Unholy: Two Jews on the News Rachel Goldberg-Polin - Unholy Conversations
Apr 21, 2026
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, hostage-release advocate, Jewish educator, and author of When We See You Again, recounts love and loss in a raw grief memoir. She talks about writing during and after her son Hirsch’s captivity. Conversations cover hope during the 330 days, withheld names and cut pages called the “suitcase,” and how personal grief might spur national change.
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Writing To Share Pain So It Feels Lighter
- Rachel Goldberg-Polin wrote to hand pieces of her pain to others so she could breathe amid crushing grief.
- She began writing while still raw, describing it as typing with one finger from under a truck to explain her private, ongoing suffering.
Grief Can Force A National Reckoning
- Rachel believes the national grief can and must become a catalyst for change, calling Israel at an inflection point with no choice but to act.
- She compares generations to those who wandered after leaving Egypt and urges the next generation to rebuild on a blank canvas.
330 Days Of Hope Gave Time To Fight For Hirsch
- Rachel recounts 330 days of hope while Hirsch was alive in captivity, which she calls a gift that let them fight for him and introduce him to the world.
- That period meant they didn't need to re-explain who Hirsch was after his death because many already knew and loved him.
