Grief and Memory: Families and Nations Respond to Tragedy

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, shared her deep sense of grief following the recovery of her son’s body almost 11 months after he was taken during the Nova music festival in Gaza. Expressing her feelings to NBC News, Goldberg-Polin remarked, “Grief doesn’t get better.” She acknowledged the possibility of change, noting, “It might get different” and hoped for such a shift. She conveyed that time could intensify the yearning for a lost loved one. She recounted a moment when her daughter discovered her in tears and asked, “What happened?” Goldberg-Polin simply responded, “I haven’t seen my son in three years.”

Goldberg-Polin’s son, Hersh, held dual citizenship and moved to Israel with his family at age seven. Hersh’s body was found among those of six hostages held by Hamas in a tunnel beneath Rafah in Gaza in September 2024.

The Israeli government has urged its citizens abroad to practice increased caution due to escalated threats. The National Security Council communicated advice on avoiding detailed postings of travel plans and security service affiliations on social media. Travelers were also advised against visiting Jordan, Qatar, Somaliland, and Egypt, and to refrain from speaking Hebrew in crowded environments.

“The extraordinary thing about my son was he was ‘totally ordinary’,” Goldberg-Polin stated, rejecting the tendency to mythologize victims of tragedy. Hersh, despite being ordinary, embodied a unique blend of beauty and imperfections. Goldberg-Polin reiterated her son’s ordinary nature as a perfect match to her own values.

Marking the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, Israel commenced commemorations with a nationwide moment of silence at 6:29 a.m., coinciding with the start of the assault. President Isaac Herzog, alongside the first lady Michal Herzog, initiated the day by lighting a memorial candle at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.