Friends and family of Hersh Goldberg-Polin at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, Dec. 27, 2023. Photo: Shanie Roth

In a gesture of solidarity, dozens of friends and relatives of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a hostage held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, gathered on Wednesday at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport to mark the date that the 23-year-old Israeli-American would have embarked on a two-year worldwide trek.

Friends and family of Hersh Goldberg-Polin at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, Dec. 27, 2023. Photo: Shanie Roth

“Today, Dec. 27, Hersh has a one-way ticket to go traveling around the world. It’s a trip that he’s been planning for a long time. He’s been dreaming about it for a long time,” his father, Jonathan Polin, shared. “He’s unfortunately not going to be taking off on a trip today, but we are hoping and praying that he’s going to take off on this trip soon.”

Jonathan Polin, center, and Rachel Goldberg, left, at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, Dec. 27, 2023. Photo: Shanie Roth

The young adventurer’s life took a devastating turn when he was abducted, along with several dozen others, from the Supernova music festival on Oct. 7 in southern Israel. More than 350 revelers at the party were also murdered by Hamas. A video shows Goldberg-Polin being shoved onto a pickup truck at gunpoint after his left arm — his dominant arm — had been blown off by a grenade that terrorists launched into a roadside bomb shelter in which he and some friends had been hiding.

Attendees at Wednesday’s airport gathering held posters adorned with Goldberg-Polin’s image and the slogan “Bring Hersh Home.”

Friends and family of Hersh Goldberg-Polin at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, Dec. 27, 2023. Photo: Shanie Roth

Jonathan Polin brought a backpack that he had intended to gift his son prior to the planned excursion. “The bag was not supposed to be here today on my back. It’s supposed to be on Hersh’s back,” he lamented. “We hope it’s going to be soon.”

Jonathan Polin at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, Dec. 27, 2023. Photo: Shanie Roth

Hersh’s mother, Rachel Goldberg, said that her son had always had a fascination with world maps and travel. “He’d been planning and dreaming of [his trip] since he was in first grade, with detailed maps and detailed plans, by himself.”

She expressed her hope that by this time next year, Hersh would be on his trip: “You know what? You don’t need two arms to travel the world.”

Rachel Goldberg at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, Dec. 27, 2023. Photo: Shanie Roth

Rachel Goldberg has been relentlessly campaigning for her son’s return since Oct. 7. She has addressed the United Nations on two occasions and also met with several prominent figures, including US President Joe Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Elon Musk, and Pope Francis. She has also been profiled in several publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Atlantic, and was on the cover of Time magazine together with her husband.

Pinned to Goldberg’s chest is the number of days since her son’s abduction. The number is also in a large black and white sign on the roof of her house. Changing them is the first thing she does every morning after awakening. Her husband calls the Red Cross every single day to urge them to visit her son and the other 129 hostages still in Gaza. The two established a website called One Min A Day to encourage US citizens to call or text local elected officials on a daily basis and urge for her son’s release.

Jonathan Polin and Rachel Goldberg at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, Dec. 27, 2023. Photo: Shanie Roth

Pictures from Wednesday’s rally show the outpouring of support for the Goldberg-Polin family, as well as the efforts by Hersh’s parents to fight for his release — and to endure until then.