Hundreds gathered on Friday in Jerusalem to remember Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American citizen taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, and later murdered in captivity in August 2024.

The ceremony, organized by family and friends, marked the official Hebrew calendar date of Goldberg-Polin’s death, when he and fellow captives Almog Sarusi, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alex Lubanov and Ori Danino were executed by their Hamas captors at close range in an underground tunnel in Gaza, as IDF troops unknowingly approached their location.

Goldberg-Polin was one of the most well-known globally of the 251 people taken hostage in the October 7 attack. That was largely due to the relentless efforts of his parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, who traveled the world advocating for their son’s release and spoke in a variety of high-profile forums.

Friday’s event was held in the courtyard of the Baka community center, where the Goldberg-Polins’ synagogue, Hakhel, is located.

Ayelet Haas, a family friend, opened the ceremony, noting that the space where everyone was gathered was where Hersh grew up playing games, praying with his community and dancing with his family and fellow synagogue members — doing so for the last time on October 6, 2023, Simchat Torah night, before he went to the Nova festival that was attacked on October 7 by Hamas terrorists.

“Hersh grew up in this place,” Haas said.

Speakers included Hersh’s parents, his sisters Leebie and Orly, and several of his friends, including two from the fan club of the Hapoel Jerusalem soccer team, of which he was an active member.

Rachel........

© The Times of Israel