German soccer club Werder Bremen and its fans paid tribute on Saturday to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was murdered in Hamas captivity, at their first home game since the news of his and five other hostages’ deaths in Gaza.
Before the match against Bayern Munich (a 5-0 loss), fans showed a tribute featuring Hersh’s portrait and the words: "Shalom, Salam, Peace. May your memory be a revolution, achi! (my brother in Hebrew)," referencing his father's eulogy. Goldberg-Polin had been a big fan of the German team.
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Werder Bremen's fans paying tribute to Hersh Goldberg-Polin
(Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Over the past year, Werder Bremen and its fans have held several tributes for Goldberg-Polin, including one last week during an away match against Mainz. Among these gestures, the club raised a permanent flag outside Weserstadion with Hirsch’s image and the caption: "Free Hersh."
Goldberg-Polin was a devoted fan of Hapoel Jerusalem, both in soccer and basketball, and thousands of fans accompanied his funeral. The basketball team will wear his portrait on their uniforms this season and the soccer team held a similar tribute during last week's match against Hapoel Haifa. His portrait has also become a fixture at Teddy Stadium and the Arena on fan flags.
Hapoel Jerusalem, who was 23 when he was murdered, was an Israeli-American citizen. Born in the U.S., he made aliyah with his family in 2008. On October 7, he was attending the Nova Music Festival and abducted by terrorists.
Two months before his murder in captivity, his video was released with the family's approval showing Hamas terrorists leading him and three other hostages to their pickup truck. He was murdered alongside five other hostages in captivity after they were executed by their captors.