Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose 23-year-old son Hersh is being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, shared a poignant message for him on Mother’s Day. In a video, she reads a letter she wrote on the eve of his third birthday.
On Mother’s Day, Rachel Goldberg-Polin chose to share a letter she had written to her son Hersh the night before he turned three year old. In a video, she reads the heartfelt note while wearing a shirt with the number 219, representing the days Hersh—an Israeli-American man—has been held hostage since his abduction at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.
To mark Mother’s Day, Rachel Goldberg-Polin decided to reveal a letter she penned for her son Hersh on the eve of his third birthday. In a video, she emotionally reads the note while wearing a shirt bearing the number 219—the count of days Hersh, an Israeli-American man, has been held captive since his abduction at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.
Rachel’s heart swelled with emotion as she quietly observed Hersh in his room at night, nestled in his blue onesie and cradling a teddy bear.
“I gently touched your long, soft, curly hair that we will cut for the first time in a few days. I went back into my room and I cried and cried,” she wrote.
Rachel’s husband would often peer into Hersh’s room and remark, “There will be many more nights like this.” Rachel then shared the translation of a Yiddish lullaby: “Your mother will shed a thousand tears before you become a man.
Rachel said of her son, “One day when you have children, and I can’t even fathom that now, you will know this kind of so much more than love.”
“You are my baby. My ultimate goal as a parent is to help you become a confident, self-sufficient and independent person. But that means you won’t need me,” she added, highlighting the fact that she has become one of the most vocal advocates calling for the release of her son, as well as the other hostages. “And I think that is what’s causing my heart to ache so much right now. I want to raise you to become a healthy person of the world.”
Rachel, who was recognized as one of Time100’s most influential people, expressed reluctance to part ways.
“Time moves so quickly. To understand this, one only needs to look at one’s children. The days fly by and before I know it, we will be taking you to college,” she read. “I can’t imagine what a basketcase I will be then.”
“I wish this could all go more slowly. I treasure each and every moment I spend with you. I am so blessed that it scares me. What did Dada and I do to get so lucky to have you?” she added. “I wish you the best of everything this world has to offer – love, happiness, kindness, success.”
“But most of all, I wish you a child like yourself, who will bring to you all the light and delight that you have brought to me,” she said. “I love you to bits, Mama.”
In an emotional moment, Rachel expressed gratitude to Hersh for making her a mother, telling him to stay strong and survive. Her voice trembled as she spoke.
Day 219. Mother’s Day. A message from Rachel. #Bring_Hersh_Home #BringThemAllHomeNOW pic.twitter.com/iC6SIlab3z
— Bring Hersh Home (@BringHershHome) May 12, 2024
In a recent propaganda video released by Hamas, 23-year-old Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin appeared. His left arm is missing below the elbow, a result of the attack during the Supernova music festival where he was abducted. In the video, under duress, Hersh criticized the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging their intervention to bring the hostages home.
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