Grief as a badge of love: a mother’s journey through Hersh’s hostage ordeal
A CBS 60 Minutes profile follows Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the American‑Israeli mother of Hersh, who was abducted and ultimately killed by Hamas after the Oct 7 attack. The interview details her years of public advocacy for hostages, the heartbreak of learning Hersh survived only to be murdered in a Rafah tunnel, and how she and her family continue to live with that loss. It also highlights Or Levy’s survival and Hersh’s lasting influence—his mantra “He who has a why can bear any how,” which inspired Levy and others—and how Goldberg-Polin is turning to a forthcoming book and a reframed view of grief as a “badge of love” that honors the enduring tie to a loved one. The piece closes with the emotional aftermath of the last hostage’s return and the removal of keepsakes from Hersh’s room.
