What do you think?
Rate this book
When We See You Again
A searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength in the wake of unthinkable tragedy.
Once upon a time, I was meandering down the road of life with my husband, Jon. It was a regular and beige life, and it worked. It was a warm beige. We felt, and were, blessed and lucky. Normal.
On the morning of October 7th, 2023, Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s beloved twenty-three-year-old son, Hersh, was stolen from a music festival billed as a celebration of unity and love—and, in that moment, her life was forever separated into The Before and The After. Over the next eleven months, she and her husband, Jon, would work tirelessly—in public and behind the scenes—to secure the hostages’ release, to breathe some humanity into the situation while they were experiencing relentless emotional and psychological torment. The power of her raw and fervent pleas soon made her the face of the hostage crisis. And when Hersh and five other captives were executed after surviving 328 days of violence and cruelty, she would also become the face of its ultimate cost.
In When We See You Again, Rachel pours her pain, love, and longing onto paper, giving voice to the broken among us, and reminding us that even when the world feels choked with darkness, light exists in a different way. How do we find it? Her own experience has been extreme, but at its essence, this is a universal story of trying to live with grief. It is a story of how we remember and how we persevere, of how we suffer and how we love.
“There are days when I break completely,” she writes. “I have cried for an entire day straight. I didn’t think it was physically possible, but the weeping never let up. That is a very long time to cry. I kept hoping I would run out of tears. And then there are days when there is a whisper of sun. Not out there in the sky. In me. In us.”
Read less
Once upon a time, I was meandering down the road of life with my husband, Jon. It was a regular and beige life, and it worked. It was a warm beige. We felt, and were, blessed and lucky. Normal.
On the morning of October 7th, 2023, Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s beloved twenty-three-year-old son, Hersh, was stolen from a music festival billed as a celebration of unity and love—and, in that moment, her life was forever separated into The Before and The After. Over the next eleven months, she and her husband, Jon, would work tirelessly—in public and behind the scenes—to secure the hostages’ release, to breathe some humanity into the situation while they were experiencing relentless emotional and psychological torment. The power of her raw and fervent pleas soon made her the face of the hostage crisis. And when Hersh and five other captives were executed after surviving 328 days of violence and cruelty, she would also become the face of its ultimate cost.
In When We See You Again, Rachel pours her pain, love, and longing onto paper, giving voice to the broken among us, and reminding us that even when the world feels choked with darkness, light exists in a different way. How do we find it? Her own experience has been extreme, but at its essence, this is a universal story of trying to live with grief. It is a story of how we remember and how we persevere, of how we suffer and how we love.
“There are days when I break completely,” she writes. “I have cried for an entire day straight. I didn’t think it was physically possible, but the weeping never let up. That is a very long time to cry. I kept hoping I would run out of tears. And then there are days when there is a whisper of sun. Not out there in the sky. In me. In us.”
Read less
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2026
About the author
Rachel Goldberg-Polin
1 book112 followersRachel Goldberg-Polin (Hebrew: רייצ'ל גולדברג-פולין; born: 1969) is an American-Israeli activist. During the hostage crisis which began with the October 7 attacks in 2023, Goldberg and her husband became two of the highest profile relatives of Israeli hostages advocating for their release on the world stage, meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Pope Francis, among other world leaders.
She began her activism after her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was abducted by Hamas while attending the Re’im Music Festival. Hersh was murdered by Hamas in August 2024, and his body was recovered from Gaza on 31 August.
She began her activism after her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was abducted by Hamas while attending the Re’im Music Festival. Hersh was murdered by Hamas in August 2024, and his body was recovered from Gaza on 31 August.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 436 reviews
April 22, 2026
I don’t generally write reviews but here is my short and to the point review. Why is this book 4.91 it should be 5.0+
Rachel Goldberg Polin is a poetess and her writing is full of wisdom that she shares with us. I only wish that we all had the privilege of knowing and learning from Rachel under different circumstances.
Rachel Goldberg Polin is a poetess and her writing is full of wisdom that she shares with us. I only wish that we all had the privilege of knowing and learning from Rachel under different circumstances.
June 20, 2026
On October 3rd you turn twenty-three.
You never asked for presents.
You didn’t want things, you wanted experiences.
All you asked for this time was to try the new pizza place
that had opened up near your house.
But it was the holiday of Sukkot,
so your family said “Let’s wait until next week” and you said “No Problem”.
Your mother does not know
that this is the last normal sentence you will ever speak to her.
She only remembers the dream she had a few nights before:
standing with you in the kitchen at night,
watching you run across the room and out onto the porch,
toppling headfirst over the railing in agonizing slow motion.
She ran to catch you,
but she was too late—you vanished into the dark.
She woke up with the dream stuck in her throat.
On October 7th, you leave for a music festival.
You leave your book behind because you think you will be back soon.
By mid-morning, you are crammed inside a concrete bomb shelter
with twenty-eight other young music lovers.
The grenades start coming in.
In the blast, the smoke, the screaming,
your dominant left forearm is completely blown off below the elbow.
There is a jagged bone sticking out of a bloody, wrapped cloth.
You are loaded onto the back of a pickup truck.
Thousands of people shout, throwing shoes,
hitting the captives with sticks.
Your mother does not know your arm is gone.
She sits in her apartment, starting a new acting career,
pretending to be calm on phone calls,
while your friends set up a whiteboard in the living room.
They draw three columns: Status Unknown, Abducted, Rescued.
They use black marker to draw dotted lines
connecting the names of who came together to the festival.
In Gaza, you aren't taken to a hospital.
They dump you in an apartment room on a thin mat.
For three days straight, your arm will not stop bleeding.
The mat beneath you becomes entirely saturated,
soaking up your life until you slip into unconsciousness.
Another hostage has to scream at the captors
just to get someone to sew your wound shut.
Your mother is standing before high-ranking world leaders.
She is flying to the United Nations,
opening her computer in the middle of the night on a plane,
writing a cathartic vomit of words:
"My name is Rachel, and I am the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin." She is tape-recording a number onto her shirt every single morning.
She is telling the world she has third-degree burns on her soul.
You are moved sixty-six feet underground into the subterranean inferno.
The cramped, dark tunnels with no sun, no hygiene, no electricity.
You leave behind your only possession—your book—
so another hostage can use it to teach a child to read.
But somehow, a radio broadcast cuts through the earth.
You hear a news reporter talking.
You hear your mother's voice, sixty-six feet below the soil.
You find out she is shouting your name to the Secretary of State.
Your family is searching through your old room.
They find a notebook from when you were a boy starting ninth grade.
They open it to an entry dated October 26, 2015.
They read what your sister calls a prophecy:
"Life is like the world, in order to exist you have to move and work hard.
Every so often you arrive at a tunnel and you enter the unknown
and you don’t know when you will get out,
you just move forward in the tunnel and try to find the exit.
Tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel,
tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel."
On Day 328, your mother stands on a wooden platform near the border.
She screams your name into a deafening sound system,
hoping her voice will travel through the dirt to find you.
Her body seeps a physical misery so profound she collapses on the asphalt.
Hours later, the tunnel becomes your execution chamber.
The guns are pushed directly into your skin.
You are shot six times.
When they pull your skeletal body from the earth on Day 330,
your hair is still covered in gunpowder.
At your funeral, the van twists down a long road.
Thousands of people line the streets holding signs that simply say "Sorry".
Your mother walks behind the van, staring at your body through the tallit.
She says out loud, over and over, in a hushed tone:
"I love you my sweet boy. You are home."
The Shiva has passed.
The 328 days of blanketed punishment are over.
You see your mother standing in the quiet of the kitchen on Friday nights.
She still lights three candles for Shabbat.
But you are not there to stand before your parents,
to be blessed,
to be kissed on your forehead.
You feel the pain left behind, a weight that will never vanish from the house.
Yet your mother forces herself to look at the sky,
trying to find a way to be hopeful,
searching through the wreckage for a purpose,
a radiant Why to channel the suffering,
promising to revolutionize your goodness into a world that failed you.
You are free now.
But the numbers remain, carved into the history of the earth:
My name is Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
I was held captive for 328 days.
7,872 hours.
472,320 minutes.
28,339,200 seconds.
I didn't die.
I was... murdered.
“Yis’ga’dal v’yis’kadash sh’may ra’bbo, b’olmo dee’vro chir’usay v’yamlich malchu’say, b’chayaychon uv’yomay’-chon uv’chayay d’chol bai Yisroel, ba’agolo u’viz’man koriv; v’imru Omein . . . ”
You never asked for presents.
You didn’t want things, you wanted experiences.
All you asked for this time was to try the new pizza place
that had opened up near your house.
But it was the holiday of Sukkot,
so your family said “Let’s wait until next week” and you said “No Problem”.
Your mother does not know
that this is the last normal sentence you will ever speak to her.
She only remembers the dream she had a few nights before:
standing with you in the kitchen at night,
watching you run across the room and out onto the porch,
toppling headfirst over the railing in agonizing slow motion.
She ran to catch you,
but she was too late—you vanished into the dark.
She woke up with the dream stuck in her throat.
On October 7th, you leave for a music festival.
You leave your book behind because you think you will be back soon.
By mid-morning, you are crammed inside a concrete bomb shelter
with twenty-eight other young music lovers.
The grenades start coming in.
In the blast, the smoke, the screaming,
your dominant left forearm is completely blown off below the elbow.
There is a jagged bone sticking out of a bloody, wrapped cloth.
You are loaded onto the back of a pickup truck.
Thousands of people shout, throwing shoes,
hitting the captives with sticks.
Your mother does not know your arm is gone.
She sits in her apartment, starting a new acting career,
pretending to be calm on phone calls,
while your friends set up a whiteboard in the living room.
They draw three columns: Status Unknown, Abducted, Rescued.
They use black marker to draw dotted lines
connecting the names of who came together to the festival.
In Gaza, you aren't taken to a hospital.
They dump you in an apartment room on a thin mat.
For three days straight, your arm will not stop bleeding.
The mat beneath you becomes entirely saturated,
soaking up your life until you slip into unconsciousness.
Another hostage has to scream at the captors
just to get someone to sew your wound shut.
Your mother is standing before high-ranking world leaders.
She is flying to the United Nations,
opening her computer in the middle of the night on a plane,
writing a cathartic vomit of words:
"My name is Rachel, and I am the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin." She is tape-recording a number onto her shirt every single morning.
She is telling the world she has third-degree burns on her soul.
You are moved sixty-six feet underground into the subterranean inferno.
The cramped, dark tunnels with no sun, no hygiene, no electricity.
You leave behind your only possession—your book—
so another hostage can use it to teach a child to read.
But somehow, a radio broadcast cuts through the earth.
You hear a news reporter talking.
You hear your mother's voice, sixty-six feet below the soil.
You find out she is shouting your name to the Secretary of State.
Your family is searching through your old room.
They find a notebook from when you were a boy starting ninth grade.
They open it to an entry dated October 26, 2015.
They read what your sister calls a prophecy:
"Life is like the world, in order to exist you have to move and work hard.
Every so often you arrive at a tunnel and you enter the unknown
and you don’t know when you will get out,
you just move forward in the tunnel and try to find the exit.
Tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel,
tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, tunnel."
On Day 328, your mother stands on a wooden platform near the border.
She screams your name into a deafening sound system,
hoping her voice will travel through the dirt to find you.
Her body seeps a physical misery so profound she collapses on the asphalt.
Hours later, the tunnel becomes your execution chamber.
The guns are pushed directly into your skin.
You are shot six times.
When they pull your skeletal body from the earth on Day 330,
your hair is still covered in gunpowder.
At your funeral, the van twists down a long road.
Thousands of people line the streets holding signs that simply say "Sorry".
Your mother walks behind the van, staring at your body through the tallit.
She says out loud, over and over, in a hushed tone:
"I love you my sweet boy. You are home."
The Shiva has passed.
The 328 days of blanketed punishment are over.
You see your mother standing in the quiet of the kitchen on Friday nights.
She still lights three candles for Shabbat.
But you are not there to stand before your parents,
to be blessed,
to be kissed on your forehead.
You feel the pain left behind, a weight that will never vanish from the house.
Yet your mother forces herself to look at the sky,
trying to find a way to be hopeful,
searching through the wreckage for a purpose,
a radiant Why to channel the suffering,
promising to revolutionize your goodness into a world that failed you.
You are free now.
But the numbers remain, carved into the history of the earth:
My name is Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
I was held captive for 328 days.
7,872 hours.
472,320 minutes.
28,339,200 seconds.
I didn't die.
I was... murdered.
“Yis’ga’dal v’yis’kadash sh’may ra’bbo, b’olmo dee’vro chir’usay v’yamlich malchu’say, b’chayaychon uv’yomay’-chon uv’chayay d’chol bai Yisroel, ba’agolo u’viz’man koriv; v’imru Omein . . . ”
April 22, 2026
It was an honor to read Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s book.
April 21, 2026
Heartrending and utterly luminous
This is a book about loss and horror and grief, and above all, about a parent's immense, blazing love for her beloved son. I read it in one sitting, weeping, as I wept on the day I learned Hersh had been murdered. May his memory be for a revolution. May the grief become easier to bear.
This is a book about loss and horror and grief, and above all, about a parent's immense, blazing love for her beloved son. I read it in one sitting, weeping, as I wept on the day I learned Hersh had been murdered. May his memory be for a revolution. May the grief become easier to bear.
May 14, 2026
Fuck Hamas!
June 13, 2026
There is a genre of Jewish literature concerned with annihilation, and it stretches from Lamentations to Primo Levi. Rachel Goldberg-Polin has added to that shelf an incredible, incomprehensible, scroll of tears. She has done it while still bleeding.
Her son Hersh, twenty-three years old, had his dominant left hand blown off by an RPG fired into a civilian shelter, was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7th, 2023, held in Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza for 328 days, and then executed at close range. Six bullets. Gunpowder in his hair. She writes that she composed this book with zero perspective, zero distance from the impact, the truck still on top of her.
What she has produced is one of the most shattering portraits of Jewish grief and love ever committed to the page, and also one of the most alive.
Hersh materializes in these chapters with extraordinary specificity: his kidney-bean nostrils, his teeth broken at bar mitzvah and left imperfectly patched, the hand he extended like Fred Astaire to carry his mother's bag, the fact that he washed dishes badly and she silently rewashed them after he left the kitchen. His vegetarianism that included zero vegetables or fruit. The Yom Kippur message he sent to his parents from a forest where he was performing the Chassidic meditation of Hitbodedut, alone with a prayer book and a sleeping bag, in which he wrote that he was "very very happy." Four days before he was taken.
The Goldberg-Polins are a family for whom Judaism and Israel are the core of daily life. Rachel's journey from a secular Chicago childhood to Orthodox day school to Brandeis to Jerusalem, where she and Jon married in 1997 and chose aliyah in 2008, reads as destiny.
Jon's conviction is the beating theological pulse beneath the whole book: why would a Jew pray daily for return to the Jewish homeland, pray it for millennia, and then, with the land available and the gates open, stay away?
Hersh grew up in southeastern Jerusalem, a Hapoel soccer devotee, a combat medic in the IDF's tank corps, a kid who read Maus at eight and hosted German friends for Shabbat dinner in August 2023, weeks before the massacre. The family's relationship to Israel is unapologetic and unarguable.
What Rachel brings to this, and it is a contribution as significant as the testimony, is a mother's ferocity of observation. The Prologue, in which she catalogs every physical fact she holds about Hersh's body and face and gait, is an act of preservation as urgent as anything in Holocaust literature.
She records the freckle on his right cheek. She times the last text messages in the family group chat: October 5th, pretty sunset; October 6th, coming home for dinner. Jon's Afterword, where he describes standing alone at Birkat Kohanim every Shabbat since Hersh's murder, wrapped in a prayer shawl with an empty space beside him, is the quiet devastation that establishes the book's full emotional range.
This is also a document about what it costs to be Jewish in the current era, written in real time, in the ancient homeland, by a woman who knows where Jews have always been forced to flee when the world turns. It will matter to scholars of October 7th, to students of grief, to everyone trying to understand Israel's meaning to those who live there by covenant and by choice. "When We See You Again" is the book Rachel Goldberg-Polin owed to Hersh. It is the book the world owes to the truth.
❤️ 🇮🇱
Her son Hersh, twenty-three years old, had his dominant left hand blown off by an RPG fired into a civilian shelter, was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7th, 2023, held in Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza for 328 days, and then executed at close range. Six bullets. Gunpowder in his hair. She writes that she composed this book with zero perspective, zero distance from the impact, the truck still on top of her.
What she has produced is one of the most shattering portraits of Jewish grief and love ever committed to the page, and also one of the most alive.
Hersh materializes in these chapters with extraordinary specificity: his kidney-bean nostrils, his teeth broken at bar mitzvah and left imperfectly patched, the hand he extended like Fred Astaire to carry his mother's bag, the fact that he washed dishes badly and she silently rewashed them after he left the kitchen. His vegetarianism that included zero vegetables or fruit. The Yom Kippur message he sent to his parents from a forest where he was performing the Chassidic meditation of Hitbodedut, alone with a prayer book and a sleeping bag, in which he wrote that he was "very very happy." Four days before he was taken.
The Goldberg-Polins are a family for whom Judaism and Israel are the core of daily life. Rachel's journey from a secular Chicago childhood to Orthodox day school to Brandeis to Jerusalem, where she and Jon married in 1997 and chose aliyah in 2008, reads as destiny.
Jon's conviction is the beating theological pulse beneath the whole book: why would a Jew pray daily for return to the Jewish homeland, pray it for millennia, and then, with the land available and the gates open, stay away?
Hersh grew up in southeastern Jerusalem, a Hapoel soccer devotee, a combat medic in the IDF's tank corps, a kid who read Maus at eight and hosted German friends for Shabbat dinner in August 2023, weeks before the massacre. The family's relationship to Israel is unapologetic and unarguable.
What Rachel brings to this, and it is a contribution as significant as the testimony, is a mother's ferocity of observation. The Prologue, in which she catalogs every physical fact she holds about Hersh's body and face and gait, is an act of preservation as urgent as anything in Holocaust literature.
She records the freckle on his right cheek. She times the last text messages in the family group chat: October 5th, pretty sunset; October 6th, coming home for dinner. Jon's Afterword, where he describes standing alone at Birkat Kohanim every Shabbat since Hersh's murder, wrapped in a prayer shawl with an empty space beside him, is the quiet devastation that establishes the book's full emotional range.
This is also a document about what it costs to be Jewish in the current era, written in real time, in the ancient homeland, by a woman who knows where Jews have always been forced to flee when the world turns. It will matter to scholars of October 7th, to students of grief, to everyone trying to understand Israel's meaning to those who live there by covenant and by choice. "When We See You Again" is the book Rachel Goldberg-Polin owed to Hersh. It is the book the world owes to the truth.
❤️ 🇮🇱
April 22, 2026
5 stars not enough. Ty Rachel for opening up your heart and sharing. I am sorry ♥️
May 30, 2026
This is such a difficult book to review, not only because it is such an emotionally heavy topic, but also because there was so much that Goldberg-Polin shared about herself and her family, as well as her son Hersh. But I’ve seen Goldberg-Polin give speeches around the world, and was absolutely blown away by her eloquence even in the depths of her grief. And this book only increased my admiration for this strong woman and her family.
Since it’s Jewish American Heritage Month, I wanted to highlight this book, because after finishing, I realized that this is the kind of book everyone can benefit from reading. As an American Jew, and especially as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I firmly believe that bearing witness is an essential part of being. My father raised me in the safety of America, but things have changed drastically, and I can only say that I am glad my father isn’t alive to see what has happened to our world after October 7, 2023.
That specific date will forever live in my memory. I was on a cruise on the Danube River in Austria when we turned on the news one morning and saw mass chaos in Israel and heard that a rave was overrun by terrorists. I knew my cousin had been at that rave, and was frantic to find out if she was okay. Luckily, she got home safely, even though some of the people she had gone with were taken as hostages into the tunnels of Gaza. I can remember so many details of that morning, just like when I think back on the day of September 11, 2001.
The vast majority of Jews are also Zionists, which simply believes that Jewish people should have the right to self-determine in their ancestral homeland. The meaning of the word has been twisted by so many people that it is hard for a tiny population of 15 million Jews, or 0.2% of the worlds population, to be heard. This is especially pertinent when there are antisemitic social media accounts pumping out misinformation to follower counts that far exceed the number of all Jewish people around the world.
Everything changed after October 7th. I have been fortunate to have a great group of supportive friends, some Jewish and others non-Jewish, who have let me share my fears and process grief with them. When 251 innocent Israeli people were violently kidnapped and held hostage in the dank, airless tunnel system running underneath the Gaza Strip, my family grew by 251 people. And so did that of many Jewish families. I knew them by name, by photo, by propaganda videos, and the anguished longing of their parents, children, sisters, brothers, significant other, and the rest of their loved ones was a psychic wound that was unavoidable. Posters were created and put up everywhere. Marches were held.
Through the length of his captivity, one woman distinguished herself by speaking on behalf of her beloved son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Rachel and her husband Jon spoke anywhere and everywhere they could in an effort to get their son back. He was a dual citizen of Israel and America, and it was thought that his American citizenship would make it easier to get him back. And when I saw that Rachel Goldberg-Polin had written a book about her experiences, I knew I had to read it.
I won’t lie—this is a heartbreaking, emotionally devastating book. When discussing the abuse, kidnapping, injuries, and the journey through grief as this family waited to get their son back alive, there were parts where my eyes were just leaking, and other parts that had me saying ‘oof’ like I had just been punched in the gut. But there are also funny moments, happy moments, and moments of love shared throughout.
Initially, Rachel describes her own early life and her journey towards spirituality, but then she segues into what can only be described as a celebration of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. He was her firstborn son and she joyfully shares all the wonderful (and not-so-wonderful) things about her ‘forever boy’ as she calls him, since he’ll remain 23 years old forever. She talks about how Hersh was as a baby and as a child, and his relationship with his two younger sisters. Hersh wanted to travel the world, and had a ticket to leave for Goa, India, only weeks after the Nova Festival. Instead, that task now falls to his mother to do on his behalf.
The family dynamics, the nuances of Hersh himself, and their life sounded idyllic. He visited them before heading to the Nova Festival, and then headed on to the Nova party, a festival of peace and celebrating nature and the most joyful holiday in the Jewish calendar, Simchat Torah, the day the Jews received the Torah. I reveled in hearing about how kind and caring Hersh was; the way he went through life with a smile and a desire to make friends; and was an avid traveler.
Then came the day everything changed. The rave was close to the Gaza Strip border, so when paragliders and masses of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and terrorist-adjacent participants invaded Israel, rockets started going on and paragliders could be seen in the sky. The party was shut down, and the masses of participants fled by any means possible. Hersh, his best friend Aner, and a ton of other people had tried to hide in a tiny roadside bomb shelter. However, it was designed for protection from rockets, and didn’t have a door they could close. Terrorists threw grenades into the shelter, where Aner would catch them and throw them back out of the shelter. When one detonated before he could throw it back, he was killed and Hersh took over. Except the terrorists shot an RPG into the shelter, which severed Hersh’s dominant left are just below the elbow. They were thrown into the back of pickup trucks, driven into Gaza, and subjected to masses of people cheering on Hamas and other terrorists. Since the terrorists had come prepared with GoPros, raw footage was available—there is video of Hersh being kidnapped, bloody and with bone protruding from the stump of his left arm.
This was the end of the ‘before’ and the introduction to the ‘after’ for the Goldberg-Polin family. Nothing could be the same, knowing that her son was abducted, tortured, and being held in a Hamas tunnel. Seeing all the hostage releases that occurred early on, it became clear that they were starved while their captors feasted, held in the most unsanitary and inhospitable place, where they were chained and kept in the dark about much of what was going on outside of Gaza. Hersh only received medical care for his arm when he had lost so much blood he was unconscious.
The Goldberg-Polin family knew nothing about any of this until much later. Throughout this ordeal, Rachel shares her family’s efforts to rescue Hersh. She only learned more about what Hersh went through when some of the released hostages had been kept with Hersh for a period of time, and told her how he kept up the spirits of the group. He even found a way to get a single book from his captors because he was an avid reader. Ultimately, he was kept with 5 other hostages, who became known as ‘The Beautiful Six.’
While dealing with the immense terror, fear, grief, and anger, Rachel still set this all aside and spoke with any and everyone who might have been able to help. She doesn’t name any names, but ultimately, her efforts came to naught. Hersh was held in captivity by Hamas terrorists for 328 days. Chained. In an airless tunnel. Lacking basic hygiene, no nutrition, nothing but the five other captives to occupy his time. After they were murdered, a video came out of The Beautiful Six lighting a Chanukah candle, saying the blessings, and singing. They managed to find a way to make the unbearable bearable. As the IDF drew closer and rescued four other hostages, The Beautiful Six were brutally murdered, shot in the head at close range, multiple times.
A few days later, their bodies were recovered by the IDF. I can’t imagine the grief this family felt, although you can clearly hear it in her voice, since she narrates the audiobook, with an afterward by her husband, Jon Polin. She has a beautiful way with words, and an ability to channel her feelings into her writing. I could feel her joy when she talked about Hersh teasing his younger sisters, and the amazing person that unfolded as he grew up. I could also feel her pain and frustration when influential leaders wouldn’t help her. The only agency that she did name, was the Red Cross, who refused to visit with hostages, although they do find a way to take pay-for-slay checks to Palestinian prison inmates—this is a stipend that the Palestinian Authority pays to any terrorist who kills Jews, and it gets paid to their family in the event that they die. Calling them out by name, she was the first to tell the Red Cross that they were doing a wonderful job of being an Uber service from the Gaza Strip back to the Israeli border for released hostages but does absolutely nothing for the hostages who were still alive and suffering. ICRC has a long history of not helping Jewish people, and this only furthers that belief.
While this is a heavy story and I had to have a cozy read to fall back on if this got too overwhelming, it is also a human, emotional, hopeful, and occasionally funny story. But I found that was spoke to me the most was how Rachel and her family gained strength from the teaching of Judaism. When a Jewish person dies, we believe that they go to Olam Haba, or the world to come. This is where we are reunited with our loved ones who have passed, and leads directly to the title of this book—in Judaism, death isn’t a final separation from our loved ones. This life is just a journey into the next one. And that’s a really powerful idea that does make the grief a little more bearable.
I don’t have children, so I don’t know what if feels like to give birth, to watch your child grow up and become their own person. But Rachel shared her own experiences so eloquently, I can see why she was invited to speak in so many places. Yet she also talks about her grief—the days she couldn’t stop crying, the times she was unable to engage in the life around her, and the idea of knowing that before her son died, he was chained, abused, and starved to the point where the sheet over his body was nearly flat.
In Judaism, we are required to bury the dead within 24 hours of passing, except on the Sabbath or holidays. Having a living child kidnapped and held hostage is a horrible form of grief, but knowing they were brutally tortured, starved to emaciation, and then killed intentionally at close range is a whole other type of grief. Rachel doesn’t talk about the stages of grief—she talks about her return to life, although a much different life than the ‘before.’ She’s wise and kind, sweet and caring, and a mama bear who would fight anyone to protect her children, although she wasn’t able to protect Hersh.
Overall, this was an outstanding book, even if I cried while listening to some of it. Rachel is an outstanding writer, finding the words to describe the indescribable feelings they were going through. Hearing about what an incredible person Hersh was, it made me both devastated and furious that the world turned their backs and let this young man and so many other hostages die in captivity while refusing to condemn the actions of Hamas terrorists. Jewish thought teaches us that inside each person is an entire world. If we lost this much potential when Hersh was murdered, imagine how many other things the world will miss out on because of the 1200 people who were murdered and those who were killed in captivity. This book is both a celebration of Hersh’s life, and a condemnation of how he was killed and the world leaders and NGOs who did nothing to release the hostages. I experienced a full gamut of emotions while reading, but this was one of the most powerful books I have ever read, right along with Hostage by Eli Sharabi. If you read one nonfiction read this year, make it this one.
Bottom line: An incredibly powerful book, the raw emotions and the experiences of what the hostage families and loved ones are shared candidly by Rachel, along with some gems from Jewish teachings that not only gave her comfort, but have the ability to educate and instill some more compassion. Don’t miss it, even though it’s painful to read at times.
Since it’s Jewish American Heritage Month, I wanted to highlight this book, because after finishing, I realized that this is the kind of book everyone can benefit from reading. As an American Jew, and especially as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I firmly believe that bearing witness is an essential part of being. My father raised me in the safety of America, but things have changed drastically, and I can only say that I am glad my father isn’t alive to see what has happened to our world after October 7, 2023.
That specific date will forever live in my memory. I was on a cruise on the Danube River in Austria when we turned on the news one morning and saw mass chaos in Israel and heard that a rave was overrun by terrorists. I knew my cousin had been at that rave, and was frantic to find out if she was okay. Luckily, she got home safely, even though some of the people she had gone with were taken as hostages into the tunnels of Gaza. I can remember so many details of that morning, just like when I think back on the day of September 11, 2001.
The vast majority of Jews are also Zionists, which simply believes that Jewish people should have the right to self-determine in their ancestral homeland. The meaning of the word has been twisted by so many people that it is hard for a tiny population of 15 million Jews, or 0.2% of the worlds population, to be heard. This is especially pertinent when there are antisemitic social media accounts pumping out misinformation to follower counts that far exceed the number of all Jewish people around the world.
Everything changed after October 7th. I have been fortunate to have a great group of supportive friends, some Jewish and others non-Jewish, who have let me share my fears and process grief with them. When 251 innocent Israeli people were violently kidnapped and held hostage in the dank, airless tunnel system running underneath the Gaza Strip, my family grew by 251 people. And so did that of many Jewish families. I knew them by name, by photo, by propaganda videos, and the anguished longing of their parents, children, sisters, brothers, significant other, and the rest of their loved ones was a psychic wound that was unavoidable. Posters were created and put up everywhere. Marches were held.
Through the length of his captivity, one woman distinguished herself by speaking on behalf of her beloved son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Rachel and her husband Jon spoke anywhere and everywhere they could in an effort to get their son back. He was a dual citizen of Israel and America, and it was thought that his American citizenship would make it easier to get him back. And when I saw that Rachel Goldberg-Polin had written a book about her experiences, I knew I had to read it.
I won’t lie—this is a heartbreaking, emotionally devastating book. When discussing the abuse, kidnapping, injuries, and the journey through grief as this family waited to get their son back alive, there were parts where my eyes were just leaking, and other parts that had me saying ‘oof’ like I had just been punched in the gut. But there are also funny moments, happy moments, and moments of love shared throughout.
Initially, Rachel describes her own early life and her journey towards spirituality, but then she segues into what can only be described as a celebration of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. He was her firstborn son and she joyfully shares all the wonderful (and not-so-wonderful) things about her ‘forever boy’ as she calls him, since he’ll remain 23 years old forever. She talks about how Hersh was as a baby and as a child, and his relationship with his two younger sisters. Hersh wanted to travel the world, and had a ticket to leave for Goa, India, only weeks after the Nova Festival. Instead, that task now falls to his mother to do on his behalf.
The family dynamics, the nuances of Hersh himself, and their life sounded idyllic. He visited them before heading to the Nova Festival, and then headed on to the Nova party, a festival of peace and celebrating nature and the most joyful holiday in the Jewish calendar, Simchat Torah, the day the Jews received the Torah. I reveled in hearing about how kind and caring Hersh was; the way he went through life with a smile and a desire to make friends; and was an avid traveler.
Then came the day everything changed. The rave was close to the Gaza Strip border, so when paragliders and masses of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and terrorist-adjacent participants invaded Israel, rockets started going on and paragliders could be seen in the sky. The party was shut down, and the masses of participants fled by any means possible. Hersh, his best friend Aner, and a ton of other people had tried to hide in a tiny roadside bomb shelter. However, it was designed for protection from rockets, and didn’t have a door they could close. Terrorists threw grenades into the shelter, where Aner would catch them and throw them back out of the shelter. When one detonated before he could throw it back, he was killed and Hersh took over. Except the terrorists shot an RPG into the shelter, which severed Hersh’s dominant left are just below the elbow. They were thrown into the back of pickup trucks, driven into Gaza, and subjected to masses of people cheering on Hamas and other terrorists. Since the terrorists had come prepared with GoPros, raw footage was available—there is video of Hersh being kidnapped, bloody and with bone protruding from the stump of his left arm.
This was the end of the ‘before’ and the introduction to the ‘after’ for the Goldberg-Polin family. Nothing could be the same, knowing that her son was abducted, tortured, and being held in a Hamas tunnel. Seeing all the hostage releases that occurred early on, it became clear that they were starved while their captors feasted, held in the most unsanitary and inhospitable place, where they were chained and kept in the dark about much of what was going on outside of Gaza. Hersh only received medical care for his arm when he had lost so much blood he was unconscious.
The Goldberg-Polin family knew nothing about any of this until much later. Throughout this ordeal, Rachel shares her family’s efforts to rescue Hersh. She only learned more about what Hersh went through when some of the released hostages had been kept with Hersh for a period of time, and told her how he kept up the spirits of the group. He even found a way to get a single book from his captors because he was an avid reader. Ultimately, he was kept with 5 other hostages, who became known as ‘The Beautiful Six.’
While dealing with the immense terror, fear, grief, and anger, Rachel still set this all aside and spoke with any and everyone who might have been able to help. She doesn’t name any names, but ultimately, her efforts came to naught. Hersh was held in captivity by Hamas terrorists for 328 days. Chained. In an airless tunnel. Lacking basic hygiene, no nutrition, nothing but the five other captives to occupy his time. After they were murdered, a video came out of The Beautiful Six lighting a Chanukah candle, saying the blessings, and singing. They managed to find a way to make the unbearable bearable. As the IDF drew closer and rescued four other hostages, The Beautiful Six were brutally murdered, shot in the head at close range, multiple times.
A few days later, their bodies were recovered by the IDF. I can’t imagine the grief this family felt, although you can clearly hear it in her voice, since she narrates the audiobook, with an afterward by her husband, Jon Polin. She has a beautiful way with words, and an ability to channel her feelings into her writing. I could feel her joy when she talked about Hersh teasing his younger sisters, and the amazing person that unfolded as he grew up. I could also feel her pain and frustration when influential leaders wouldn’t help her. The only agency that she did name, was the Red Cross, who refused to visit with hostages, although they do find a way to take pay-for-slay checks to Palestinian prison inmates—this is a stipend that the Palestinian Authority pays to any terrorist who kills Jews, and it gets paid to their family in the event that they die. Calling them out by name, she was the first to tell the Red Cross that they were doing a wonderful job of being an Uber service from the Gaza Strip back to the Israeli border for released hostages but does absolutely nothing for the hostages who were still alive and suffering. ICRC has a long history of not helping Jewish people, and this only furthers that belief.
While this is a heavy story and I had to have a cozy read to fall back on if this got too overwhelming, it is also a human, emotional, hopeful, and occasionally funny story. But I found that was spoke to me the most was how Rachel and her family gained strength from the teaching of Judaism. When a Jewish person dies, we believe that they go to Olam Haba, or the world to come. This is where we are reunited with our loved ones who have passed, and leads directly to the title of this book—in Judaism, death isn’t a final separation from our loved ones. This life is just a journey into the next one. And that’s a really powerful idea that does make the grief a little more bearable.
I don’t have children, so I don’t know what if feels like to give birth, to watch your child grow up and become their own person. But Rachel shared her own experiences so eloquently, I can see why she was invited to speak in so many places. Yet she also talks about her grief—the days she couldn’t stop crying, the times she was unable to engage in the life around her, and the idea of knowing that before her son died, he was chained, abused, and starved to the point where the sheet over his body was nearly flat.
In Judaism, we are required to bury the dead within 24 hours of passing, except on the Sabbath or holidays. Having a living child kidnapped and held hostage is a horrible form of grief, but knowing they were brutally tortured, starved to emaciation, and then killed intentionally at close range is a whole other type of grief. Rachel doesn’t talk about the stages of grief—she talks about her return to life, although a much different life than the ‘before.’ She’s wise and kind, sweet and caring, and a mama bear who would fight anyone to protect her children, although she wasn’t able to protect Hersh.
Overall, this was an outstanding book, even if I cried while listening to some of it. Rachel is an outstanding writer, finding the words to describe the indescribable feelings they were going through. Hearing about what an incredible person Hersh was, it made me both devastated and furious that the world turned their backs and let this young man and so many other hostages die in captivity while refusing to condemn the actions of Hamas terrorists. Jewish thought teaches us that inside each person is an entire world. If we lost this much potential when Hersh was murdered, imagine how many other things the world will miss out on because of the 1200 people who were murdered and those who were killed in captivity. This book is both a celebration of Hersh’s life, and a condemnation of how he was killed and the world leaders and NGOs who did nothing to release the hostages. I experienced a full gamut of emotions while reading, but this was one of the most powerful books I have ever read, right along with Hostage by Eli Sharabi. If you read one nonfiction read this year, make it this one.
Bottom line: An incredibly powerful book, the raw emotions and the experiences of what the hostage families and loved ones are shared candidly by Rachel, along with some gems from Jewish teachings that not only gave her comfort, but have the ability to educate and instill some more compassion. Don’t miss it, even though it’s painful to read at times.
April 23, 2026
I almost never write reviews, but had to for this book: a must read for all. At minimum, I will be forever changed in how I approach someone about their grief, or loved one that passed away regardless of how much time has passed. There are more takeaways, but this stood out the most and I’m still processing.
What a raw, haunting, exquisitely-written, and ultimately hopeful memoir about grief. What a privilege to listen to Rachel and Jon, and to be a witness to their lived experiences, “before”, “during”, and “after”. This book is apolitical. Religion is discussed as part of their lives, but it is not religious.
While we only saw/see her grace and perseverance, Rachel has said in interviews and in writing that in order to get through without collapsing, she had to become an actor…though no falsehoods were ever spoken. I still believe her to have so much grace and perseverance.
While at times it can be difficult to read or listen to (read by Rachel, Afterward by Jon), it was unputdownable for me. The perspective is from parents. Truly a remarkable undertaking.
It can be appreciated regardless of one’s political beliefs, religion, or knowledge or beliefs of what occurred on and after October 7, 2023.
What a raw, haunting, exquisitely-written, and ultimately hopeful memoir about grief. What a privilege to listen to Rachel and Jon, and to be a witness to their lived experiences, “before”, “during”, and “after”. This book is apolitical. Religion is discussed as part of their lives, but it is not religious.
While we only saw/see her grace and perseverance, Rachel has said in interviews and in writing that in order to get through without collapsing, she had to become an actor…though no falsehoods were ever spoken. I still believe her to have so much grace and perseverance.
While at times it can be difficult to read or listen to (read by Rachel, Afterward by Jon), it was unputdownable for me. The perspective is from parents. Truly a remarkable undertaking.
It can be appreciated regardless of one’s political beliefs, religion, or knowledge or beliefs of what occurred on and after October 7, 2023.
April 22, 2026
The most searing, raw examination of love, pain, grief, grace, wisdom, hope, belief, understanding. I sobbed listening to Rachel’s testimony of her life before and her world after her only son was taken from her in the cruelest, most unimaginable way. This book is NOT at all political! Rachel invites EVERYONE into her suffering and lays no blame or points no fingers. She describes this retelling of her journey, to the “rape of my soul”. The audio read by Rachel is beyond excruciating but equally transformative. Her words are literally now playing on rewind in my mind- hope is mandatory- he who has a why, can bare any how. With my full heart, I implore you to pick up this heartfelt memoir. It is no surprise that Rachel was named by both Time Magazine and USA Today as the 100 Most Influential People of the Year.
April 23, 2026
What more is there to say about Rachel Goldberg Polin? Her humanity, her greatness, her grief, her memories, her beautiful beloved boy are what this book is all about. I have heard her speak many times in interviews and podcasts and once in person and it really never gets old. Everyone should buy this book and read this book and share this book. I purchased a copy of this book but when I realized that Rachel was narrating the audiobook I knew I had to listen to it in her own voice and the audio version is really not to be missed.
April 28, 2026
Hersh, finally finally finally finally FINALLY you are free.
April 22, 2026
Beautiful Hersh. There are no words.
שהמקום ינחם אותם
שהמקום ינחם אותם
April 24, 2026
Listen to this on audio. Heartbreaking, raw, human. The most human.
This parent primal poetic scream of grief will be remembered as a monumental piece of Jewish history alongside Eli Wiesel’s Night and the Diary of Anne Frank. May Hersh’s memory continue to be a revelation and revolution for light, love, and peace.
This parent primal poetic scream of grief will be remembered as a monumental piece of Jewish history alongside Eli Wiesel’s Night and the Diary of Anne Frank. May Hersh’s memory continue to be a revelation and revolution for light, love, and peace.
April 26, 2026
Beautiful. Heart wrenching. Poetic. A tragedy gorgeously written. An oxymoron in and of itself. A true memoir about the question of how to deal with grief and suffering.
Rachel is holy. And I pray she and her family find comfort in the endless grief.
Rachel is holy. And I pray she and her family find comfort in the endless grief.
April 25, 2026
Rachel- thank you for sharing your story and your precious son, Hersh with the world. I could feel your pain and emotion throughout the book and listening to the audio version was even more impactful. I’ve followed you and Hersh’s story since 10/7 and commend you for being such a fierce advocate for not only Hersh, but all of the hostages that were taken to Gaza. May his memory forever be a revolution.
April 25, 2026
Quite simply, perfect. Crushing. Inspiring. The best, most important book I've read in years. Surpassed all expectations.
April 22, 2026
A must read.
June 17, 2026
When We See You Again is a deeply personal memoir connected to the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel, told through the experience of Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son was abducted during the events.
The book is set against the October 7 attacks, when terrorists attacked the Nova music festival and nearby kibbutzim in southern Israel. Around 1,200 people were killed and hundreds were taken hostage.
The author’s son was attending the Nova music festival when the terrorists attacked. He was abducted during the assault and taken into captivity.
The attacks involved widespread violence, including torture and sexual violence, and many civilians were taken hostage.
Much of the book focuses on the author’s personal pain, her emotional response to her son’s abduction, and the ways she coped with the uncertainty of his captivity. Rather than functioning as a conventional historical account, it is shaped by ongoing fear, grief, and helplessness, alongside her efforts to advocate for his release.
The author later becomes an advocate for her son’s release and for all of the hostages. One account described in the book recounts how, in Geneva, the Red Cross—while visiting Gazans—refused to agree to see the hostages.
The author’s son was held in captivity, where he was tortured and starved before being killed while still in captivity.
Reading the book leaves a strong emotional impact. It evokes grief, empathy for the victims, and intense anger toward those responsible for the attacks and hostage-taking, as well as a broader sense of the suffering caused by the conflict.
The book is set against the October 7 attacks, when terrorists attacked the Nova music festival and nearby kibbutzim in southern Israel. Around 1,200 people were killed and hundreds were taken hostage.
The author’s son was attending the Nova music festival when the terrorists attacked. He was abducted during the assault and taken into captivity.
The attacks involved widespread violence, including torture and sexual violence, and many civilians were taken hostage.
Much of the book focuses on the author’s personal pain, her emotional response to her son’s abduction, and the ways she coped with the uncertainty of his captivity. Rather than functioning as a conventional historical account, it is shaped by ongoing fear, grief, and helplessness, alongside her efforts to advocate for his release.
The author later becomes an advocate for her son’s release and for all of the hostages. One account described in the book recounts how, in Geneva, the Red Cross—while visiting Gazans—refused to agree to see the hostages.
The author’s son was held in captivity, where he was tortured and starved before being killed while still in captivity.
Reading the book leaves a strong emotional impact. It evokes grief, empathy for the victims, and intense anger toward those responsible for the attacks and hostage-taking, as well as a broader sense of the suffering caused by the conflict.
May 16, 2026
WHEN WE SEE YOU AGAIN - by Rachel Goldberg-Polin
In the past 24 hours, I have been through one of the most difficult reading — or rather listening — experiences I have ever encountered. After the first chapter, the pain I felt for this family was almost unbearable. Yet I knew I had to continue listening to the remarkable Rachel Goldberg-Polin tell the world the story of her beautiful 23-year-old son, Hersh.
Rachel is a mother whose heart, body, and soul were shattered into a million pieces on October 7, the day her beloved son was taken from a music festival in Israel in the cruelest way imaginable and held captive in Gaza. In this book, she takes us through her life “before and after” as she navigates the grief that her family has endured, something that is truly incomprehensible.
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook rather than reading it in print. As Rachel speaks, you can hear her voice break under the weight of unimaginable pain and heartbreak. It is raw, devastating, and deeply moving — but also incredibly important. Nobody should give up on this book. Rachel ensures that we understand the atrocities committed against so many innocent people on October 7. Her words will hit you in the gut and bring you to tears again and again throughout this remarkable account of unimaginable suffering.
Rachel, if our paths were ever to cross, I would hold you in my arms and never let you go.
To the six beautiful hostages who were so brutally murdered together with Hersh, after 330 days of unimaginable torment, may you all rest in peace. I honour your bravery and courage on a journey you never chose. To the families who have endured such unimaginable suffering — and whose pain will never truly leave them — please accept my deepest virtual embrace. I am lost for words. Saying “I am sorry for your loss” somehow feels wholly inadequate.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s wisdom belongs alongside some of the world’s greatest teachers and survivors, including Viktor Frankl, Edith Eger, and Elie Wiesel. Rachel fought like a lioness to save her son. She fought tirelessly to tell the world about her brave, beautiful Hersh and all the innocent victims taken hostage — becoming one of the defining voices of October 7.
The story of the couple who fell in love because of Hersh, may you be blessed and happy always. I feel Hersh is watching over you. I cried big tears learning of your love.
This is a book that should be essential reading for everyone. I urge you to read this remarkable book and pass it on to everyone you know. It is a book I wish had never needed to be written, yet one that will remain in my heart forever.
I salute you, Rachel Goldberg-Polin — a woman of extraordinary courage and valour.
May Hersh’s memory be a Revolution. Am Israel Chai.
In the past 24 hours, I have been through one of the most difficult reading — or rather listening — experiences I have ever encountered. After the first chapter, the pain I felt for this family was almost unbearable. Yet I knew I had to continue listening to the remarkable Rachel Goldberg-Polin tell the world the story of her beautiful 23-year-old son, Hersh.
Rachel is a mother whose heart, body, and soul were shattered into a million pieces on October 7, the day her beloved son was taken from a music festival in Israel in the cruelest way imaginable and held captive in Gaza. In this book, she takes us through her life “before and after” as she navigates the grief that her family has endured, something that is truly incomprehensible.
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook rather than reading it in print. As Rachel speaks, you can hear her voice break under the weight of unimaginable pain and heartbreak. It is raw, devastating, and deeply moving — but also incredibly important. Nobody should give up on this book. Rachel ensures that we understand the atrocities committed against so many innocent people on October 7. Her words will hit you in the gut and bring you to tears again and again throughout this remarkable account of unimaginable suffering.
Rachel, if our paths were ever to cross, I would hold you in my arms and never let you go.
To the six beautiful hostages who were so brutally murdered together with Hersh, after 330 days of unimaginable torment, may you all rest in peace. I honour your bravery and courage on a journey you never chose. To the families who have endured such unimaginable suffering — and whose pain will never truly leave them — please accept my deepest virtual embrace. I am lost for words. Saying “I am sorry for your loss” somehow feels wholly inadequate.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s wisdom belongs alongside some of the world’s greatest teachers and survivors, including Viktor Frankl, Edith Eger, and Elie Wiesel. Rachel fought like a lioness to save her son. She fought tirelessly to tell the world about her brave, beautiful Hersh and all the innocent victims taken hostage — becoming one of the defining voices of October 7.
The story of the couple who fell in love because of Hersh, may you be blessed and happy always. I feel Hersh is watching over you. I cried big tears learning of your love.
This is a book that should be essential reading for everyone. I urge you to read this remarkable book and pass it on to everyone you know. It is a book I wish had never needed to be written, yet one that will remain in my heart forever.
I salute you, Rachel Goldberg-Polin — a woman of extraordinary courage and valour.
May Hersh’s memory be a Revolution. Am Israel Chai.
May 3, 2026
I’m not sure how to even convey this into words, but I’ll try. I listened to the audiobook to hear Rachel Goldberg-Polin tell her story in her own voice. This is one of the most raw, real, and emotional books I’ve experienced, and an unfortunately true story of a family’s grief. Of life in The Before (pre- 10/7/2023) and The After.
Rachel became the face of the hostage families, but in The Before, she lived a quiet, introverted, “warm beige” life. In The After, she became a lioness, doing absolutely anything she could to try to save her beautiful boy. She made sure the world knew who Hersh Goldberg-Polin was. And when The Beautiful Six were tragically murdered after 330 days of surviving literal hell, it felt like we all lost a son, a brother, a friend. Because we knew him. Rachel made sure of that.
Rachel’s words are powerful. Her grief is palpable. And her love for her son is her why.
Rachel’s book is the kind that will stay with people for generations, alongside voices like Elie Wiesel and Viktor Frankl. And I don’t say that lightly.
May Hersh’s memory be a blessing and, as Jon writes in the afterward, a revolution for good.
Rachel became the face of the hostage families, but in The Before, she lived a quiet, introverted, “warm beige” life. In The After, she became a lioness, doing absolutely anything she could to try to save her beautiful boy. She made sure the world knew who Hersh Goldberg-Polin was. And when The Beautiful Six were tragically murdered after 330 days of surviving literal hell, it felt like we all lost a son, a brother, a friend. Because we knew him. Rachel made sure of that.
Rachel’s words are powerful. Her grief is palpable. And her love for her son is her why.
Rachel’s book is the kind that will stay with people for generations, alongside voices like Elie Wiesel and Viktor Frankl. And I don’t say that lightly.
May Hersh’s memory be a blessing and, as Jon writes in the afterward, a revolution for good.
April 24, 2026
I hope everyone has a chance to read this.
May 31, 2026
It Could Have Been My Son—So I Carry Some of Rachel’s Pain with Honor
I don’t think I can review When We See You Again like a normal book.
I’ve been listening to Rachel Goldberg Polin every single day since October 7th. Not just following the story—really listening to her. Her voice, her strength, her refusal to stop fighting to bring Hersh home. So reading this didn’t feel separate from that. It felt like sitting with everything all over again.
I have two Jewish sons, and that changed everything for me. I didn’t just feel for her—I felt it in a way that was almost unbearable at times. It could have been one of my boys. That thought never really left me.
I wore tape with the days on it—Day 332, the day Hersh was murdered in a tunnel in Gaza. And I kept wearing it until Day 738, when the last live hostage was returned. Those numbers weren’t abstract. They were days that were counted, carried, survived. This book holds that same weight.
There’s a part where she talks about her heart being shattered into tiny pieces, and how it’s easier to share that way—how we can each take a shard. That stayed with me. I will proudly take a shard of her pain if it offers her even a little bit of comfort. That’s what this book asks of you. Not just to read—but to carry something with her.
It’s devastating, obviously. But it’s also full of love in a way that’s hard to explain. Not soft, easy love—something fierce and constant that doesn’t stop, even when everything else does.
This isn’t a book you read and move on from. It’s something you carry.
I will never forget Hersh. And I will never forget her voice.
I don’t think I can review When We See You Again like a normal book.
I’ve been listening to Rachel Goldberg Polin every single day since October 7th. Not just following the story—really listening to her. Her voice, her strength, her refusal to stop fighting to bring Hersh home. So reading this didn’t feel separate from that. It felt like sitting with everything all over again.
I have two Jewish sons, and that changed everything for me. I didn’t just feel for her—I felt it in a way that was almost unbearable at times. It could have been one of my boys. That thought never really left me.
I wore tape with the days on it—Day 332, the day Hersh was murdered in a tunnel in Gaza. And I kept wearing it until Day 738, when the last live hostage was returned. Those numbers weren’t abstract. They were days that were counted, carried, survived. This book holds that same weight.
There’s a part where she talks about her heart being shattered into tiny pieces, and how it’s easier to share that way—how we can each take a shard. That stayed with me. I will proudly take a shard of her pain if it offers her even a little bit of comfort. That’s what this book asks of you. Not just to read—but to carry something with her.
It’s devastating, obviously. But it’s also full of love in a way that’s hard to explain. Not soft, easy love—something fierce and constant that doesn’t stop, even when everything else does.
This isn’t a book you read and move on from. It’s something you carry.
I will never forget Hersh. And I will never forget her voice.
April 23, 2026
Raw, Real and Hopeful
Perhaps her why has begun to be clarified by writing this memoir. I hope so, for her.
What she gave the world is a mater class on grief and how to make and transform grief into an ally instead of an enemy.
Perhaps her why has begun to be clarified by writing this memoir. I hope so, for her.
What she gave the world is a mater class on grief and how to make and transform grief into an ally instead of an enemy.
April 27, 2026
“Wherever your WHY leads me. I'll do it.
I will carry your WHY all over the world. I will flip the usual pattern, and I will make you proud of me. Since I will live longer here in This Place than you did. Instead of you doing things in your life and turning over your shoulder to say, "Look! I did it!"
—I'll do that for you; "Look, Hersh! I'm doing it." I don't know what "it" is. But it's your WHY, so I am running to figure it out, to discover it. I will, doggonit. If it's the last thing I do. I will do it. I will grab the compass off your desk and I will draw the map.”
Durante el tiempo que Hersh estuvo secuestrado, Rachel (junto con Jon) luchó incansablemente por su regreso. La manera en la que movió cielo, mar y tierra por su hijo se me hizo la expresión más naturalmente maternal del mundo. He crecido rodeada de madres devotas, entregadas y que dan y dan y dan sin esperar nada a cambio. Y ver la lucha y desesperación de Rachel fue, para mí, lo más lógico, lo más materno (en el sentido amoroso, completo y excedente de la palabra) del mundo. Ese amor que logró que todo el mundo conozca a su hijo, la oiga gritar por él, y lo ame junto a ella. Verla fue un reflejo de lo que para mí (sin serlo) es ser madre, llevado al extremo. Ese amor que todo lo puede, incluso a pesar del dolor propio, a pesar de tener que cargar un enorme peso. Y ese peso que en su momento fue la lucha diaria por su regreso a casa ahora los acompaña tras su asesinato pero, tal como lo hizo durante esa lucha, será esa inercia de seguir adelante, en este mundo que Hersh amó, con los WHYs que implantó en miles. Me sigue conmoviendo ese amor tan trascendental que tiene por él y lo que ella para mí representa en ese amor tan destilado que puedes tener por alguien.
I will carry your WHY all over the world. I will flip the usual pattern, and I will make you proud of me. Since I will live longer here in This Place than you did. Instead of you doing things in your life and turning over your shoulder to say, "Look! I did it!"
—I'll do that for you; "Look, Hersh! I'm doing it." I don't know what "it" is. But it's your WHY, so I am running to figure it out, to discover it. I will, doggonit. If it's the last thing I do. I will do it. I will grab the compass off your desk and I will draw the map.”
Durante el tiempo que Hersh estuvo secuestrado, Rachel (junto con Jon) luchó incansablemente por su regreso. La manera en la que movió cielo, mar y tierra por su hijo se me hizo la expresión más naturalmente maternal del mundo. He crecido rodeada de madres devotas, entregadas y que dan y dan y dan sin esperar nada a cambio. Y ver la lucha y desesperación de Rachel fue, para mí, lo más lógico, lo más materno (en el sentido amoroso, completo y excedente de la palabra) del mundo. Ese amor que logró que todo el mundo conozca a su hijo, la oiga gritar por él, y lo ame junto a ella. Verla fue un reflejo de lo que para mí (sin serlo) es ser madre, llevado al extremo. Ese amor que todo lo puede, incluso a pesar del dolor propio, a pesar de tener que cargar un enorme peso. Y ese peso que en su momento fue la lucha diaria por su regreso a casa ahora los acompaña tras su asesinato pero, tal como lo hizo durante esa lucha, será esa inercia de seguir adelante, en este mundo que Hersh amó, con los WHYs que implantó en miles. Me sigue conmoviendo ese amor tan trascendental que tiene por él y lo que ella para mí representa en ese amor tan destilado que puedes tener por alguien.
April 23, 2026
Truly a learning journey
That much strength, that much hope, that much faith within a single soul. The writing is quietly powerful and deeply human.
That much strength, that much hope, that much faith within a single soul. The writing is quietly powerful and deeply human.
April 28, 2026
Perhaps I am biased, but perhaps my bias is also the truth: Rachel is the most extraordinary woman I know.
There is nothing I could possibly write here that would match her artful way with words—and the world saw it on display for each of the 330 excruciating days she and Jon spent searching for Hersh. Now Rachel has put her profound pen to paper in the form of this incredible book, one which I could not put down from the moment I (admittedly reluctantly, my own grief and trauma nearly getting in the way) opened the cover.
This book is, like its author, truly extraordinary. Perhaps I am biased, but then again, perhaps my bias is also the truth. Read with a box of tissues.
Hersh, your memory is already a blessing, may it now be a revolution.
There is nothing I could possibly write here that would match her artful way with words—and the world saw it on display for each of the 330 excruciating days she and Jon spent searching for Hersh. Now Rachel has put her profound pen to paper in the form of this incredible book, one which I could not put down from the moment I (admittedly reluctantly, my own grief and trauma nearly getting in the way) opened the cover.
This book is, like its author, truly extraordinary. Perhaps I am biased, but then again, perhaps my bias is also the truth. Read with a box of tissues.
Hersh, your memory is already a blessing, may it now be a revolution.
May 8, 2026
There are certain moments post-10/7 every Jew remembers where they were: the announcement of the murders of the “Beautiful Six” is one of them. I remember thinking that it couldn’t possibly be true; but as I scrolled through news sites and social media, there was only confirmation of the worst, along with others lamenting the terrible fates of our fallen brothers and sisters.
Now, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of those six and one of the most recognizable faces among the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas, has written a memoir detailing her family’s experience before, during and after Hersh was taken. Rachel, who, along with her husband advocated tirelessly for the release of all of the hostages, speaks in a raw and unfiltered voice that details her emotions as she reflects on her family’s journey from the San Francisco Bay to Israel, to the Shabbos right before 10/7, to the moment she learned Hersh would not be returning home alive.
It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. She describes how it feels to see her son’s impact on the world and how raw she feels in the small hours. I don’t even know how I’m supposed to describe something like that, but it’s a very harrowing experience to read and I am grateful for her allowing us to share her personal life with us, both during the hostage crisis and now.
In this book, she draws a lot on her Jewish faith, and I found that very comforting.
Everyone should read this book, Jewish or not, but especially those of our faith. It should be a requirement.
Now, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of those six and one of the most recognizable faces among the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas, has written a memoir detailing her family’s experience before, during and after Hersh was taken. Rachel, who, along with her husband advocated tirelessly for the release of all of the hostages, speaks in a raw and unfiltered voice that details her emotions as she reflects on her family’s journey from the San Francisco Bay to Israel, to the Shabbos right before 10/7, to the moment she learned Hersh would not be returning home alive.
It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. She describes how it feels to see her son’s impact on the world and how raw she feels in the small hours. I don’t even know how I’m supposed to describe something like that, but it’s a very harrowing experience to read and I am grateful for her allowing us to share her personal life with us, both during the hostage crisis and now.
In this book, she draws a lot on her Jewish faith, and I found that very comforting.
Everyone should read this book, Jewish or not, but especially those of our faith. It should be a requirement.
May 30, 2026
I can't even begin to know the heart break of losing a child, so how can I say I was heartbroken reading this. Rachel Goldberg-Polin wrote one of thee most beautiful books I ever read...and it was all because her son Hersh was stolen from her on Oct 7, 2023 from a music festival where he was ultimately murdered after having survived as a hostage for 328 days. Her book is told in "The Before" Rachel and then "The After" Rachel. She is a poet. Her prose is beautiful. From the deepest grief she will ever experience, she somehow found the ability to write a memoir that was so raw yet filled with such love I really don't know how she did it. On Oct 6, 2023, she was no one other than a mom of three children, a wife, daughter, an American living in Israel. On Oct 7, the world became the mother and father of Hersh, her son. A boy, yes a boy, of only 23. "Our son" that we all prayed would return home. It was not to be. Rachel and Jon now wrestle with their "new" life of "the after" and how to go on. This book of a mother's unconditional devotion to her son...there are no words. The outpouring of grief from around the world is a testament to this. While only 23, Hersh lived a very full, adventurous life. He traveled extensively. More than many of us would do in a lifetime. His soul was pure. Schools, camps, youth groups, as his father Jon says, are teaching about Hersh's respect for others, his desire to learn and understand opinions that were different than his. There are now "Hersh's Fridges" in the Chicago area that continuously stock fresh and kosher foods to feed people of ALL faiths who are in need. This is Hersh's legacy. Hersh was executed with others that have become known as The Beautiful Six - Carmel, Eden, Alex, Almog and Ori. Rachel and Jon intend to emerge from this horror by making HOPE mandatory. Please read this book. The message is necessary. The writing is beautiful. You will be different after reading it. Thank you Rachel and Jon Goldberg for sharing Hersh with us. He is definitely looking down and is so so proud of you. 5+ stars
May 11, 2026
Although four stars means "I really liked it," I can't say that I liked it, but it is an important book to read. The audio, which the author reads herself, is challenging. It is absolutely heartbreaking. It is part stream of consciousness, musing, and memoir. By including the "before" and learning about Hersh, who was kidnapped on October 7, 2023 and murdered with five other hostages on August 30, 2024, the heart aches even more that the world lost such a special person, and we only learn of his greatness in the "after."
I'm seeing that most people are rating this book with five stars, and while the writing is touching and at times quite lyric, I am not one for schadenfraude, and the book is so personal and raw that I often felt like I was intruding.
I hope that writing the book was cathartic for Rachel Goldberg-Polin. As she and her family remember Hersh in every moment, I try to keep in mind those who died on October 7th and in the subsequent war, but I cannot fathom her pain.
I'm seeing that most people are rating this book with five stars, and while the writing is touching and at times quite lyric, I am not one for schadenfraude, and the book is so personal and raw that I often felt like I was intruding.
I hope that writing the book was cathartic for Rachel Goldberg-Polin. As she and her family remember Hersh in every moment, I try to keep in mind those who died on October 7th and in the subsequent war, but I cannot fathom her pain.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 436 reviews