A Statement from Eric S. Goldstein, CEO of UJA-Federation of New York
We’re utterly shattered by the news of the six hostages murdered in Gaza. For 331 days, we’ve been carrying these names and stories with us, their families’ agony our agony.
We remember: Ori Danino, age 25; Carmel Gat, age 40; Hersh Goldberg-Polin, age 23; Alexander Lobanov, age 32; Almog Sarusi, age 27 and Eden Yerushalmi, age 24.
We hoped and prayed for the safe return of all the hostages. And we came to know their life stories. However, for so many of us here in America, the fate of the hostages was personified by Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American citizen, born in California. We simply called him “Hersh” — as if he were our own son, our brother, our friend.
One of the reasons we came to know Hersh so well is because of his extraordinary parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin. With a steely resolve, faith, and eloquence that never once wavered, they traveled the world, crying out in the halls of power for the release of their son and all the hostages.
Some of us have known Jon from his time working at the Jewish Agency for Israel, UJA’s largest overseas partner. And all of us came to know the indomitable Rachel. In late October, just weeks after Hersh and 220 others were taken hostage, Rachel came to speak with us at UJA, sharing that she wanted nothing more than to bring her son back to meet our community.
We’ve met with Rachel and Jon numerous times since then, both in New York and Israel, and actively supported their efforts to keep the plight of Hersh and all the hostages in the public eye.
We share their profound grief and the sorrow of all the bereaved hostage families.
May the memories of Ori, Carmel, Hersh, Alexander, Almog, and Eden forever be for a blessing.
May the remaining hostages be brought home now.
With prayers for better days,
Eric