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Born in the Bay Area and raised in Israel from age 8, the slain hostage is remembered as a "mensch," passionate about soccer, music and travel.
Slain Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin was laid to rest at Jerusalem’s Har HaMenuchot cemetery on Monday, two days after his body was retrieved from a tunnel in southern Gaza.
Ahead of the funeral ceremony, which started at 4 p.m., thousands gathered in the capital's streets, waving Israeli flags to pay their final respects as the Goldberg-Polin family made its way to the cemetery.
"I have had a lot of time to think about my sweet boy Hersh over the past 332 days, and one thing I keep thinking about is how out of all the mothers in all the entire world, God chose to give Hersh to me,” mother Rachel Goldberg-Polin said in her remarks at the funeral.
"If there was something we could have done to save you, and we didn't think of it, I beg your forgiveness. We tried so very hard, so deeply and desperately. I'm sorry," the bereaved American-Israeli mother added.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who spoke at the request of the family, apologized to the six hostages who were executed by Hamas.
"Beloved Hersh, with a torn and broken heart, I stand here today as the president of the State of Israel, bidding you farewell and asking for your forgiveness, from you, and from Carmel, from Eden, from Almog, from Alex, and Ori, and from all your loved ones," the head of state said.
“We do not forget for a moment our obligation to hold accountable the despicable murderers who butchered you, Hersh, your friends, our sisters, and our brothers," he added. "Here too, the mission is clear and binding: To continue fighting relentlessly against the murderous terrorist group Hamas, which has once again proven that there is no end to its savagery and the crimes against humanity it is willing to commit."
Goldberg-Polin's has triggered a wave of grief across the United States, The New York Times reported Sunday.
Goldberg-Polin, 23, had become a symbol of hope during his nearly year-long captivity following the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre.
"With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother Hersh," his family said in a statement. The IDF recovered Goldberg-Polin's body from Gaza, along with those of five other captives, who were fatally shot by Hamas at close range shortly before the soldiers arrived.
Born in the San Francisco Bay Area and raised in Israel from age 8, Goldberg-Polin is remembered fondly by those who knew him.
Rabbi Andy Feig of Los Angeles, a childhood friend of Goldberg-Polin's father, toldthe Times, "In Yiddish, you say 'mensch,' meaning a person with integrity. Hersh was that kind of kid."
Friends and family described him as passionate about soccer, music and travel.
Gazan terrorists abducted Goldberg-Polin as he attended the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im on Oct. 7. A Palestinian grenade blew off part of his dominant right arm during the attack.
In the months following his capture, his parents, Rachel and Jonathan, emerged as prominent advocates for the hostages' release. Their efforts included meetings with high-profile officials, including the pope, and addressing the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
“This is a political convention. But needing our only son, and all of the cherished hostages, home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” Jonathan Polin told the delegates.
The impact of Goldberg-Polin's death extended beyond his immediate circle. Susan Gordon Newman, a 52-year-old marketing professional from Chicago, expressed to the Times the widespread sentiment, "There was so much hope for almost a year, and now there's no hope."
In Berkeley, Goldberg-Polin's birthplace, graduate student Yael Nidam Kirsht reflected on the family's mantra, "Hope is mandatory." Kirsht, whose own family was affected by the Oct. 7 attacks, shared her heartbreak, "I really hoped that what happened to us wouldn't happen to Hersh."
(Kirsht's sister-in-law Rimon Kirsht Buchshtav was among the Israeli hostages Hamas released during November's weeklong ceasefire. On July 22, the IDF military confirmed the death in captivity of Buchshtav's husband Yagev.)
A vigil for Goldberg-Polin in Manhattan on Sunday night drew hundreds of mourners. Orna Neutra, mother of hostage Omer Neutra, spoke of the tight-knit community formed among hostage families. She noted that despite the devastating news, Goldberg-Polin's mother "chose to share words of hope with us, praying that this tragedy stops the madness and brings the deal now."
President Joe Biden said that he was “devastated and outraged” after Goldberg-Polin was identified among six bodies that Israeli forces recovered in a tunnel in Rafah.
Biden vowed that “Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes,” but then said that the United States “will keep working around the clock” to secure a deal—which would be between the Jewish state and the Hamas terror organization—to release the rest of the hostages.
“Hersh was among the innocents brutally attacked while attending a music festival for peace in Israel on Oct. 7. He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas’s savage massacre. He had just turned 23. He planned to travel the world,” Biden said. “I have gotten to know his parents, Jon and Rachel. They have been courageous, wise, and steadfast, even as they have endured the unimaginable.”
Seven US citizens remain in captivity, four of whom are among the more than 60 hostages believed to be still alive. The remains of about 35 captives are held by terrorists in Gaza.
Israel Hayom contributed to this report.
