Hundreds of people in north suburban Skokie marched to remember and mourn the lives of the six hostages whose bodies were recovered from a tunnel in the southern Gaza strip.
American-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five others taken hostage during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel were found dead on Saturday.
At a solidarity rally on Sunday, Kenneth Polin, Hersh's first cousin, said his family was devastated.
"It's terrible and tragic," he said. "We learned from Israel he was killed on the Shabbat, the sabbath, and he was captured on the Shabbat, the sabbath. A terrible end to a terrible beginning."
Hersh, 23, was among those killed after being attacked and held captive for 11 months. Israel’s Health Ministry said autopsies conducted found the six hostages were killed by a number of short-range shots and that they died 48 to 72 hours prior to the examinations.
"Just rips the heart out of the family," said Scott Rubenstein, a second cousin. "It's one thing you want to attack soldiers and fight that way, but to come attack people at a music festival, this was obviously planned well in advanced."
Hersh's body, along with the other hostages, was found by Israeli defense forces in Rafah. Hersh's parents have been fighting for his release and brought their pleas to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, mourners in Skokie lit candles and placed stones at the Holocaust Monument to honor the victims.
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"Nothing will stop us from getting together and supporting each other and making sure we’re out here loud and proud supporting our community," said Daniel Schwartz, Chicago Jewish Alliance co-founder.
As the community pushed for the hostages to be released and home safely, relatives shared about Hersh, saying he had a big heart and wanted nothing more than peace for the world.
"He was put in very abnormal circumstances by people who were beyond his control," Kenneth Polin said. "...His legacy will be one of peace, Hamas' will be one of terrorism and evil."
Hersh is set to be laid to rest on Monday in Jerusalem.
