The tears were as plentiful as the reoccurring nightmares since Oct. 7, 2023.

But still, seeing the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas that day coming home couldn’t have made it a better Thanksgiving for Jewish Canadians who have been longing for this day for more than two years. They thought it may never come. It finally did.

“Oh my God, I feel like I can breathe again,” said Toronto’s Maureen Lesham, who got up early to watch U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sign a peace plan aimed at ending the brutal war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

“It was an overwhelming relief. It’s a victory for Jewish people, but for all of humanity.”

She knows this first-hand because her cousin Romi Gonen was one the hostages before being freed in January.

“She ha

See Full Page