Exclusive: Mother Describes Agonizing Final Moments of Son Executed by Hamas
Rachel Goldberg-Polin pushed herself to return, 328 days after her son last knew freedom. She climbed a platform near the Nova music festival site on Aug. 30, 2024. Surrounded by other hostage families, she shouted his name toward Gaza with a megaphone.
Attack at the Nova Festival
The assault began early on Oct. 7, 2023, at 6:29 a.m. Hamas militants attacked the Nova music festival in Israel’s Negev desert. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and friends sought shelter in a tiny roadside bomb shelter.
Gunmen hurled grenades into the shelter. One blast severed Hersh’s left arm. His friend, Aner Shapira, managed to toss several devices away. An eighth grenade exploded, killing Shapira.
Abduction and condition in captivity
Hersh was taken, along with other wounded men, to tunnels beneath Gaza. The tunnels reached roughly 66 feet under the surface. He received no medical care for three days and nearly bled to death.
After stabilizing, Hersh became a source of morale for fellow captives. A video released in April 2024 showed the loss of his arm. Freed hostages later recounted his optimism and leadership.
Mantra and influence
Hersh shared a mantra with other prisoners: “He who has a ‘why’ can bear any ‘how.’” The line drew on Viktor Frankl’s work. Fellow hostage Or Levy later tattooed the phrase and credited Hersh with saving morale.
Final moments and killing
On Aug. 30, 2024, hours after Rachel’s plea, Hamas captors executed Hersh and five others. The six hostages became known as the “Beautiful Six.” According to family accounts, Hersh was shot multiple times at close range.
His parents found that his hair had been stained with gunpowder. They keep daily pieces of masking tape from the captivity period. Rachel has gathered the tape into a ball she cannot discard.
Family background and life plans
Hersh was born in Berkeley in 2000. His parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, lived in Chicago and Virginia before moving the family to Israel in 2008. He had two sisters, Leebie and Orly.
He completed IDF service six months before Oct. 7. He worked as a waiter and medic while saving for a one-way trip to India planned for December 2023. The night he left home, he told his mother he would be back “in one night.”
Last messages and keepsakes
On the morning of the attack, Rachel received two texts from Hersh. The messages read “I love you” and then “I’m sorry.” His Dalai Lama book, The Art of Happiness, remains on his nightstand, bookmarked in chapter six.
Aftermath and grief
Rachel describes profound physical and emotional changes since Oct. 7. She said her body stopped functioning as before and that she felt she had buried both her son and herself. Her grief remains constant and painful.
She also says hope guided her during captivity. “Hope is mandatory,” she told Filmogaz.com. She called it a commandment to remain hopeful despite the loss.
In an exclusive account, the mother describes agonizing final moments and the killing of her son by Hamas, and she has documented the ordeal in her new book, When We See You Again, published by Random House.
