A Letter to Rachel Goldberg-Polin, with love.

Dear Rachel,

In the unimaginable journey you’ve been forced to walk, you have sacrificed not just a son, but a piece of your heart…in doing so, you have unified a nation. Your Hersh has become more than just your son. Hersh has become a symbol of our children, of our deepest fears, and of our collective grief. Through your eloquence and grace, you have held us all together, even as you faced a darkness most of us cannot even begin to imagine let alone comprehend.

You stood tall in the face of unspeakable terror. You wrote the playbook on how to survive when your world was turned upside down. You showed us how to maintain dignity and poise in the face of the worst kind of evil. Even when Hersh was in the clutches of the most heinous terrorists, you never once stooped to hatred or bitterness. Instead, you remained a light for all of us, a beacon of strength and resilience that we could look towards in our darkest moments.

We marveled at how you could be so strong, how you could continue to be a light unto the nations while knowing that your precious son was trapped in a hellish nightmare. The strength it took to carry on, knowing that he was suffering, injured, and most likely not receiving the medical care he so desperately needed, is beyond anything most of us can imagine. Yet, you held it together, not just for yourself, but for all of us.

Your words “We love you, Stay strong, survive” became a mantra for us as a nation. They are more than just words. They became a lifeline, a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable pain, love and strength could still prevail. Your authenticity, your calmness in the storm, was something we all drew strength from. I can’t comprehend how you managed to keep it together? How did you never lose your grace and composure, even once? I, like so many others, lose it daily over far lesser things.

If there is one thing I’ve learned from you, it is the importance of channeling that inner Rachel in the face of challenges and adversity. I want to tell my children a thousand times a day how much I love them, to never let fear stand in the way of expressing that love. So many of us are scared to love too deeply, afraid that the pain of loss might be too much to bear. But you, Rachel, you never let that fear stop you. You loved Hersh fully, completely, and with a fierceness that is both humbling and inspiring.

You rallied us all. You allowed us to share in your pain. You represent every Jewish mother with your unwavering love, your devotion, and your complete acceptance of Hersh in every way. You are a model for us all, and though your loss is beyond comprehension, your strength is a gift that will continue to inspire us for years to come.

My eyes are burning as I write this letter. I’ve cried more yesterday than I have since October 7th. I can’t even begin to imagine your pain.
With deepest sympathy, unending admiration and much love

Micki Lavin-Pell