Rachel Goldberg-Pollin
Rachel Goldberg-Pollin (Hebrew: רייצ׳ל גולדברג-פולין; born 1969 or 1970) is an American-Israeli activist, primarily focused on resolving the hostage crisis which began with the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. She began her activism after her son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, was shot and abducted by Hamas while attending the Re’im Music Festival.
Activism[edit]
Goldberg-Pollin's son, Hersh, was kidnapped and abducted to the Gaza Strip during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.[1] Following her son's abduction, she quit her job[2] to focus full-time on working towards freeing the hostages, and has since spoken to both political authorities and media organziations, including the BBC,[3] CBS,[4] NBC,[5] and The Wall Street Journal.[6] Specifically, she has called for the Israeli government to negotiate a hostage deal, and has criticized leaders for "not doing enough" to bring the hostages home.[7][8] In daily life, she has attempted to draw attention to the hostage crisis by putting tape on her clothing, on which she writes the number of days since October 7.[9][2]
On November 14, 2023, she attended the March for Israel rally in Washington, D.C., and spoke about the plight of all the 240 hostages from countries all around the World Rachel Goldberg-Polin speaking November 14, 2023..[10]
In December 2023, she gave a seven-minute speech at the United Nations in Geneva.[11]
In February 2024, Goldberg-Pollin and 11 other hostage families met with the Pope.[12]
In early April 2024, Goldberg-Pollin, her husband, and other family members of hostages met with United States Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan, to urge action on a hostage deal.[13]
She was named as one of the Time 100 in April 2024.[1]
Personal life[edit]
Rachel Goldberg was raised in Chicago.[1]
Goldberg-Pollin, her husband, Jonathan, and their three children moved to Israel in the early 2000s.[9][2] They have lived in Jerusalem since 2008.[1] She is an observent Jew who keeps kosher.[1][12]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Vick, Karl (2024-04-18). "Counting the Days Since Oct. 7 With Rachel Goldberg-Polin". TIME. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ a b c "'He will come back' - Israeli hostage families cling to hope, and demand a deal". BBC News. 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "'Hope is mandatory': Hostage's mother believes her son will return". BBC News. 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Transcript: Rachel Goldberg-Polin on "Face the Nation," April 7, 2024". CBS News. 2024-04-07. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Her son was last seen badly hurt, being loaded into a Hamas truck: One mother details her 6-month agony". NBC News. 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ Bernstein, Elizabeth. "'Stay Strong. Survive.' The Mother Who Became the Face of Hostage Advocacy". WSJ. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Hostage mother calls on Diaspora Jews to pressure Israel for hostage deal". The Jerusalem Post. 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ Czachor, Emily Mae (2024-04-07). ""All the parties at the table have failed" to free those held by Hamas, mother of hostage says". CBS News. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ a b Kirka, Danica (2024-01-13). "Families of Hamas hostages mark loved ones' 100th day in captivity". AP News. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2023-11-14/supporters-of-israel-rally-in-washington-under-heavy-security-crying-never-again
- ^ "'One Tiny Seed' — A hostage's mother penned a poem for 'a woman in Gaza'". The Forward. 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ a b Sudilovsky, Judith (2024-02-07). "Mother of Israeli hostage says pope gave her 'permission to not lose faith in humanity'". Detroit Catholic. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "'No choice but to stay hopeful,' father of US hostage says after meeting with vice president". Jewish News Syndicate. 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- 20th-century births
- Living people
- 21st-century American Jews
- 21st-century American people
- 21st-century American women
- 21st-century Israeli Jews
- 21st-century Israeli people
- 21st-century Israeli women
- Activists from Chicago
- Activists from Jerusalem
- American emigrants to Israel
- American women activists
- Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis
- Israeli women activists
- Jews from Illinois
- People of the Israel–Hamas war