Rachel Goldberg-Polin: Mother of murdered hostage Hersh 'parcels out her pain' in book

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hirsch Goldberg-Polin who was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and murdered in August 2024, shares the deeply personal journey behind her new memoir, *When We See You Again*. In a raw and intimate conversation with host Jessica Steinberg, Rachel reveals how writing the book became an act of survival—a way to 'parcel out her pain' after years of unbearable grief. She describes the book not as a memoir or a tell-all, but as a form of 'broadcast therapy,' a public unraveling of her soul that answers the painful, unanswerable question: 'How are you?' The book captures her life before and after October 7th, her complex relationship with her son, her Jewish identity, and the spiritual and emotional weight of being the mother of a Holocaust survivor who was later killed. Despite the agony of reliving her trauma, especially during the audio recording process, Rachel finds meaning in the act of writing and speaking, driven by a profound sense of tragic optimism—the belief that even in the deepest sorrow, hope and purpose remain possible. Rachel reflects on the editing process, which cut 87 pages of the original manuscript due to its overwhelming emotional intensity, drawing parallels to Elie Wiesel’s original, much longer draft of *Night*. She emphasizes the importance of honoring her son’s full humanity—not reducing him to a hero, but remembering him as a normal, vibrant young man. She also speaks of the profound impact of meeting Orlevi, a former hostage who carried Hirsch’s book as a lifeline, symbolizing how love and legacy endure even in the darkest moments. As she prepares for a book tour, Rachel remains uncertain of the book’s reception but holds onto the hope that it might help others find their 'why' in the face of unimaginable loss. Her message is one of truth, vulnerability, and the quiet, enduring power of love amid grief.