Rachel Goldberg-Polin
Rachel Goldberg-Polin | |
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רייצ׳ל גולדברג-פולין | |
![]() Goldberg-Polin, November 2023 | |
Born | Rachel Goldberg 1969 or 1970 |
Citizenship |
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Occupation | Activist |
Known for | Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis activism |
Spouse | Jonathan Polin |
Children |
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Rachel Goldberg-Polin (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 abducted by Hamas while attending the Re’im Music Festival.
Activism
[edit]Goldberg-Polin'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 organizations, 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]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Isaac_Herzog_in_Beit_HaNassi%2C_November_2023_%28GPOHZ0_2055%29.jpg/175px-Isaac_Herzog_in_Beit_HaNassi%2C_November_2023_%28GPOHZ0_2055%29.jpg)
On November 14, 2023, she attended the March for Israel rally in Washington, D.C., where she spoke about the plight of the 240 hostages.[10] In December 2023, she gave a seven-minute speech at the United Nations in Geneva.[11]
In February 2024, Goldberg-Polin and 11 other hostage families met with the Pope.[12] In early April 2024, Goldberg-Polin, 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-Polin, 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 observant 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.
- ^ "Tens of Thousands of Supporters of Israel Rally in Washington, Crying 'Never Again'". usnews.com. 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
- ^ "'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.
External links
[edit]- 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