It was just a few months ago that Yehuda Beinin was joined by his daughter Liat Beinin and family on a trip from Israel to the United States, enjoying the sights of eastern Connecticut with trips to the Mystic Aquarium and walks at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford.

The group stayed at the Waterford home of Beinin’s cousin Jerry Fischer, the retired president of the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut. Beinin and his wife, Chaya, celebrated their 70th birthdays and 50 years of marriage.

The celebrations and recent memories are now a blur for Yehuda Beinin.

Liat is gone and presumed to be among the estimated 240 hostages taken by Hamas terrorists into neighboring Gaza. Liat, who has dual Israeli and American citizenship, and her husband, Aviv Atzili, disappeared from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, the day Hamas militants invaded parts of Israel and killed more than 1,400 Israelis. About a quarter of the residents of the once peaceful agricultural community were murdered, injured or abducted. Homes and vehicles were burned.

Beinin said while his daughter’s home was burned, there were no signs inside of a struggle. He and the rest of his family holds out hope that the couple are still alive.

“We’re all operating under the illusion that everything is going to be all right, though there is no indication that will be the case,” Beinin said in a video interview from his home in Israel.

Beinin, who grew up in New Jersey, is also not sitting quietly waiting for news. He returned to his home in Israel earlier this week from a trip to the United States that included a stay in Washington, where he and others met with Congressman Joe Courtney, D- 2nd District, U.S. Sen Chris Murphy, D-Conn., along with Vice President Kamala Harris and representatives from the FBI and Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, the group responsible for organizing the release of hostages.

Beinin said his plan for the visit was to join others with kidnapped loved ones to “tell our personal stories, making this a matter of personal interest,” for anyone who will listen. So far, Beinin said, he is heartened by the response of U.S. officials, though he was disturbed by what appears to be wave of anti-Semitism sweeping across American college campuses. As for his own government’s response, Beinin said he is frustrated by the lack of communication.

He praised Harris for taking the time to listen to the group of about 10 who told personal stories and asked questions during the hourlong meeting. The message Beinin took away from his meetings was that the Biden administration is “totally dedicated on working towards the release of the hostages being held in the Gaza strip whether they are American citizens or not.”

Beinin’s daughter Liat Beinin, 49, is a high school history and civics teacher, a mother of three who “has a sense of mission,” and organizes Holocaust awareness trips. Together, she and her husband also lead cultural activities at the kibbutz. Aviv Atzili is an artist and works on agricultural machinery for the kibbutz.

“They are well-liked, well-loved, positive in their outlook on life, and bring joy and hope to the whole community,” Beinin said.

The kibbutz Beinin’s daughter and family called home is in southern Israel and used to be home to nearly 400 people. More than 100 of the residents were killed or abducted on the day of the Hamas attacks. Liat’s dog was killed in the attack.

Beinin said he spoke with his daughter twice by phone on the morning of her abduction and she sounded distraught, preoccupied by what was going on and telling him, “It’s crazy here. I can’t talk.” Beinin said he last spoke to his daughter at 9:30 that morning.

Beinin’s 22-year-old grandson, Ofri, was at his apartment at the kibbutz, where he took refuge in a safe room when he heard the sirens and gunshots ring out. When terrorists entered his apartment, Beinin said, Ofri hid in the safe room, holding the door closed as they tried to enter.

“It was his strength versus the strength of whoever was on the other side trying to enter the room,” Beinin said.

The terrorists ransacked and torched his apartment before leaving.

Liat’s two other children were not injured in the attack, her 18-year-old daughter was away and younger son was at the Kibbutz Nir Oz but not injured.

Beinin is hoping for a quick resolution to the fighting.

“Revenge, anger ― certainly not religious fanaticism ― are not parts of a viable agenda to end this nonsense in the Middle East. This can’t go on like this,” he said.

Fischer and Beinin both credited Courtney with getting word out to his colleagues in Washington and moving requests for assistance along quickly.

A representative from Courtney’s office said Courtney plans to remain in communication with Beinin’s family and his office was in direct communication with the U.S. Department of State as soon as the family learned Liat Beinin was missing.

The Associated Press on Friday reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against calls by the Biden administration for a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting to protect civilians and allow more aid into Gaza, insisting there would be no temporary cease-fire until the roughly 240 hostages held by Hamas are released.

g.smith@theday.com