Skokie, Illinois Jewish Community Dedicates 'Hersh's Fridge' and Memorial Mural to Slain Oct. 7 Hostage

Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday, September 2, 2026 in Skokie, Illinois for the dedication of 'Hersh's Fridge,' the first stocked-by-neighbors kosher community fridge in the United States, memorializing Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the 23-year-old Israeli-American taken hostage from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023 and murdered by Hamas in a Gaza tunnel roughly ten months later. The dedication, held at a pavilion across from Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue, came nearly two years to the day after Goldberg-Polin's body was recovered in Gaza. His parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin — who became prominent global advocates for the hostages during his captivity — attended and spoke; Jon Polin said 'Hersh was an idealist who sought to make the world a better place,' while Rachel Goldberg-Polin said 'I love the ease in which everybody can be involved in this meal spot.' Organizers said the fridge, which offers free kosher food anonymously to those in need amid rising local food insecurity, will be stocked entirely by neighbors. A new mural and portrait of Goldberg-Polin were unveiled alongside the fridge.