A Chicago trucker who is a friend of a Hamas hostage at the DNC emphasizes the importance of not forgetting those who are still missing.

Jeremiah Smith, a 28-year-old Chicago native, has been driving a truck around major U.S. cities and college campuses for the past five months, displaying a picture of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 24, and other hostages who were abducted in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 by Hamas terrorists.

This week, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is happening in Chicago.

The plight of the hostages is a deeply personal matter for Smith, who is on a mission to remind others about it.

Smith told Planet Chronicle Digital that Goldberg-Polin was like a "little brother" to him, and that his grandmother, Marcy Goldberg, rescued him from his difficult childhood and introduced him to a new way of life.

Smith's efforts behind the wheel of a truck have been fueled by the backdrop of outreach, friendship, and kindness in America, both this week and well before.

To date, Smith has driven around Chicago, New York City, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and parts of New Jersey.

While masked pro-Palestinian protesters were attempting to stop him by kicking his truck, throwing water at it, and trying to open the door, he continued driving, he stated.

"They were giving me the middle finger. They cussed me out."

In May, Smith shared his account of driving near DePaul University in Chicago, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up camps around the campus.

Smith stated, "They were giving me the middle finger and cussed me out."

"I was labeled a White supremacist and the N-word by a few individuals."

I felt like I might be attacked once.

"I'm going to be out here until every hostage is home."

Smith remarked, "Although they claim to desire peace, I observed the presence of a great deal of hatred."

Smith, who has been driving a truck for five months, six days a week, stated that out of all the protesters he encountered, only two were peaceful.

He continued, "Some people would respond with a 10-7 hand gesture and then make a throat-slitting gesture with their fingers when I tried to talk to them."

Smith declared that he will never cease his efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas terrorists.

His commitment to both a friend and the cause stems from his childhood.

‘First Jewish person I met’

Smith was raised in the Cabrini-Green housing project on the Near North Side of Chicago.

He recounted instances of violence, including drug sales, fights, and people being shot and locked up.

For Smith, the silver lining was playing baseball with his friends and meeting Marcy Goldberg when he was six years old, "the first Jewish person I had ever met."

At the George Manierre Elementary School in Chicago, she was his tutor, he stated.

Smith was invited to Goldberg's Chicago suburb apartment to celebrate Shabbat with her family, including young Hersh, who was just a toddler at the time, according to Goldberg.

Marcy Goldberg was fondly remembered by Smith for delivering grape juice and challah rolls to patients at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Shabbat.

Over 35,000 visits were made to patients by the program's volunteers, including the founder, in a 25-year period, according to Chabad.org.

The Goldberg-Polins became Smith’s surrogate family.

Marcy Goldberg’s charitable nature extended to Smith and his family.

Smith lived with her from the ages of 11 to 18, along with his siblings at different times.

"I felt safe at Marcy’s house," he said.

The Goldberg-Polins became Smith’s surrogate family.

For the past decade, Hersh has spent 10 days at a Passover retreat in Atlanta, Georgia, with his parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, and both sets of his grandparents.

Smith described Hersh Goldberg-Polin as having a great sense of humor and shared how they formed a close childhood bond.

""If you were around him, he would make his presence known by cracking a joke when it's very quiet," Smith said."

The Goldberg-Polin family moved to Israel in 2008, when Hersh was almost eight years old.

Smith remarked that he is very friendly with everyone and you will easily recognize him in the room.

Smith recalled his first time flying overseas to attend Hersh's bar mitzvah in Israel. "It was so enjoyable," he exclaimed. "I told Marcy I wanted to have one too."

In 2008, when Hersh was nearly eight years old, the Goldberg-Polin family relocated to Israel, as previously reported by Planet Chronicle Digital.

‘Going to find a way to get home'

Over the years, Smith maintained a close relationship with the family. He calculated that since October 7th, he has met Marcy Goldberg approximately 70 times.

Upon discovering that his friend Hersh had attended the Supernova music festival in Israel on Oct. 7, Smith exclaimed, "My heart raced. It sank into my stomach … All I could think about was Marcy."

Smith reported that when he hurried to her apartment 30 minutes away, she firmly stated, "He will be back soon. He is okay."

He stated, "If you are familiar with Hersh, you are aware that he will discover a way to return home and ensure everyone's satisfaction. He is the type of individual you desire in your life."

At Marcy Goldberg's first Shabbat dinner, Smith met Jeff Aeder, a longtime family friend of the Goldberg-Polins, when he was young.

"Antisemitism is not a progressive idea. It is an illiberal idea that has no place in this country."

Smith stated that his own father was "great," but he was using drugs at the time, and Aeder took on the role of "like a second father" to him.

To combat the hate-filled messages he saw after Oct. 7, Aeder came up with the idea of hiring Smith to drive a truck with pictures of Hersh and other hostages across it.

"I saw some trucks with Hamas slogans on them and it enraged me," he said. "It was truly bizarre to witness individuals publicly backing a bloodshed."

Aeder expressed his desire for a peaceful and nonconfrontational approach to conveying two messages.

"One is that we must not forget about the hostages," he stated. "Two is that antisemitism is not a progressive belief. It is an illiberal concept that has no place in this nation."

He stated, "We must make it clear that we won't be intimidated and will not remain silent."

Smith, who is still driving a truck with hostage pictures on it, stated, "I will remain here until all hostages are safe."

"Even if Hersh arrives home and there are still hostages present, I will remain outside."

Over 300 days have passed since the hostages' loved ones last received news from them.

According to belief, 111 of the 251 hostages kidnapped on Oct. 7 are still being held captive in Gaza.

Dozens may no longer be alive, according to The Times of Israel.