Richmond Jewish academy dedicates gym in honor of former student Hersh Goldberg-Polin

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Rudlin Torah Academy members honored a former student with a gym dedication ceremony on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, April 22, Rudlin Torah Academy (RTA) Richmond Hebrew Day School dedicated its gymnasium to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who died last year in Gaza after Hamas took him hostage.

Goldberg-Polin, who had been held captive by Hamas for nearly a year after being taken from a music festival in Israel, was confirmed dead on Aug. 31, 2024. The hostages, including Goldberg-Polin, were reportedly shot at close range in an underground tunnel in the Gaza Strip.

Rabbi Dovid Asher from the Keneseth Beth Israel synagogue in Richmond said Goldberg-Polin was one of a kind.

“All of the students who pass through here will learn about his love of sport, his zest for life, and his ability to look after others of all backgrounds, even in the most dire situations,” Asher said.

(Photo courtesy: 8News)

(Photo courtesy: 8News)

Youngkin also commemorated the event with a proclamation designating Oct. 7 as a day of remembrance in the Commonwealth.

“Hersh’s story has become an international symbol of those being unjustly held hostage. A symbol of a family shattered and left to pick up the pieces," Youngkin said. "As we celebrate Hersch's life and commemorate all those lives that were lost, our thoughts must also turn to the hostages who Hamas is still brutally holding in captivity."

Hersh Goldberg-Polin's parent, Jon Goldberg-Polin, said his family will be forever grateful for those who still honor his son, as well as others who lost their lives in Gaza.

“It’s sad, but touching, and getting to be a part of this ceremony that the RTA community is doing what they're doing in Hersh's memory and honor, and we are touched and thankful and really love the RTA community,” Jon Golberg-Polin said.

RTA Rabbi Elisha Paul hopes small gestures like this can be a silver lining during a dark time for the Israeli and Jewish community.

“This is the place where joy happens,” Paul said. “We wanted to make sure that we remembered Hersh as the joyous Hersh, not just the bittersweet memory of Hersh.”

RTA will be renovating the gym with new backboards, floors and other equipment in the upcoming months.