When We See You Again by Rachel Polin

A Mother’s Raw, Heartbreaking Love Letter to Her Son — Taken Hostage and Lost on October 7

In When We See You Again, Rachel Goldberg-Polin delivers a searing, unforgettable memoir of love, unimaginable loss, and unbreakable strength.

Once upon a time, Rachel and her husband Jon lived a quiet, “warm beige” life with their son Hersh — a 23-year-old who loved music, travel, and making people laugh. Then came October 7, 2023. Hersh was stolen from the Nova music festival, taken hostage by Hamas, and held captive for 328 days. Rachel became the fierce, public face of the global hostage families, pleading with world leaders while her heart shattered in private.

This is the story of The Before and The After — the ordinary days before horror, the relentless fight to bring Hersh home, and the devastating reality after he and five other hostages were murdered in captivity on August 29, 2024.

With raw honesty and tender grace, Goldberg-Polin pours her pain, love, and longing onto the page — giving voice to every broken parent, every family touched by tragedy, and every reader searching for light in darkness.

A “love letter wrapped in pain,” this book is both devastating and deeply human. It reminds us that even when the world feels choked with grief, love endures.