‘Finally, You’re Free’: A Nation Mourns as Hersh Goldberg-Polin Is Laid to Rest
Grieving parents Jon and Rachel Goldberg-Polin call for continued global action and support as thousands gather in Jerusalem to honor their son’s life and legacy
By Veronica Neifakh / The Media Line
Thousands of Israelis and Americans gathered at Har HaMenuchot Cemetery in Jerusalem on Monday to attend the funeral of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose body had been recovered from Gaza the day before. The ceremony was also watched by over 18,000 people via live stream.
Goldberg-Polin was kidnapped from the Supernova music festival, where he suffered severe injuries, including the loss of his left arm in a grenade explosion, before being captured by Hamas. The festival, intended as a celebration of peace, tragically turned into a massacre.
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday that the bodies of six hostages, abducted by Hamas on October 7, were found in a tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza, on September 1. The hostages were identified as Goldberg-Polin; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Ori Danino, 25; Alex Lobanov, 32; Carmel Gat, 40; and Almog Sarusi, 27. They were brutally murdered by their captors just 48 to 72 hours before their discovery.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog attended the funeral, offering condolences to the family and addressing the nation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was notably absent from the ceremony.
“I apologize on behalf of the State of Israel, that we failed to protect you in the terrible disaster of October 7, that we failed to bring you home safely,” said Herzog, addressing the late Goldberg-Polin.
“I apologize that the country you immigrated to at the age of 7, wrapped in the Israeli flag, could not keep you safe,” he added. “Rachel, Jon, dear Leebie, and Orly, grandparents, and the whole family—I ask for your forgiveness, forgiveness that we could not bring Hersh back home alive.”
He also called on the international community to act, urging, “The time to act is now. Bring them home.”
Goldberg-Polin’s mother, Rachel Goldberg, spoke of the immense pain she endured over the past months and the deep gratitude she felt for being his mother.
“I am honest, and I say, it’s not that Hersh was perfect, but he was the perfect son for me. I am so grateful to God for giving me this magnificent present of my Hersh. For 23 years I was privileged to have the most stunning honor to be his mama. I’ll take it and say thank you. I just wish it had been for longer,” she said.
“Hersh, for all these months, I have been in such torment and worry about you for every single millisecond of every single day. It was such a specific type of misery that I have never experienced before. … I spent 330 days terrified, scared, worrying, and frightened. It closed my throat and made my soul throb with third-degree burns,” Goldberg said.
“Amidst the inexplicable agony, terror, anguish, desperation, and fear, we became absolutely certain that you were coming home to us alive, but it was not to be. Now I no longer have to worry about you. I know you are no longer in danger. You are with beautiful Aner [his best friend Aner Shapira, who was killed on Oct. 7 while defending a shelter with Goldberg-Polin]. He will show you around. You will hopefully meet my grandparents, who will adore you, and you will start to play chess with Papa Stan. But now my worry shifts to us. How do we live the rest of our life without you?” she reflected.
Of the campaign she and her husband led to keep the world’s attention on their son’s plight, she said, “I think we all did every single thing we could. The hope that perhaps a deal was near was so authentic it was crunchy. It tasted close. But it was not to be so.”
Bidding her son farewell, she said, “OK, sweet boy, go now on your journey. I hope it’s as good as the trips you dreamed about. Because finally, my sweet boy, finally, finally, finally, finally, you’re free!”
Goldberg-Polin’s father, Jon Polin, spoke about his son’s intellect and wisdom, which were evident from a very young age. He recalled how even as a toddler, Hersh would challenge his thinking, saying, “He was my rav [rabbi], my teacher, my companion.”
“Hersh’s friends, former campers, people he met at various music festivals, and so many more across nationalities, religions, and ages, have reached out to us to tell us, of course they always had a great time hanging out with Hersh, but they also thoroughly enjoyed real, meaningful conversations with him, in which he stretched their thinking,” Polin added.
“I’m sorry. Hersh, we failed you. We all failed you. You would not have failed you. You would have pushed harder for justice. You would have worked to understand the other, to bridge differences. You would have challenged more people to challenge their own thinking. And what you would be pushing for now, is to ensure that your death, the deaths of all the soldiers, and so many innocent civilians, are not in vain,” he said.
Matthew Krieger, head of communications for the Bring Hersh Home campaign, described the funeral as devastating for both the family and people worldwide. He reflected on the widespread support for Hersh and the heartbreak that came with the tragic outcome. “The fact that we don’t have that is tragic,” he told The Media Line.
“I’m definitely going to continue to be in touch with the family of Hersh, and I am sure in some capacity that they’ll continue to help until all the hostages are home,” shared Krieger.
Goldberg-Polin’s parents fought tirelessly to secure his release, with their public advocacy keeping his story in the global spotlight for months.
On October 24, 2023, Rachel Goldberg made an emotional appeal at the United Nations Headquarters. “We are living every parent’s worst nightmare, and the world needs to do more to bring our children back. Hersh is a good person, a kind soul who did not deserve this. Please, do not let him be forgotten,” she pleaded.
Goldberg-Polin’s parents also brought their fight to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where on August 21, 2024, Rachel Goldberg made a heartfelt plea for decisive action to bring the hostages home. “Our son Hersh is out there, suffering, along with many others. We plead with every leader, every person with influence: Please, do what is necessary to bring them home. We cannot live with the idea of losing him this way,” she said.
In an emotional May 2024 interview with The Media Line, Goldberg and Polin shared more about their son Hersh, describing his personality and the impact of his abduction on their family. “Hersh has always cared deeply for others, and that’s why this is so hard. Knowing that he is suffering in such a horrific situation is unbearable,” Goldberg told The Media Line.
Asked what questions a journalist should or should not pose to the parent of a kidnapped person, Goldberg spoke of the pain she feels when asked, “How are you?”
“Do you not see the knife that’s sticking out of my heart? Why would you ask that?” she responded. “I think all of our words can be more gently crafted.”
News of Goldberg-Polin’s abduction sparked a wave of support on social media. Friends and strangers alike took to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share memories, express solidarity, and call for his release. The hashtag campaign #BringHershHome gained traction, with thousands posting photos, stories, and messages of hope.
At his funeral, Goldberg-Polin’s mother expressed deep gratitude for the support she and her family have received but emphasized the continued need for assistance in the challenging times ahead.
“I want to say now a sincere and most heartfelt thank you to the countless people in this entire extended community who have held us, cared for us, prayed for us, cooked for us, and carried us when we could not stand up. I am so thankful to you, and I apologize deeply, but we’re going to now need continued help to get through this sickening new chapter, too, and I’m so sorry to ask because we have given you nothing, and you have already given us profoundly and completely for 11 months, but I beg of you all, please don’t leave us now,” she said.
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