‘Weeping for her children': Rachel Goldberg-Polin reflects on her fight for Hersh

“We have no choice,” other than to “be hopeful,” said Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of slain hostage Hersh, sharing how she copes with the death of her son in a discussion aired on YouTube by Kehilat B’Orcha Yerushalayim (In Your Light Community Jerusalem) on Sunday.

In an episode called “Rachel weeping for her children,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin spoke with Rachel Goldberg, the widow of late reservist Rabbi Avi Goldberg, Hersh’s teacher. Together, they discussed the grief caused by the Israel-Hamas War for their losses.

Goldberg-Polin explained where she finds the strength to continue when asked by the emcee of the episode, Rachel Sharansky Danziger. She responded that she didn’t believe it was a choice and that her advocacy was “a primal instinct of any mother, any parent, any father.” She further commented, “It was a reflex.”

The bereaved mother has been advocating for the release of the hostages, touring globally, being vocal in her pain, and sharing on social media and other platforms.

Goldberg-Polin shared that the journey was a mix of emotions, saying “Every single second that I was fighting for Hersh, I was terrified because I knew he was suffering.” Her experience was juxtaposed with her positive experience and support from the community globally. She commented that “the Jewish community rose like warriors: to greet us and help us.”

Avi Goldberg

Rachel Goldberg spoke about her husband’s death and his connection to Hersh as his teacher. Avi Goldberg was Hersh’s teacher in the 7th and 8th grades for Jewish studies in the Himmelfarb High School, associated with the National-Religious community and located in Jerusalem’s Bayit Vagan neighborhood. He had served on and off duty for about 250 days since October 7 as a rabbi and officer in the reserves from the 8207th battalion, 228th brigade, and he fell in combat in southern Lebanon on October 26th.

In the episode, Rachel mentioned that her late husband was not required to do reserve duty due to his age and because he had eight children (anyone with six or more children is automatically exempt). But this was an active choice for him, according to Goldberg, who said, “It was not a question that he had in his mind or in mine.” She further mentioned that “when the people of Israel are in danger, there is no question you are there to defend.”

Goldberg shared the difficulties she encountered once the war started due to her husband’s absence, saying that “it was very challenging.” She also mentioned how the community support helped her through the pressure of raising eight children, especially since she had limited contact with him in war conditions.

She reflected on Avi’s relationship with his students, still struggling with the fresh change of using past tense when speaking of him, sharing that “he loves his students, he loves Hersh.” She further shared that “the loss he felt as a teacher of these wonderful boys was very big.”

After the death of another one of his students, Dvir Barazani, late last year, he wrote a letter expressing his grief directed to his colleagues at Himmelfarb. He stated that “we make ourselves strong. We must. We bite our lips, and we keep on with asiyah (doing).”

The host directed the question to the bereaved women, asking, “How do we go on?”

Goldberg-Polin said, “We must be hopeful. This is a very precarious divide between being hopeful and falling into despair” and that “to hold back and have respect: I think that is our biggest challenge – as a people, as a nation.” She finished by saying: “We have no choice.”

The episode had an underlying theme of connection to Judaism and references Rachel the Matriarch. All three women in the episode – which aired on the yahrzeit of the original figure that is on the 11th day of Heshvan – are coincidentally named Rachel. They share their stories in connection with one of the foremothers of the Jewish people.

Danziger referenced the biblical figure Rachel Imenu (Rachel, our mother) in a quote from Jeremiah: “She refuses to be comforted for her children who are gone,” drawing on the similarities between the biblical mother Rachel and Rachel Goldberg-Polin. A strong advocate for her son and all hostages, she continues even after Hersh was murdered by Hamas along with five other hostages, and continues fighting for the return of all the remaining hostages. Goldberg-Polin is seen in the media as a unifying figure.