Rachel and Jon Goldberg-Polin opened up on Sunday about how Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks's teachings helped them approach, understand, and cope with the absence of their son after he was abducted to Gaza while visiting a synagogue in London.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin's parents were among the more than 1,200 Jews who came to commemorate the fifth yahrezeit (a Jewish memorial day marking the Hebrew date of a person’s death) of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks at St. John’s Wood Synagogue in London on Sunday.
Rachel and Jon, the parents of murdered former American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, spoke at length about the impact Rabbi Sacks’ work had on their lives, including how it sustained them as they fought for Hersh’s return from Gaza.
Jon had studied Rabbi Sacks’ work through the torah cycle and pondered aloud how such teachings would have impacted world leaders’ ability to balance compassion with toughness.
“I would ask Rabbi Sacks if he had found Hersh yet, and if he could teach him some of what he taught me,” Rachel shared, while reflecting on how much of her own personal discipline came from the Torah’s instruction to “choose life.”
Beyond finding strength in the words of the Torah, the pair shared that the solidarity they experienced throughout Jewish communities in the Diaspora had been a source of comfort for them. Rachel described it as a “symbiotic” embrace that has strengthened them throughout their ordeal.
Directing her comments to the young Jews who are struggling with the war, Rachel advised them to extend to Israel the same democratic generosity they value at home. Jon added to the point by referencing Rabbi Sacks’ teaching that when others look down on us, we must keep our dignity and lift our heads higher.
Spreading the Torah and Rabbi Sacks’ interpretations
The yahrzeit also marked the launch of the new Koren Sacks Humash, dedicated in memory of Conrad Morris. The edition brings together Rabbi Sacks’ translation and commentary on the Torah.
Britain’s current chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, spoke about Hersh’s place in the unfolding story of the Jewish people and about the global reach of Rabbi Sacks’ ideas.
Rabbi Mirvis praised the Morris family for helping ensure that Rabbi Sacks’ commentary will be in the hands of tens of thousands of people each week.
Gila Sacks closed the evening, calling the sight of congregants holding the new Humash “a blessing beyond words.”
Gila shared that the text’s layout, the Torah central on the page but surrounded by layers of interpretation, was a reminder of the need to make space for multiple voices and the necessity of disagreements.