I named my son in my father and Hersh’s memory

On Yom Kippur, we return to a core set of prayers, which we repeat from Rosh Hashana until Yom Kippur, and Unetonetokef is central to these prayers. In our prayer of Unetonetokef we read the following text (translated), “It is true that you are the one who judges, and reproves, who knows all, and bears witness, who inscribes, and seals, who reckons and enumerates. You remember all that is forgotten. You open the book of records, and from it, all shall be read.”

We pull from this core set of liturgy that on sealed into the Book of Life, the Sefer Chaim that on Rosh Hashana it is written, and on Yom Kippur, it is sealed who shall live and who shall pass.  This text has always made us feel we are somehow in control, even when we sense otherwise.  Enshrined on our shul’s memorial board this year is my father’s name.

My father was a formative figure in my life. He passed away only four months ago. He taught me how to be a father—how to be a Jewish father. He cultivated love for our heritage and faith. My father taught me many things, but among his most salient lessons in life was that of memory. Memory was important to him, and this was a value he instilled in my upbringing and faith. Zachor is the Hebrew word for “remember,” so in memory of my father, our son is named Zachary Polin.

Zachary Polin’s Hebrew name is Zangwill Hersh. My father’s Hebrew name was a Yiddish name, it was Zangwill. We had expected for many months, up until August 30th, to have only one Hebrew name. However, Zachary’s birth coincided with another date that will always stick with me, the announcement of American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s Z”L murder in captivity.

During my year in Israel program of Rabbinical school of 2016-2017, one of my professors took me aside one day to ask if and how and if I was connected to the Polin family, Jonathan, Rachel, Orly, Leebie, and Hersh. The family was heavily involved at Pardes of Jerusalem and the professor had just had been appointed as the incoming President of Pardes in 2017.

At the time, I thought little of the interaction with my professor. However, I did connect with the family through this experience and learned that we shared similarities. We were both fairly recent American-Israeli immigrants, and we carried a connection by virtue of our family name. Although this connection seemed tenuous in 2016 and 2017 it felt somehow meaningful when isolated abroad.

However, this rift has only grown closer since October 7th, 2023. Every day, I have checked the news; every Shabbat, I have prayed Barucha Atah Ad-nai, Elohaynu melekh haolam matir asurim. Blessed is our G-d, Ruler of the Universe who frees the Captive. Unfortunately, on either August 29th or 30th, Hersh’s life was stolen at 23 years old. On August 30th my son was born.

We read in our Mahzor Sharei Teshuvah, about Unetanetokef, before we read the prayer on Rosh Hashana an except, it says “That the words we are about to utter were born of the martyrdom of Rabbi Amnon of Maynece. He chose to die that his faith might live. He said: Unetanetokef kedushat hayom; let us proclaim the sacred power of this day; it is awesome and full of dread. Now the divine Judge looks upon our deeds and determines our destiny.” Hersh’s story is that of Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying G-d’s name, and there is no greater honorific in Judaism. So, in Hirsh’s memory, we also name our son Hirsh.

So Rest easy, Father, and rest easy, Hirsh. Your memories and faith will live on in the future generation. Your memories are safeguarded with our son Zachary, Zangwill Hirsch and the future generations of the sons and daughters of Israel.

Am Yisrael Chai