We, the Maryland Jewish community and Jews worldwide, are in mourning.
We mourn the loss of a man many of us did not know personally, but a member of our collective family.
We held onto hope for his return, never doubting his bravery or resilience. We now hold on to what his loved ones share about him, letting his spirit continue on in every Jewish heart.
We thought of him everyday for 11 months and will continue to for the rest of our lives.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin was a 23-year-old Israeli-American born in Berkeley, California. His family moved to Israel when he was seven years old and eventually settled in Jerusalem, Israel. Hersh was known for his love of world travel, sports and music. He was a super-fan of Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club. He was an advocate of peace, having worked on a program bringing Israeli and Palestinian children together through soccer. He completed his mandatory service for the Israel Defense Forces in April 2023, and spent his last summer traveling Europe and attending music festivals with plans to travel again in December.
On Oct. 7, Hersh attended the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im with his best friend, Aner Shapira, when it was attacked by Hamas. Goldberg-Polin’s left arm was blown off, and as Shapira and Goldberg-Polin hid in a bomb shelter, Shapira threw back at least half a dozen grenades thrown into the shelter before being killed by one. After surviving in the bomb shelter, Goldberg-Polin was taken hostage into Gaza.
Hersh’s parents, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, advocated tirelessly for Hersh’s release and a hostage deal. Goldberg-Polin spoke to numerous news sources, the March for Israel, the United Nations and at the Democratic National Convention, to name a few. They wore a piece of tape every day on their shirts commemorating the number of days since Hersh had been kidnapped, sparking a worldwide movement of people who joined them. Rachel Goldberg-Polin became an international symbol of a mother’s love and resilience.
For students at this university, Hersh’s death is personal and heartbreaking. Eytan Pomper, a senior at this university, was Hersh’s first cousin. On an Instagram post, he recalled taking a golf cart with Hersh in Michiana and jumping out of it right before it entered the water. Pomper described Hersh as “stress-free, worry-free, happy, fun, adventurous and enthusiastic” and wants to live out his life similarly in Hersh’s honor.
Benji Kaufman, a junior at this university, is family-friends with the Goldberg-Polin family. He expressed, in his own words, the memories he had of Hersh:
Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Hersh from the Go-Po Cousins. Leebie and Orly’s older brother.
I will never be able to hear the name “Hersh” the same way again.
I have done my best to tell Hersh’s story since October 7, but it breaks my heart to change parts of his story from “is” to “was.”
Hersh was fun-loving. Funny, but also clever. Sarcastic, but never rude. Athletic, but not super coordinated. Warm and gentle – like the whole Goldberg-Polin family.
Since October 7, 2023, “Hersh” has become a name that unites us, and a sign that we are all able to stay strong and survive.
As for Mitzpeh and journalism, it is our job to write deep stories about what is seen in the news cycles – instead of just reporting on what is seen.
As my friend HH just told me, “When you have power with words, it’s your responsibility to put good things out into the world.”
It will forever be my privilege to keep his name alive and to honor his memory. And I hope everyone who knows his story will do the same.
– Benji Kaufman, staff writer for Mitzpeh
Though few students knew Hersh personally, many felt the heartbreak of his loss, as the Goldberg-Polin’s shared Hersh’s carefree, happy-go-lucky personality with the global Jewish community. “I am broken today. After 11 months of absolute, constant and unrelenting sadness, hearing the news was like a punch in the gut. I ask myself how much more I can take… and then I remember that my pain is so, so little compared to the pain of so many right now,” shared Einav Tsach, an Israeli-American junior at this university.
The Jewish community at this university stands with the Goldberg-Polins and the global Jewish community in their grief.
“Okay, sweet boy, go now on your journey. I hope it’s as good as the trips you dreamed about,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin shared at Hersh’s funeral on Monday in Jerusalem.
