Call me Back LIVE - with Rachel Goldberg-Polin
4/21/20261 hr
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What does grief actually look like, and what does it mean to live with it?
In this live conversation recorded at Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center on the eve of Yom HaZikaron, Rachel Goldberg-Polin joins Dan Senor to reflect on love, loss, faith, and the story behind her new book, about the loss of her son, Hersh, who was taken hostage on October 7 and later killed in captivity.
This conversation explores how Rachel understands suffering, why she rejects the idea that grief “gets better,” and how she holds onto faith, love, and what she calls “tragic optimism.” It is a raw and deeply human discussion about what remains when everything changes, and what it means to keep going.
Purchase Rachel’s book here: When We See You Again.
In this episode:
- Life before October 7 and the meaning of Shabbat in Rachel’s family
- The morning of October 7 and the moment everything changed
- What it was like to advocate for Hersh while he was in captivity
- The discovery that Hersh knew his family was fighting for him
- The night Rachel and her family learned he had been killed
- Why Rachel rejects the idea that grief fades over time
- “Toxic positivity” vs. “tragic optimism”
- What grief really is, and what it reveals about love
This episode is sponsored by American Friends of Israel Navy SEALs (AFINS). For a brief video on Buddy Line and to support the program, visit AFINS.us/warriorcare.
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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDan Senor· Host0:00
[background music] In 2005, a nineteen-year-old Golani soldier named Ami was stationed at one of the IDF's northernmost outposts in Lebanon. After a barrage of mortar fire, the position fell quiet, and Ami realized he was completely alone. With orders not to abandon his post, he spent hours waiting. Ami made it through that night, but years later, even as he built a family and a life, the experience kept breaking into the future he was trying to build. Eventually, Ami found Buddy Line, a program run by American friends of Israel Navy SEALs. Buddy Line pairs Israeli Navy SEALs with IDF combat veterans struggling with PTSD. Over a year, these pairs build trust, confidence, and connection. It's warrior-to-warrior care, and for most of the six hundred struggling veterans to date, it works. Today, Ami is a father of three and a leader in Buddy Line, helping others steady themselves after service. If you're moved to support this work in honor of Israel's Memorial Day, click the link in our show notes. Your gift of any size can help someone move forward.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin· Guest1:11
[background music] You are listening to an Art Media podcast. So this young woman asked, "Can you explain grief to us?" There's about a hundred kids in the room.