Hersh Goldberg-Polin Circle of Friends Honored with 2026 Maccabiah Award

Makkabi Germany presented the 2026 Maccabiah Honorary Award on Friday to the Hersh Goldberg-Polin Circle of Friends, recognizing the organized soccer supporters’ group for its moral courage, civic responsibility, and firm stance against antisemitism. The award was handed out during the Bundesliga match between SV Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt at the Weserstadion, in a joint ceremony led by Makkabi Germany President Alon Meyer and Werder Bremen President Dr. Hubertus Hess-Grunewald. Held against the backdrop of a marked rise in antisemitic incidents in Germany since October 7, 2023, the presentation underscored the responsibility of sport to defend democratic values and human dignity. Goldberg-Polin was a close friend of the Bremen community The Hersh Goldberg-Polin Circle of Friends commemorates Goldberg-Polin, the Israeli-American soccer fan and close friend of the Bremen fan community, who was abducted during the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and later murdered after months in captivity in Gaza. His story resonated worldwide and has since inspired acts of solidarity across club loyalties and national borders. Emerging from a long-standing friendship between supporters of SV Werder Bremen and Hapoel Jerusalem, the Circle of Friends has turned remembrance into action, forging a personal and meaningful connection for soccer fans to the victims of antisemitic violence. Its activities have become a prominent example of how commitment to the game can go hand in hand with respect for human dignity.