t say something about the type of hero that Hersh is, I don’t know what does,” Spira said.

Below are more photos and videos from Sunday’s event.

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