The impact of a week dedicated to goodness – Interview with Rachel Goldberg-Polin

Last Thursday, the Baka branch of Jerusalem Bnei Akiva hosted the Hafsharat Sefer Torah event, where a new Torah was commissioned in honor of the hostages. Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, explained that the Torah was commissioned as part of her family's special initiative, the "Week of Goodness."

The initiative was sparked by Hersh's father, Jon, came, who came up with a profound idea in response to the horrors over the past nine months: To flood the world with more goodness, in honor of the hostages.

Throughout the week, the flooding began. Events such as Torah study, volunteering, food packaging, clothing donations, hafrashat challah, a musical Kabbalat Shabbat, and more, inspired Jews worldwide to perform acts of kindness in honor of the hostages. One of the most meaningful moments came during the donation of a Sefer Torah.

“The Torah contains 613 commandments, with the last one stating that every person should write or contribute to a Torah scroll in their lifetime," Rachel Goldberg-Polin said. "We found a scribe who left the final 120 letters unfinished so we could complete them tonight at the dedication. Each letter corresponds to one of the remaining hostages.

"As each letter is inscribed, the name of a hostage is spoken, symbolizing that their release is being pursued through this act. The Torah serves as our guide to life and has been a source of strength during this challenging time. Writing a Torah scroll and participating in this process felt like the right thing to do,” Goldberg-Polin explained.

Goldberg-Polin also spoke of the amount of pure humanity she’s witnessed through her family's initiative: “It is very expensive to commission a Torah scroll to be written, but this is an example of how much kindness there is out there. In just six days, we raised all the money that was needed.”

Choosing hope

Both Rachel and Jon plan to continue the legacy of the Week of Goodness. “we are certainly not in a place where we should be stopping any of the goodness that people have been throwing out into the world,” she told the Jerusalem Post.

When asked about her resilience and unwavering hope, Rachel replied: "It's a deeply instinctive and primal response, especially for a parent. We don't have a choice; it's a matter of life and death. Every day, we remind ourselves: hope is not optional – it's mandatory. We have to be hopeful. We have to be optimistic."

As the Week of Goodness came to a close, Rachel reflected on the generosity she saw and what the week had brought about.

People have been submitting random acts of kindness they’ve done in honor of the initiative she and her husband began. “Somebody drove a stranger to chemotherapy, somebody baked cookies for the local fire department and police, somebody took an elderly woman to play mahjong, someone even adopted a rabbit that needed to be bottle fed.” she told the Post with a smile.

As Israel and Jewish communities worldwide await the safe return of our hostages, the Week of Goodness stands as a testament to resilience, unity, and unwavering hope.

The Goldberg-Polin family's vision has started a kindness movement that goes beyond borders and encourages people to embrace compassion every day. Each act of kindness strengthens the belief that together, through teamwork, we can bring light even in difficult times. May the unity fostered this week lead to families reuniting and peace being restored.