Israeli Maya Roman is returning to New York for the second time since October 7, when her cousin Yarden Roman-Gat was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Be'eri.
Yarden, her husband Alon, and daughter Geffen hid in their family's safe room until terrorists broke into their home and loaded them into a car, The Post reported. As they approached the Gaza border, the terrorists paused for a moment, and Alon and Yarden escaped. She handed Geffen to her husband, and the two of them made it to safety, while Yarden was recaptured and abducted to Gaza.
Alon's sister Carmel Gat was also kidnapped, but she remains held captive.
Maya and Alon stood with other family members of hostages Friday morning at the 100 Days of Captivity demonstration at Dag Hammarsjold Plaza near the United Nations Headquarters.
"Fortunately for us, Yarden came back after 54 days in captivity, so about almost two months ago already. One of the things that are hardest for her since she came back is that Carmel is still not with us," Maya told the Post.
Maya said the family learned from people who were released and held with Carmel that she's helping some of the hostages who were held with her.
Maya, family to hold yoga events
"She was doing yoga and meditation with the hostages and helping them cope with what they were going through," Maya said.
Maya said from that day, the family started hosting weekly yoga events in Tel Aviv.
On Saturday night, Maya and Gili will host "Yoga for Carmel" at the Marlene Meyerson JCC in Manhattan.
Maya said the family will also be hosting a yoga event while they're in Los Angeles during their month-long trip through the US.
On their first trip to the US a month and a half ago, Maya said she and Gili were mostly in New York and Washington, DC meeting with UN representatives, senators, and congressional representatives.
"Just explaining the nature of the hostages and how we see it, and how we think is best to advance," Maya said. "We both feel that there are important issues to talk about and to both people on the Left and people on the Right here."
"We both feel that there are important issues to talk about and to both people on the left and people on the right here."
Maya Roman
"The situation keeps changing, which is why we felt it was crucial to come back again because the circumstances [that] allow for the humanitarian deal seem to have shifted," Maya said.
Maya said she and Yarden also both have German citizenship and that she has been to Germany and the German mission to the UN several times.
"We were really convinced that Carmel was coming home, and it's been very hard these past few weeks, seeing thatdiscussions of the future deal have seemed to stop, and now we're hearing that things are starting up again," Maya said.
"But, again, for us the most important thing is to keep reminding everyone that the hostages are still there, it's going to be 100 days. It's unbelievable that it's 100 days," Maya said.
"So for us, that's our mission," she said. "To just make sure that within all the politics and everything that's going on, people remember that our loved ones are there. People are there."