The family of slain Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin is remembering his legacy at the start of Rosh Hashanah, as the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel nears.
The 23-year-old was wounded and later kidnapped from a music festival near the Israel-Gaza Strip border during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
His parents, both Chicago natives, became outspoken advocates for the release of their son and other hostages.
Goldberg-Polin’s aunt, Abby Polin, believes the issue should not be seen as a Jewish or Israeli cause, but a human cause.
“We are talking about human being who were taken from their homes, a music festival. These are just people. We thought Hersh and all the hostages were going to come home,” Polin said.
Goldberg-Polin was killed by Hamas militants after over 325 days in captivity. His remains were recovered from a tunnel in the Gaza Strip on Aug. 31.
“This is really a worldwide humanitarian crisis,” she said. “That point of this being a humanitarian crisis seems to have gotten lost in this whole situation.”
Abby now wears several accessories to remember her nephew and hostages, including a necklace with a dog tag that reads, “Bring them home now” and a ring that reads “We will dance again.”
Goldberg-Polin’s 24th birthday would have been Thursday. His parents said they hope their son’s death would spark a revolution in the way people treat one another.