When Or Levy returned from Hamas captivity in Gaza on Saturday, 491 days after being abducted from the “death shelter” at the Nova festival, he learned the devastating news: his wife, Einav, who had hidden with him in the shelter, had been murdered.
One of his first questions upon his return was about the fate of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who had been taken hostage with him. Unaware that Goldberg-Polin had been killed in captivity, Levy also asked to meet the family of Aner Shapira, the man who had saved his life and those of others in the shelter before being killed.
“When we heard that Or asked about Hersh, it felt like a punch to the gut,” said Jon Polin, Hersh’s father. “First and foremost, my wife Rachel and I celebrate every hostage’s release. We fully understand the importance of every person returning home to their family. My wife and I feel like part of several circles: the circle of hostage families, the circle of families with American citizenship, the circle of the six hostages murdered at the end of August, and the fourth circle—those who were taken hostage together in the same truck: Hersh, Or Levy, Elia Cohen, and Alon Ahel.
“Finally, one of the four has returned home alive, and that is a reason for celebration. It moved and strengthened us greatly to receive a call on Saturday night from Michael Levy, Or’s brother, who told us that one of Or’s first questions was, ‘What about Hersh?’"
"Or was completely disconnected from the outside world, and for a long time, he believed that Hersh had been released and was alive.”
Hersh Goldberg-Polin's story
Goldberg-Polin, 23 at the time of his murder, was born in California and moved to Israel with his parents and younger sisters in 2008. He attended the Nova festival with his childhood friend Aner Shapira. When the Hamas attack began, he sought shelter in a reinforced structure at the festival grounds, where he met Or Levy and his wife, Einav, among others.
“Hersh and Or didn’t know each other before October 7,” Jon explained. “They met in the ‘death shelter’ and went through that traumatic experience together. Thanks to Aner Shapira’s heroism, they survived that terrible morning and were kidnapped together to Gaza. I don’t know if Or and Hersh were held together in captivity at any point, but somehow, Or immediately thought to ask about Hersh in his first moments of freedom.”
On April 24, 2024, Hamas released a video of Goldberg-Polin in captivity, showing his left arm amputated. By September 1, his family received confirmation of his death after his body was found in Gaza alongside the remains of five other hostages: Eden Yerushalmi, Uri Danino, Alex Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Carmel Gat. It was determined that they had been executed by Hamas just days earlier.
“There’s no need to explain how challenging this time is,” said Jon Polin. “All the hostage families—not just my wife and me—have been running around the world since October 7, speaking to every global leader, and we are deeply disappointed that no one in the world could help us free the hostages. We were sure that in the first week of the war, we would hear from world leaders that all the hostages must be released. That didn’t happen then, and it’s not happening now either.
“We now know that the only person in the world who can make a difference in the Middle East is President Donald Trump. We have a clear and strong demand for President Trump: we will not accept a phased deal. We demand that everything be resolved at once—this week. Bring all 76 hostages home, end the war, and then, as a nation, we can begin the difficult process of national recovery.”
As the second hostage release deal was finalized last month, it was impossible not to think about the fact that if Hersh had still been alive, he would have been among those freed.
“It’s a colossal missed opportunity. We all know this deal could have been made in the summer. Even before May 2024, it was possible. In August, we heard from the defense minister, the IDF chief of staff, and other security officials that we must seize this deal, but it didn’t happen. We know what happened after that failure—Hersh and five other hostages were murdered.”
“Throughout the entire period of captivity, month after month, we told decision-makers that as leaders, they must understand that as long as the hostages are held, they are at risk of being executed at any moment. They didn’t listen to us and dismissed our concerns. Tragically, that is exactly what happened to Hersh. We view this immense failure as a lesson to learn from. This must not happen to another family. We must bring them all home at once now. After that, we can have discussions about who is responsible and who is to blame.”
What gives you and your wife the strength to continue fighting for the hostages?
“As a family, we have experienced the worst thing imaginable. We have paid the highest price, and we know this pain and live with it every moment of every day. We so desperately want no other family to feel what we feel. We love the people of Israel, we draw strength from them, and we see how much the public supports the hostages and the deal.
“We must bring all the hostages home, every last one. That is what matters now. We shouldn’t be surprised by what we are seeing and hearing about Hamas captivity—we have known all of this since last August when six bodies were returned. I hope we learn from this and draw the right conclusions.”
Aner Shapira's story
As mentioned, one of Or Levy’s first requests upon his return was to meet the parents of Aner Shapira, who had saved his life and the lives of many others in the shelter. Shapira, 22, had stood at the entrance to the shelter that morning, catching and throwing back grenades that terrorists hurled inside. He managed to deflect eight grenades before the terrorists fired an RPG at him, killing him.
“The news of Or’s return from Hamas captivity filled my wife, Shira, and me with great joy,” said Moshe Shapira, Aner’s father. “We are happy that he came home, that he returned to his son, Almog. When Aner ran to save those in the shelter, he knew what the price might be. He knew that if something happened to him and he didn’t survive, someone else would continue living because of him. And now, another person who survived thanks to Aner’s bravery has come home, and that is deeply moving and joyful.”
“Of course [my wife and I are looking forward to meeting Or when the time is right]. We will meet him when he is ready, with no pressure. We were very moved that he thought of Aner. Or’s mother, Geula, also spoke about Aner. Right now, the most important thing is for Or to find some routine, to rest and recover, to process his new reality. He has been through unimaginable experiences and faces a long and complex road ahead. After that, we would be very happy to meet him.”
Regarding coping with the loss of their son, he said: “The biggest blow came the week we were told that Aner had been killed. That was the most terrible blow a parent can receive. After that, we suffered other painful blows, including learning that Hersh was murdered in Hamas tunnels. We had such high hopes that Hersh would survive, and our hearts broke when he was killed.
“When hostages return alive—especially those who were in the shelter, like Or—it brings us moments of light, in every sense of the word, within the darkness and loss that surround us. These moments bring some joy, but the devastating loss of a son—it’s something you never recover from. We try to hold onto these moments of light in this reality.”
At the end of the conversation, Shapira had one message: “We must bring all the remaining hostages home. Their lives are at risk—they are being tortured and starved. It is horrifying. The most urgent thing now is to bring them home.”