Hersh’s Homecoming: How a Chicago Teen’s Legacy is Nourishing a Community

By Zachary Kupietzky

A new project honoring the life of Hersh Goldberg-Polin z’’l, a beloved member of the Chicago community, was unveiled this year. Developers of the project say the tribute reflects the profound influence he had on neighbors, friends, and local organizations during his lifetime.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the son of Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, was taken captive on October 7, 2023, from the Nova Music Festival and heroically endured 328 days of captivity before he was murdered by Hamas terrorists. For the Chicago community, the tragedy felt especially close, as a family member of one of our own was being held beneath the tunnels of Gaza.

Solu, the organization behind the project, states on their website: “Hersh’s Fridge is named for Hersh Goldberg-Polin z’’l… Hersh changed the world through his compassion, humor, and desire to bring people together. Through this Fridge, his values of chesed, community, and bridge-building continue to serve as a blessing — and a revolution — for the Chicagoland area.”

Hersh’s Fridge is the first kosher community fridge in the United States. The Fridge includes multiple refrigerators with perishable items and a pantry closet with dry foods. The Fridge is open 24 hours a day providing prepared kosher food and groceries to those in need. Solu reports that shelves often empty within hours and they are seeking additional volunteers to keep the Fridge running. The organization notes the diversity of those who use the Fridge: Jews, Christians, and Muslims all come for food, and the Fridge remains unlocked and open to anyone in need. It is a remarkable Kiddush Hashem, as non-Jews who take food from the Fridge are confronted by the portrait of a Jewish young man who was murdered by Hamas.

As a kosher fridge, it comes with unique restrictions. The Fridge must be checked  frequently to ensure cleanliness and adherence to kosher dietary laws. Food donations must be certified from either a kosher establishment or be prepared at a kosher home. A label system using dates and the location the food was made ensures that all donations maintain freshness, follow kosher laws, and allow for proper tracking.

The need for the Fridge is evident. Up to 21% of local Jewish households struggle financially, according to the Jewish United Federation. Feeding America estimates that 320,000 Illinois children do not have enough to eat. Solu emphasizes that the Fridge preserves dignity through complete anonymity for anyone who takes food.

At Ida Crown Jewish Academy, senior Avi Rubin and junior Hillel Lennon spearheaded the Hersh’s Fridge club. 108 students — nearly half of the student body — were so inspired and felt a connection to the project that they rallied to volunteer at the Fridge. Students signed up for various responsibilities including stocking the Fridge with groceries, checking temperatures, cleaning the Fridge daily, and ensuring all items are kosher.

Sophomore Binyamin Friedman, a volunteer at the Fridge, stated that “volunteering feels like a direct way to honor Hersh, whose family came from my own community.”

Lennon echoed their motivation: “We noticed all the leftover food in our homes and in shuls and saw this as a great opportunity to help those in our Jewish community who are in need.” They recognized the need in the community and understood that even small actions can make a real difference. The Fridge became an opportunity both to serve others and to commemorate Hersh.

Remarking on the support Ida Crown students have demonstrated, Mrs. Rachel Polin (ICJA class of ‘87) and Mr. Jon Goldberg (ICJA class of ‘88),  in their humble and appreciative way, shared this statement: “Jon and I are beyond proud, touched and comforted by the students of our alma mater, Ida Crown, who have lovingly taken on helping with the upkeep and smooth running of the Hersh's Fridge project. This initiative exemplifies an aspect of Yiddishkeit that was core to Hersh's identity: dignity and respect to people in need. The gentle quiet way in which this project can enable people who are challenged with food scarcity is exemplary. That students of Ida Crown appreciate the need for the project, and the need for discretion surrounding the project, is holy and the essence of who we strive to be as a people. Jon and I are overwhelmed with gratitude and thanks for everyone involved, and we pray this enterprise is a success in every way imaginable. May the ICJA Hersh's Fridge Team go from strength to strength. With respect and gratitude, Rachel and Jon.”

Rubin and Lennon hope to continue building the volunteer base throughout the year. “Our goal is to get more Ida Crown students involved in stocking, cleaning, and checking the Fridge,” they said.

In taking responsibility for Hersh’s Fridge, Ida Crown students have united leadership, chesed, and their bond to an extended Academy family — turning the project into a living tribute to the values that shaped both Hersh and the ICJA community at large.

Hersh’s Fridge is located at 8800 E. Prairie Road, in Skokie, in the parking lot of Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob.