The parents of slain Hamas hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin have urged Jewish students to lead with purpose and courage in the ongoing conflict, emphasizing the need to ‘disarm the other side’ through engagement and dialogue. During the Israel on Campus Coalition summit, Jon and Rachel Polin urged more than 700 students to find their purpose, speak with courage, and help secure the release of the 50 hostages still believed to be held in Gaza.
Jon Polin’s address, shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, challenged the students to ‘pull your shoulders back, head up, be proud, engage, and try to truly learn and listen.’ He urged the group to embrace ‘radical listening’ as a means of breaking down barriers and fostering understanding. Rachel Polin echoed these sentiments, describing the pain of losing their son but also the strength found in collective action and hope for peace.
The message comes in the wake of recent failed ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, as well as the tragic deaths of embassy staff in Washington, D.C. The Polins shared personal moments of grief and loss, while also inspiring students to find meaning in their actions. They emphasized that the work of securing the release of the remaining 50 hostages and promoting peace is a collective endeavor that requires courage, resilience, and unity.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin was abducted by Hamas terrorists from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and his death was confirmed this summer following nearly 10 months of uncertainty. Rachel Polin recounted the deep emotional pain of losing her son, stating, ‘This wasn’t a choice. This was very much reflexive, very innate, very primal and natural as a parent. I need Hersh. I need him. Like I need water.’
Jon Polin shared a conversation with another Israeli who had made Hersh’s photo his phone background. ‘Every morning, the first thing I do is look at my phone. I see this picture of Hersh. And I ask: what can I do to be better?’ he told Jon. ‘That’s the revolution.’
Addressing the spike in antisemitism on college campuses, Jon urged students not to succumb to despair or victimhood. ‘Let’s stop saying, ‘Woe is us,’ he said. ‘Pull your shoulders back. Put your head up… Flip the narrative to one of pride, strength and resilience.’ He challenged students to confront hatred with confidence, emphasizing that ‘we have every ingredient to overcome our difficulties. We need to do it. We need to do it together. We don’t have another choice.’
Rachel also urged the student leaders to strive for progress, not perfection. ‘We all have to figure out what’s our purpose,’ she said. ‘What am I going to do today so when I go to sleep tonight, I’ve left the world one molecule better?’
Her remarks ended on a note of hope. ‘I bless all of us to have the resilience, the recovery, the healing, and the comfort that we all so desperately are thirsty for,’ Rachel said. ‘There is light ahead. Let’s all go toward that light.’