Jon and Rachel Goldberg Polin, parents of slain hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, wish ‘love and strength to us all’ upon captives’ release

By Jessica Steinberg

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13 October 2025, 12:01 pm

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Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, parents of slain hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, send a message of thanks for the released hostages on October 13, 2025 (Courtesy)

Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, the parents of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, express relief and joy in a social media post at the release of 20 living hostages to Israel.

The couple read Psalm 126, Polin in Hebrew and Goldberg-Polin in English:

“A song of ascents, when God returns the captives of Zion we will be like dreamers.
The nations will say, God has done goodness for them,
Return our captives, God, like water to the desert.”

The festive psalm is recited at the beginning of Birkat Hamazon, the grace after meals, on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

Goldberg-Polin says she wishes “love and strength to us all, to all of the families, of all of the hostages and all of the nation who has fought so hard for this day.”