ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Celebrations rang through Israel as three hostages were released by Hamas over the weekend.

One Rochester-area Jewish advocate was there in the heart of it all when the three women were set free.

“People were hugging and crying and singing, and it was a beautiful moment," said the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester’s Meredith Dragon.

Speaking on a FaceTime call from what’s become known as Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Dragon explained what it was like to also be there when the three hostages were released by Hamas on Sunday.

“It was a moment of feeling incredible solidarity with everybody here and sort of a collective sense of relief that these three women came home alive and just such joy, and unity and solidarity together," she said. "It was really amazing.”

The crowd watched in real-time on a screen as the young women were released by Hamas and transported to a location and reunited with their mothers.

“The music in particular was very special, very moving, there were lots of flags flying and just joy," Dragon said. "It was great joy seeing these three women come out alive."

Hostage Square has become a gathering place for families of the hostages and for people throughout Israel to come together for one common goal.

“Every time you come here, there are constantly people here," Dragon said. "There's a very large timer which is right there. That timer has been set and it is a timer that showing the number of days that hostages have been in captivity. Inside this tent is a poster that basically says until the last hostage meeting, until everybody comes home."

It's a bittersweet moment in Hostage Square with a celebration for the release of three hostages, and prayers for the 94 that remain held by Hamas terrorists. But Dragon says there is a feeling of hope here.

“It feels like there's a corner that we're turning, and that feels very good and very positive in a way that we haven't felt in a long time," she said.