Since October 7, 2023, Rachel Goldberg-Polin has been one of the most vocal, powerful voices to emerge out of the hostage crisis. On August 31, it was confirmed that Rachel’s son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was one of the six hostages murdered by Hamas while in captivity. We asked the Kveller community to share their messages of support, sympathy and love for Rachel and her family, and have been overwhelmed by the number of responses, shared below.
Your love, devotion, and fight for your son was our collective rallying cry and now we are covering you in prayer. His memory is the heartbeat of our people. We will never forget. —Tamara Reese
My heart is broken. My heart is broken. I am so sorry, Rachel. Just so very sorry. —Janie Chodosh
Rachel, we have not stopped crying for your family, may Hersh’s memory be a blessing to you. I also want to say that, as the mother of 3 girls in their 20s (my youngest is a year younger than Hersh) that I cannot imagine the agony you suffered and the pain that this has caused you — but — I want to let you know that your strength during all these dark days has made me a better mother. Thank you. Like you said in your beautiful and heartbreaking eulogy, I believe that Hersh will teach us all how to survive this darkest chapter and beyond. He will never be forgotten! Much love. —Gwen Baker
Rachel, YOU are truly a woman of strength and valor. You set an example for all women, and especially Jewish mothers. May your beautiful memories of Hersh sustain you and your family. —JoAnn Weinstein Erfer
Your humanity amid this most terrible personal and international crisis has been an inspiration to me and to the world. You make me believe that a better future is possible. I’m so sorry for all that your family has had to endure. May G-d comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. —Liz Galst
You needn’t be strong for the rest of us now; rather, take the time you and your family need to grieve for Hersh. Allow others to help you through these difficult days. When you feel ready, your support for Hersh’s legacy will be welcomed and will spread nationwide and worldwide to bring the hostages home. —Marge Fessler
You say that you must have done something very special to have merited a son like Hersh. In turn, he must have done something special to have merited a mother like you. Your eloquence and dignity, strength and determination sets the bar high for what a mother should be. G-d bless you and your family and your beloved son’s memory. —Marla Halle
Rachel, Hersh felt like our son. You felt like our collective mom. Our hearts split open in grief for you and Jon and your girls. May G-d watch over you and please know… we don’t know you but we love you. Thank you for being a superhero. —Leah R
Dear Hersh’s Mom, You are me. You are my mom. You are all of my friends who are mothers. You are their moms, too. Watching you cross the globe over the past 330 days, countless times over, speaking to anyone who might listen. Crowds on the street. The United States Congress. The Pope. I think most mothers believe we would go to the ends of the earth for our children. You did. Again and again. We all hope that were we in your shoes, we would have the courage to be you. May your belief that hope is mandatory be a call to action. May your son’s memory be a revolution. May Israel and the whole world know peace, and may the living legacy of the strength of your love for your son be the catalyst to bring that peace. Love, Rami’s Mom —Jamie Spiller Kaplan
I worked with you briefly when you taught Melton classes at the JCC in Richmond & I thought you were a superstar then. But watching your eloquence, your strength, your charisma in the face of pain, and the love for your child/children has really shown the world your strength in adversity. I thought that with the strengths he got from you, that Hersh would use his charm and wiles to survive and return to you. And he did until the end. You will both be remembered and revered! May his memory & life be for a blessing. —Robin Jackson
Rachel, please know that moms of “beautiful boys” everywhere feel your profound grief deep within our souls. As one of those moms, I have no words — just that I see your sadness, wish you and your family a path toward healing and peace, and that my family and I promise to honor Hersh’s memory whenever we can. —Devra Newberger Speregen
Thank you for sharing your profound love and grief with us. Your road was the hardest of which any of us have ever walked, and yet you did so with incredible love, dignity, diplomacy, and courage. Your righteousness has kept so many of us going in these darkest of days, and though our words may or may not bring you some solace, please know that you have touched all of Am Yisrael in a way that will stay with us forever. How I wish I could wrap my arms around you to bring you comfort, but please know that I have shared in your grief and shed endless tears along with you. I only hope that the knowledge of others sharing in your pain brings you a moment of comfort. Hersh’s memory will forever be a blessing. —Naama Krauz
Dear Rachel, you have become a mother to the entirety of am Yisrael. We thank you deeply for being a beacon of strength, hope, and fierce love. I have never met you but I love you and I weep with you. I look up to you so much for your courage and strength. Hersh sounds like an amazing boy and I’m sure that is in part because of the amazing family he comes from. I will keep him, you, Jon and your daughters in my heart forever. I will never forget you. —Shirley Pakdaman
Dear Rachel, I am a Canadian Jewish mother living in California raising two young boys. One of them has those deep, warm, dark, soulful eyes I’ve seen in every photo of Hersh. I’ve thought of you often over these past 10 months, and Hersh too. I’ve been floored by your courage, your strength — unable to fathom how you’ve possibly done all you’ve done but also believing deep down I would have fought as hard for mine. You connected all of us to the pain, grief and reality of the horrors in a way that made it feel personal. Your family became ours — or perhaps reminded us that we’ve been family all along, all of us. The New York Times notification on Saturday bearing Hersh’s name left me breathless. Not him, not you, no. How many minds you’ve been on since then. How many lips have shaken, saying your name. How many tears have been cried, screams have been yelled, sleeps not found, all around this floating blue sphere. I hope you feel it. That somehow, the love and thought we’re all sending your way helps you take just one more breath. I’m so sorry. Every Jewish mother is grieving alongside you. We are loving your son, remembering his smile, his light. We are hugging our own more tightly, wishing more than anything that our embraces were between you and your own sweet boy. You have changed us all, and therefore changed the world. But I’m so sorry. I wish you’d never had to. I don’t know how you’ll go on, but I know you will. Sending love from just one little home on a California hillside, from just one Jewish mom with tears on her cheeks. You are a revolution, so is Hersh, but my gosh I wish you’d never had to be. Thank you for sharing your life, your loss, your love, and your son with us all. —Leora
Your pain, your torture, your wait over many hours and in many places — we all stood by you in this. We cannot imagine your pain and grief now. Your hesped for your dear Hersh was remarkable and I was so moved that I wrote your insights in my diary because they are universally applicable. You have transcended the depths into which grief drives us when we have loved so deeply. I shall carry your words with me as deep and loving comforters: “You are right here, I know you are right here. I just have to teach myself to feel you in a different way.” Hersh is so proud of you and from his Gan Eden of peace he will always be with you and your dear family. Am Yisrael Chai. —Miriam Elisheva
There is something unique and special about the heartstring love between a mother and her firstborn son. I get that with my own son. It’s a different kind of connection. Your unwavering love and truths and rawness that you exposed to the world was unwavering and brutally unfair to you and your family. Your fierce love and agony resembles a biblical Jewish mother of epic proportions. I am so very very sorry that you’ve had to experience this enormous kind altering amount of pain. Your son Hersh will be someone we will never forget. Your family humanized him and he was brilliant and loved life. That’s because he came from an incredibly loving and supportive family. You are an inspiration to us all. My prayers are with all of you during this horrific time. As your husband said, may Hersh’s memory be a revolution! The Jewish moms of the world collectively grieve alongside you. I’m so very sorry again. —Ilene Zeiger
There are no words yet you found them. You splayed your heart to the world and it reached us all. Hersh will live on because of you. —Laura Berman
You and your precious family have been a beacon of hope in this dark time. Your strength and dignity have given me hope and strength too. You are a true mama lioness, but not only for your family, for your people as well. We mourn with you. We feel your loss as ours. Hersh has become our son, our brother, our angel. Sending a mama hug from one little lioness to one huge one. —Susie Russak
You are not alone. There is an army of moms sending love and light. We are with you. May Hersh’s memory be a blessing. –CL
Rachel, intimate stranger, Rachel my Sabra mother’s name, Rachel, my daughter’s name. Your grace, your love, your courage knew no bounds. Your emunah lights my neshama, momma Rachel, you will always be your sweet boy’s momma. Your eloquence takes my breath away. May his memory be for a revolution. Bless you and your beautiful family during your time of grief and sorrow. —Lisa Grunberger
You taught me how to be a mother. —Stacy B Y
You can still add your messages for Rachel here, and read through all the ones we’ve received below.
