Skokie community honors Hersh Goldberg-Polin with new kosher fridge

SKOKIE, Ill. (WLS) -- Hundreds of people gathered in Skokie on Wednesday for the dedication of a new kosher fridge honoring the life of Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

The fridge will be stocked by neighbors. Organizers said it will provide privacy and dignity to those who need food.

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"People, obviously, have a lot of pride about what they can provide to their family, and we want to preserve that for them as much as possible and not only make them feel comfortable but make them feel good about coming here, as well," Amanda Goldstein, co-chair of Hersh's Fridge, said.

The dedication came nearly two years to the day after Goldberg-Polin's body was found in a tunnel in the Gaza Strip. Goldberg-Polin, 23, was murdered by Hamas after he was taken hostage from a music festival as the war broke out.

His parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, attended the dedication and remembered their son.

"Hersh was an idealist who sought to make the world a better place," Jon Polin said.

"I love the ease in which everybody can be involved in this meal spot," Rachel Goldberg-Polin said.

A new mural and portrait of Goldberg-Polin were also unveiled next to the fridge.

Organizers said it is the country's first kosher fridge to be stocked by neighbors. The Jewish community has deep ties to Skokie, which has more than a dozen synagogues.

The fridge is open to anybody.

"We know that Hersh valued working toward a world without hunger and without conflict; we want to do that in as many places as possible," Goldstein said.

The fridge has been accessed about 50 times a day during its soft launch. Organizers characterize demand as "through the roof."