Her son was taken and killed in Gaza. She still chooses humanity.

In this powerful episode of USA Today's The Excerpt, host Dana Taylor speaks with Rachel Goldberg-Pollen, mother of Hirsch Goldberg-Pollen, a 23-year-old abducted during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and later murdered. Rachel shares the profound emotional and spiritual journey detailed in her book, When We See You Again, reflecting on grief, faith, and the enduring human capacity for love and purpose even in the face of unimaginable loss. She discusses Jewish concepts like Olam Hazed (this world) and Olam Haba (the world to come), using them as frameworks to process her son’s death and find meaning in suffering. Drawing from Viktor Frankl’s 'tragic optimism' and the parable of Death in Tehran, Rachel emphasizes that pain and hope can coexist. She also reflects on the global humanitarian crisis represented by the 254 hostages taken, many from diverse backgrounds, and calls for holding multiple truths—grief for her son and concern for innocent civilians in Gaza—without choosing sides. Her conversation with Pope Francis, who affirmed that terrorism is the absence of humanity, helped her preserve her faith in people. Rachel challenges toxic positivity, advocating instead for honest, tragic optimism—joy that acknowledges sorrow but refuses to be extinguished by it.