‘An unquantifiable legacy’: Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s family holds service marking year since his murder

The family of Hersh Goldberg-Polin is holding a memorial service in Jerusalem to mark the one-year Hebrew calendar anniversary of his murder in Hamas captivity, along with five other hostages.

“Sometimes I look deep into my own eyes. I unzip them — my eyes — and I can hear you. And I know you’re here inside,” says Hersh’s mother, Rachel, gesturing toward her heart during prepared remarks at the gathering. “Even though I can’t see you with my eyes — that are your eyes, that are my eyes. Like the too-big ocean that I cannot always see. But there is no doubt that it is there.”

“In your 23 years and 11 months, you always prioritized things that can’t be quantified. Smiling and making other people smile, knowledge, experiences, relationships, and justice. And the legacy you have already left from your 23 years and 11 months is greater than any of those legacies that could be quantified,” says Hersh’s father, Jon.

ג'ון פולין מספר עכשיו באזכרה של הירש: 'לפני כמה שבועות הלכתי עם בתי ברחוב בירושלים, כשניגש אלינו בחור נחמד. 'אבא של הירש, אפשר להראות לך משהו?' הוא הראה לנו את הרקע של הטלפון שלו – תמונה של הירש. "בכל בוקר, הדבר הראשון שאני רואה הוא את הירש מביט בי. ואני שואל את עצמי, מה אני יכול… pic.twitter.com/HdrqNbIbIv

— Akiva Novick (@akivanovick) August 19, 2025