Hersh Golberg-Polin

Hersh Goldberg-Polin was born in Berkeley, California, and moved to Israel with his family when he was seven years old, embarking on a life filled with adventures and travels before the tragic events of October 7. He became a hostage of Hamas terrorists during the violent attack on the Nova music festival in the southern Negev. The horrifying incident resulted in the loss of Hersh's left arm when a grenade was lobbed into a shelter where he and other festival attendees were seeking refuge; resourcefully, he fashioned a makeshift tourniquet from a shoelace. Shocking footage captured moments after the attack showed Hersh looking dazed and injured as he pulled himself into the bed of a truck at gunpoint. Subsequently, he was driven back into Gaza by several Hamas fighters.

CNN's Anderson Cooper played a significant role in uncovering this footage, as he realized its potential significance while conducting a live remote interview with Hersh's parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin. Hersh's parents later confirmed that the injured and shocked young man in the video was indeed their missing son.

Despite the horrific circumstances, Hersh's parents have demonstrated incredible determination and have been actively working to secure their son's release, along with the other hostages taken by Hamas during the festival attack. They traveled from Israel to Manhattan to engage with the United Nations and lobby for action on behalf of their son and the other captives.

Prior to the Oct 7th terror attacks, Hersh had previously spent months traveling, working with school groups, and earning money for further adventures. The last communication his mother received from him was two WhatsApp messages sent early on October 7, expressing love and an apology, which raised concerns for her.

During the attack at the festival, Hersh and his best friend, Aner Shapira, were last seen at a shelter where they sought refuge along with many others. Witnesses reported that 11 grenades were thrown into the shelter by Hamas terrorists; Aner tossed 8 of them back out. Hersh's arm was severely injured when a grenade exploded; tragically, Aner Shapira lost his life during the attack, dying with a grenade in his hand.

Hersh's parents and their network of friends and family have actively shared his story with the international media, including outlets like CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, NPR, MSNBC, and People magazine. Despite the harrowing circumstances and the uncertainty of his situation, his mother, Rachel remains hopeful, describing her son as a survivor who possesses remarkable mental strength.