Jeremiah Smith enjoyed talking about his digital billboard truck at protests in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention, but he also can’t wait to put it in park forever.
“While I love driving trucks, I don't love to drive for this reason,” he said.
Since last March, Smith has taken the wheel of a specially outfitted truck to raise awareness about the hostages, including one he holds near and dear.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin is “like the little brother I never had,” he said. The two met when Hersh was just two years old, and Smith, at the age of six, was a student of Hersh’s grandmother, Marcy Goldberg, at a school on Chicago’s near north side.
“She basically adopted me into the family and taught me about the Jewish community and taught me basically how to be a gentleman,” he said.
At the time, Smith and his own family were living off welfare at Cabrini Green, one of Chicago’s most notorious public housing projects, known for poverty and violence.
After Smith learned of Hersh’s capture on October 7th, he rushed to check on Marcy. A few months later, he didn’t hesitate to take a break from his own trucking business when
Chicago philanthropist Jeff Aeder asked him to hit the road for Hersh.
With an app on his phone, Smith controls the digital display on three of the truck’s sides, showing images of those in captivity along with messages like: My friend was kidnapped by Hamas.
Smith is ensuring no one forgets what his friend is going through
For the last six months, Smith has driven the truck all over Chicago, its suburbs, and downstate Illinois before heading to Missouri, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
When Aeder came up with the idea for a second truck just three months ago, he turned to Smith’s childhood best friend, who also developed a family-like relationship with Marcy Goldberg.
“I met him in fifth or sixth grade, almost 20 years ago now,” said Ladante Clayborn, “We were hanging out after school and headed home to find out that we were living right across the street from each other. I came over, and I met Marcy. I was coming over for Shabbat dinners.”
As he got to know Marcy and Aeder, his fascination and deep appreciation for the Jewishculture flourished.
All these years later, Clayborn, who grew up in a Christian family, wears a necklace with a starof David.
“I stand with Israel. They're family. … Jeff and Marcy have the biggest heart I ever met.”
And as he makes his way through the streets driving that second truck, more people are opening their hearts to him.
“I get a lot of thumbs up and a lot of people [say] thank you so much. People come up crying, like, oh my God, what you're doing is amazing. We know it’s for a better cause, and that’s the most important thing,” he said.
As for Smith, his travels have allowed him to educate people on world events, and he noticed some progress in public reaction just this week.
“People [from the other side] said I hope the hostages come home,” he said, noting this is only the second time he’s heard that comment. “I guess we are going [in] the right direction,” he added.
Smith is taking a short break from the truck to get married on August 31st, and while he’s planning a special dance with Marcy Goldberg, he’s also doing what he can to include Hersh.
“I’m going to have a picture there with Hersh’s face on it so it'll be like he’s still there with me.”