Hersh Goldberg-Polin was one of hundreds of hostages taken by Hamas during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The 23-year-old Israeli-American was detained for more than 300 days before being killed in late August by his captors as Israeli troops moved in.
His parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, were main vocals in their efforts to bring their son and the other hostages home, and they told CBS News they would continue to advocate on behalf of the more than 100 hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip.
Hersh was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the Nova music festival on October 7, and about six months later Hamas posted a video of him alive. But in August, Israeli soldiers found his body, as well as those of five other hostagesin a tunnel in Gaza.
His parents’ dignity and courage never wavered, even when they learned how Hamas had executed their son.
“A bullet went through his hand. (…) The gun was so close that the bullet was able to go through his hand, his neck and out the side of his head,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin said. “We think he then collapsed and they put the gun to the back of his head. And the exit wound from that gunshot was the top of his head.”
She said her son, although nearly six feet tall, weighed only 115 pounds when he was buried last month. She said she didn’t necessarily want to know the most gruesome details of her son’s death at first, but then she saw how small his body looked at the funeral.
“I just think it’s very important, first of all, that people understand how these hostages are being held and treated, because we have 101 that are still here,” she said.
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The Goldberg-Polins both blame Hamas for their son’s death, but both also say they feel Israeli, American and even world leaders have failed them.
“World leaders can play a role and we feel like we have failed,” Jon Polin said. action while it is still possible to save 101 [hostages]. …We sat and waited for the presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers of these countries to take the stage, arm in arm, and demand the departure of our people. And that didn’t happen. This still hasn’t happened. Maybe now it’s possible. Maybe they’ll use this as a fix. »
He also stressed the need for a diplomatic solution to return those still detained.
“In 369 days, seven hostages have come out through a military operation. More than 100 have come out through a negotiated settlement. It’s pretty clear what we need to do. Some people have this vision that the idea of the soldiers is going to come out carrying 101 hostages Most people understand that getting these people out is going to take some sort of negotiated deal,” he said.
In their personal lives, the Goldberg-Polins now face the heartbreak of adjusting to life without their son.
“I’m psychologically stuck right now in this place, where I’m afraid to turn around and look back,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin told CBS News. “And I’m afraid of trying to move forward in life without Hersh.
“I moved my place to our breakfast table,” she added. “So I sit where Hersh usually sits because I didn’t want to see him without his seat.”
“It’s very confusing now because we had him gone for a very long time before he was killed,” she said. “But there was always this feeling, this hope and this optimism that we will get him back. We will bring him home.”
The couple remains committed to helping bring the remaining hostages home safely. But like the the war widensthere currently appears to be little political will on either side to negotiate. They hope that changes.
“I am hopeful that within this enlargement there is an opportunity – which means that whatever happens in Lebanon, it is horrible for everyone. The whole region is on fire. What what happened with Iran firing 180 ballistic missiles at Israel last week, will Israel retaliate… Maybe there is room somewhere to tell everyone that? no one is okay right now, we’re going to stop that,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin said.
The couple, both Orthodox Jews, say they have received enormous support from the Jewish community as well as many Christians around the world. Despite the tragedy, both still find comfort in their faith.
“My faith in God has not diminished,” Rachel Goldberg-Palin said. “My trust in people changed, because I felt people could have done more.”
Elizabeth Palmer
