The Jerusalem Municipality on Monday dedicated a "unity" mural at Teddy Stadium in memory of Ori Danino and Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Fans of the rival Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Jerusalem soccer clubs were held together in Hamas captivity, where they built a bond that lasted 328 days.
The dedication ceremony was attended by Ori and Hersh's families, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, and representatives of both soccer clubs. The mural was painted by the artist Tomer Peretz, a Jerusalem native and lifelong Beitar fan.
The mural shows Danino and Goldberg-Polin in Teddy Stadium, the home of both clubs, with stands full of fans in the background. The piece connects the two in a place where, under different circumstances, they were supposed to stand on opposite sides of an old sporting rivalry.
Ori was raised in a haredi family in the northern Jerusalem Ramot neighborhood and was a die-hard fan of Beitar. Hersh, whose religious American family lived in the Talpiyot neighborhood in the south of the capital, was a dedicated Hapoel fan. From a young age, both would go to Teddy with their families and friends, each one sitting in their respective teams' stands.
On October 7th, 2023, the two were abducted from different locations and held together in the Gaza Strip. According to testimonies of hostages who returned to Israel, during their captivity the two formed a close bond. They supported each other and shared food with one another.
When Hersh lost his left and dominant arm, Ori reportedly confronted their captors and demanded they provide medical care. Hirsh then received care that helped save his life at the time.
Hersh's mother, Rachel, described at the ceremony the relationship between the two young men who came from two different parts of the capital and different sides of a rivalry.
“In our beautiful, complex, diverse, beloved, frustrating, vibrant, and holy city, there are two groups that may seem completely different," she said. “And then there were two young men whom fire brought together, and to the fans of both teams, each of them became a symbol of love."
“In the end, Ori and Hersh became bound to one another, protected one another, watched over one another, fought and breathed for one another. They loved one another. They helped one another survive. After all, only love remains. Two hearts. One city, Jerusalem. Together," she said.
Rachel added: "Nobody came into any of the kibbutzim on October 7th or to the Nova and said, 'What team are you for?' And we have to remember that."
Elchanan Danino, Ori’s father, also spoke about the friendship that developed between the two. “Two stands, two colors, one tunnel, one light. Ori and Hersh came from different worlds and supported rival teams, but in the darkest place, they were brothers first and foremost."
“They looked after one another, strengthened one another, and proved that even in the greatest darkness, it is possible to choose unity, mutual responsibility, and love for one another," Danino added. “May the light they left us continue to bring us together, here in Jerusalem and throughout the people of Israel."
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion said that “the story of Ori Danino and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, of blessed memory, is a Jerusalem story in every sense of the word."
“Two young men, two fans of rival teams, who proved in the most difficult moments that friendship, love, and brotherhood are stronger than any disagreement," he said.
Beitar Jerusalem owner Barak Abramov said the mural “is far more than a memorial."
“It reminds us that beneath all the rivalries, colors, and symbols, there are first and foremost people, families, and entire lives. Ori was a Beitar Jerusalem fan, Hersh was a Hapoel Jerusalem fan, and today they are commemorated here together, in the heart of Jerusalem," he said.
Hapoel Jerusalem CEO Uri Sheratzky addressed the way the two are depicted in the artwork. “The figures of Ori and Hersh look out from the mural in an imagined scenario, but this is how reality should have been. Their deaths were not inevitable. Nor is the polarization we suffer from ordained from above. To achieve true unity, we must take responsibility and act to change reality. We all need to be committed to that."