Jewish communities across the United States are remembering Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old American-Israeli who became a symbol of the hostages taken by the Hamas terror group on Oct. 7, eJewishPhilanthropy has reported.
From Richmond, Virginia to Atlanta, Jewish leaders with personal connections to the Goldberg-Polin family spoke to eJewishPhilanthropy on Sunday, recalling memories of happier times and expressing inspiration at the family's persistent fight for their son's release. Goldberg-Polin was abducted from the Nova music festival after losing an arm in a grenade blast.
Rabbi Dovid Asher, who leads Keneseth Beth Israel in Richmond, the Modern Orthodox congregation that the Goldberg-Polins attended before making aliyah in 2008, said, "They have a lot of close friends in the shul and people here are grieving tremendously." Asher pointed to a touching video of a synagogue theater production that Hersh performed in as a child alongside his father on Purim.
In Atlanta, where the family made annual trips to Ramah Darom for Passover retreats, CEO Wally Levitt remembered Hersh's dedication to prayer. "Even when Hersh was young and other kids would be outside playing during davening, Hersh would be sitting next to Jon in their regular spot by the windows in our beit knesset," Levitt told eJewishPhilanthropy.
The Goldberg-Polin family's advocacy turned Hersh into a prominent figure in the hostage crisis. His parents, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, became some of the most visible international advocates for the release of their son and all kidnapped Israelis. Their efforts included meetings with Pope Francis and President Joe Biden, as well as Rachel's impassioned speech at the Democratic National Convention last month.
William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and Harriet Schleifer, chair of the organization, called Rachel and Jon "models of grace, composure and hope amid this terrible ordeal."
Before becoming the faces of the hostage crisis, the Goldberg-Polins were active contributors to Israeli society. Jon was an early founder of SparkIL, a social lending venture backed by the Jewish Agency that provides interest-free loans to small businesses in Israel. NaAma Ore, CEO of SparkIL, praised Jon's entrepreneurial spirit and the family's dedication.
Goldberg-Polin was buried in Jerusalem on Monday, with thousands attending his funeral to pay their respects.
