Chicago Man ‘Like a Brother’ to Hostage, Raises Awareness for Release of Israeli Captives

Jeremiah Smith (Instagram) Instagram

The truck Smith drives has a message combatting antisemitism along with images of Israeli hostages.

By Shula Rosen

Jeremiah Smith spends up to 12 hours a day driving a truck around Chicago and beyond with messages calling out antisemitism and urging action on freeing Israeli hostages.

The driver of the car is someone who is like a brother to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of the many hostages still held in Gaza.

However, Smith’s and Hersh’s backgrounds are quite different, even though they are practically family.

Jeremiah Smith grew up in an African American family in the Cabrini-Green housing project in Chicago, an area notorious for gang violence.

One day, a woman named Marcy Goldberg came to his school to tutor him.

At first, Smith wasn’t so enthusiastic–“I didn’t raise my hand because I didn’t care about going to class but my teacher picked me,” he told Aish.com

Smith quickly formed a bond with Marcy, and she came several times a week to tutor him in school subjects.

The friendship grew outside the classroom as Marcy invited Smith over for Shabbat.

When Marcy’s grandson Hersh visited Chicago from Israel, Hersh and Jeremiah became fast friends.

Smith told Aish, “He couldn’t play basketball for nothing, but that’s what I used to play. I’d have him on the basketball court the whole day. He’s like, ‘Just for you, I’m gonna keep running.’”

When Smith flew to Israel for Hersh’s bar mitzvah, Hersh introduced him as his brother, cousin, uncle.

Smith described waking up on October 7th and realizing that Hersh had lost his arm in a bomb shelter and had been abducted by Hamas, “I just dropped when I heard about that. My heart just went into my stomach. The first thing I thought about was Marcy, whether she knew or not.”

He described Maya’s reaction; She was pretty strong. She was pretty sure – she said he’s coming back.”

Just as Rachel and Jon Goldberg-Polin have advocated tirelessly for the release of the hostages, Jeremiah Smith decided to do his part.

The truck he drives has a message combatting antisemitism along with images of Israeli hostages.

He has also started wearing a Jewish star necklace and a pin with a picture of Hersh on it.

Smith’s message to the hostages: “I’d want to say we are here, praying for you guys. We are here trying to make sure that they don’t forget about you guys. Your families are waiting on you.”