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Live with Rachel Goldberg-Polin: Grief, Faith and Hersh

Apr 29, 2026

Guest

Rachel Goldberg‑Polin

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, memoirist and mother of Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, reflects on writing as survival after her son’s kidnapping and murder. She talks about living between worlds, Jewish hope and certainty of reunion, discovering Hirsch’s prophetic journal entry, wrestling with meaning and fate, and small daily practices that hold hope beside despair.

01:08:06

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INSIGHT

Bifurcated Self Between Two Worlds

Rachel describes a bifurcation of self: part of her already lives in the world to come while much remains in this world.
She felt a visceral loss when Hirsch was buried, like hearing part of herself put in the ground, explaining her altered functioning.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

The 330 Days That Humanized Hirsch

The 330 days before Hirsch's murder made him a known person to millions and allowed strangers to grieve him as an individual.
That public recognition became scaffolding for the family after his death, giving them widespread support they otherwise might not have had.

insights

INSIGHT

Destiny Without Passivity

Rachel embraces a view of destiny that coexists with responsibility: fate may exist, but it doesn't excuse inaction.
She cites Baal Shem Tov that each soul has a specific act of kindness to perform, which motivates continual moral effort.

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Why Rachel Wrote the Memoir

02:45 • 3min

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Living Between Two Worlds

05:21 • 3min

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The 'Before' and 'After' of October 7

08:49 • 2min

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Certainty of Reunion and Jewish Hope

11:15 • 10min

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Reading 'Death in Tehran' and Fate

21:10 • 4min

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Meaning, Destiny, and One Act of Kindness

25:22 • 5min

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Family Roles: Daughter, Mother, Wife

30:07 • 6min

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Father‑Son Rituals and Synagogue Absence

36:04 • 7min

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The Binding of Isaac Question

43:23 • 5min

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Receiving an Eight‑Page Letter

48:43 • 15sec

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Failure, Urgency, and Public Advocacy

48:57 • 6min

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Why Names Are Omitted

55:11 • 2min

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Finding Hirsch's Journal

57:07 • 2min

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Hirsch's Tunnel: Hope Beside Despair

59:04 • 2min

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Practical Hope: Morning Gratitude

01:01:33 • 3min

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Legacy: Remembering the Real Hirsch

01:04:28 • 1min

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Meaning from Tragedy and Final Thanks

• Mentioned in 15 episodes

When We See You Again

Rachel Goldberg‑Polin

Rachel Goldberg-Polin's memoir recounts the harrowing experience of her 23-year-old son Hersh being kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, and her family's tireless advocacy for his release and that of other hostages. Written in deeply moving prose, it explores the universal story of living with grief, perseverance, suffering, and love, including days of unrelenting tears and fleeting moments of inner light. The book captures her emotional journey as a bereaved mother who became a global voice for pain, sorrow, and hope.

• Mentioned in 722 episodes

Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor Frankl

The book is divided into two parts. The first part recounts Frankl's harrowing experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945. He describes the inhumane conditions and the psychological and emotional struggles of the prisoners. The second part introduces Frankl's theory of logotherapy, which posits that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, rather than pleasure. Frankl argues that meaning can be found through three main avenues: work (doing something significant), love (caring for another), and suffering (finding meaning in one's own suffering). The book emphasizes the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, even in the most adverse conditions, as a key factor in survival and personal growth.

#10370

• Mentioned in 5 episodes

A Fine Balance

Rohinton Mistry

Set in an unnamed city by the sea in mid-1970s India, during a State of Internal Emergency, the novel follows the lives of Dina Dalal, a widowed seamstress; Ishvar and Omprakash Darji, tailors forced from their village; and Maneck Kohlah, a young student from the Himalayas. The story delves into their intertwined lives, their struggles with poverty, violence, and social upheaval, and their efforts to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair. The novel is a sweeping narrative that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and critiques the harsh realities of neoliberal economics and social injustice.

When Rachel Goldberg-Polin buried her son Hersh, she heard part of herself go into the ground with him. Recorded live before nearly 1,000 people at Temple Judea in Miami, Rachel joins host Noam Weissman to discuss her new memoir, sharing how writing became a way to survive unbearable grief and asking what it means to keep going when the person who was your whole world is gone. Drawing on Jewish theology, Viktor Frankl, and a prophetic journal entry Hersh wrote as a teenager, Rachel wrestles with how hope and despair can coexist.

When We See You Again, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Jon Polin

https://whenweseeyouagainbook.com/

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
https://www.beacon.org/Mans-Search-for-Meaning-P602.aspx

A Fine Line Searching for Balance Among Mountains by Graham Zimmerman

https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/a-fine-line-searching-for-balance-among-mountains

This episode was sponsored by Neil and Pam Weissman. To sponsor an episode or to be in touch, please email noam@unpacked.media.

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