“Our region is in crisis and in pain. Innocents on all sides are suffering terribly. I pray that we, the children of God, on every side, may know how to use the wisdom that has been given to us to find just and sacred solutions to our conflicts, throughout our chaotic world”: this appeal springs from a profoundly personal wound, that of Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hersh, abducted on 7 October 2023 and killed by Hamas after 11 months of harsh captivity in Gaza. In recent days, Rachel Goldberg-Polin has been recognised among the 2026 Women of the Year by USA Today for her civic and human commitment. She has travelled the world to speak with global leaders such as Joe Biden and Pope Francis; she was honoured by Time, which included her in its annual list (2024) of the 100 most influential people in the world; she delivered an address at the United Nations in Geneva; she has given interviews to major international media outlets and taken part in numerous initiatives to raise public awareness about the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, including her son Hersh.
Tears are all the same. In an interview given to SIR news agency about a year ago, she recalled: “tears are all the same.
There is no competition in pain; all human beings experience suffering.
What is dangerous and deeply divisive is to believe that there is a competition between these two sufferings. There is no competition between the suffering of civilians living in Gaza and that of those who have been taken into Gaza”. By transforming what could be a mother’s worst nightmare — the loss of a child — into a testimony capable of sustaining others, Goldberg-Polin has become a symbol of dialogue and closeness to those who live with grief. Rooted in her Jewish faith, she continues to inspire resilience and compassion in the thousands of people affected by loss, of every faith and background, who contact her from across the world.
Do not rejoice at the death of your enemy. Speaking to SIR news agency about the serious situation in the Middle East, Goldberg-Polin, looking ahead to the forthcoming feast of Pesach, the Jewish Passover, which will take place from 2 to 9 April this year, recalls the biblical account of the Exodus: “When the children of Israel finish crossing the Red Sea, the Egyptians who pursue them end up drowning in the waters that engulf them. The Talmud recounts that, at that very moment, the angels begin to sing with joy, but God rebukes them, saying: ‘They too are my creatures, and you should not rejoice at their death’”. A warning which, Goldberg-Polin observes, is also present in the Book of Proverbs: “Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and when he stumbles, let not your heart exult”. “There is an excess of loss, pain and mourning all around us”, the woman repeats, as she launches an appeal that transcends borders and affiliations:
“I pray that we, the children of God, on every side, may know how to use the wisdom that has been given to us to find just and sacred solutions to our conflicts, throughout our chaotic world”.
Her message concludes with a blessing and an immediate hope: “may we all be blessed with healing, comfort, hope and light. May it be… today”. Her autobiography titled “When We See You Again” will be released on 21 April.
