Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of former hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, revealed a chilling detail about her son's captivity during a recent book launch. She recounted a conversation with recently freed hostage Or Levy, who told her that Hersh had heard her voice while in captivity. Specifically, he heard her speaking about a meeting with the United States Secretary of State, a detail that left her deeply shaken.

Goldberg-Polin said learning that her son knew she and her husband were fighting for his release gave her a profound sense of connection and validation. Despite the horrific conditions he endured, including starvation, torture, and severe injury, she was comforted by the belief that he drew strength from hearing her advocacy. She later learned that by the time of that revelation, her son had already been dead for more than 120 days.

Hersh was reportedly executed by Hamas, along with other hostages, as Israeli military forces approached their location. His case drew significant attention in both Israel and the United States. Goldberg-Polin said that although the pain of losing her son will never fade, speaking about him sustains her, and her love for him continues to grow stronger with time.