Goldberg-Polin family launches 'Week of Goodness' to aid in release of remaining hostages in Gaza
Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, the parents of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, have launched a new initiative called a “Week of Goodness."
The goal of the campaign, scheduled from July 14 - 21, is to aid in the release of the remaining 120 hostages in Gaza through good deeds and kindness, known in Judaism as Tikkun Olam.
The “Week of Goodness” will be launched with communal singing with the Polin-Goldberg family at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square and then move to other locations across Israel.
The campaign will focus on various volunteer-based tasks, charity, prayer, baking the traditional Jewish Shabbat bread challah, and the dedication of a new Torah scroll.
In addition, the initiative seeks to include participants from around the world for a full day of Torah study, culminating in a Zoom-based ceremony.
“We are living in a fractured time, and our beloved hostages are in unimaginable darkness – this campaign is aimed at helping us bring more light into the world,” the Goldberg-Polin family said in a statement.
“Since October 7, we and all the other hostage families have been running to the ends of the earth in an effort to meet anyone who might be able to help us save our son Hersh and the other hostages. For one week, we will focus inwards and on our communities to further our efforts towards freeing our loved ones from captivity,” read the statement.
The family’s 23-year-old son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was kidnapped on Oct. 7 while attending the Nova Music Festival close to the Gaza border. In April, Hamas released a propaganda video of Hersh.
“Seeing the video of Hersh today is overwhelming. We are relieved to see him alive but we are also concerned about his health and wellbeing as well as that of all the other hostages and all of those suffering in this region,” his parents said at the time in a video statement on 𝕏. They also urged all the concerned governments to facilitate the release of their son and the other remaining hostages held by Hamas terrorists.
Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped at least 250 people during its unprecedented invasion and attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
More than 100 hostages were released in late November according to an internationally brokered hostage release deal. In addition, Israel has so far rescued seven hostages in three separate daring operations. Three hostages were unintentionally killed by IDF troops during a failed rescue operation. The Israeli military has so far confirmed the deaths of at least 42 of the remaining 116 hostages taken abducted on Oct. 7.
The overall hostage number includes 4 Israelis – 2 dead and 2 presumed alive – who were captive in Gaza before Hamas' Oct. 7 invasion of southern Israel.
In June, a disturbing video featuring the brutal Hamas kidnapping of Hersh, along with Or Levy and Eliya Cohen was made public after being greenlighted by the concerned families. The purpose of the video was reportedly to increase the pressure on the Israeli government to quickly secure a hostage agreement with Hamas.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
