Omer Neutra street renaming in Plainview honors fallen IDF soldier, Long Island native

Daniel Neutra stood on a corner in front of the Mid-Island Y JCC in Plainview, looking up at the street sign now bearing his late brother's name. 

Omer Neutra, an Israel Defense Forces soldier, was one of about 1,200 killed during Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously on Feb. 24 to rename a portion of Manetto Hill Road "Captain Omer Neutra Way." In front of more than 1,000 people on Sunday morning, elected officials revealed the new street sign.

Daniel and Omer Neutra grew up inside the JCC and across the surrounding area, riding their bikes to get pizza at La Piazza and frozen yogurt at Catch the Wave.

"It's a way of preserving his legacy," Daniel Neutra said. "Through that constant reminder, people who live here will see his name as they go about their day, they'll remember his sacrifice and he'll continue to inspire them."

Nassau Legis. Arnold Drucker (D-Plainview), who sponsored the resolution to rename the street, said in an interview that Neutra was a "hero who grew up among us."

"It makes us all feel that we're doing something right to instill the kind of values and leadership in our young people today," Drucker said. 

Nassau Executive Bruce Blakeman, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), Legis. Mazi Melesa Pilip (R-Great Neck) and Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino were among the elected officials in attendance.

"We are gathered here today as one people, gentile and Jew. ... Republican, Democrat, independent," said Blakeman, who hosted the event. "Even though we have our differences, we can come together on a day like today, put all of our differences aside, and do the right thing."

Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages when it attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Fifty-nine hostages are still in Gaza, with 24 believed to be alive, officials have said. More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. 

Rob Levy, 53, of Plainview, said he doesn't know the Neutra family personally but has been moved by their story. He has two daughters, ages 15 and 21, and he said his family's Jewish identity has deepened since Oct. 7. 

"Their pain is everyone's pain," Levy said of the Neutra family. "My younger daughter basically asked me, 'How could people be so evil to do something like this?'"

Neutra's father, Ronen, expressed gratitude for the renaming.

"We're still stuck in Oct. 7. Our family never moved on," Ronen Neutra said. "We thought he was alive for 422 days. Then we learned that 422 days ago he died, but his body was still held as a bargaining chip as a hostage; who does that?"

Ronen, his wife, Orna, and Daniel wore pieces of tape with "548" — the number of days since the attack — on their shirts.

"It feels right. This really was his home," Daniel Neutra said, peering up at the sign. "This is where he grew up. It's where he belongs."

With AP

By Joshua Needelman

joshua.needelman@newsday.com

Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.