Mom of slain hostage asks her son to 'help us to rise again'
Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s mother, Rachel, spoke directly to her slain son at his funeral Monday, saying she had been "absolutely certain that you were coming home to us alive. But it was not to be."
"Now I no longer have to worry about you. I know you are no longer in danger," she said. "But now my worry shifts to us. ... How do we live the rest of our life without you?"
Rachel Goldberg-Polin said she had always dreamed of what kind of man her 23-year-old son would grow up to be, but now he will always stay her energetic, kind, patient, funny and pensive "sweet boy."
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"If there was something we could’ve done to save you and I didn’t think of it, I beg your forgiveness," she said to her son, days after his body and the body of five other hostages were recovered in Gaza.
She also asked for her son’s help "as we transform our hope into grief in this new, unknown brand of pain."
"I beg of you, Hersh, please do what you can … help shower us with healing and resilience. Help us to rise again," she said.
She said she hopes one day that their family -- including Hersh’s dad and two sisters -- will "hear laughter and turn around -- and see it’s us and were OK."
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Through tears, the grieving mom begged her friends to help the family through this "sickening new chapter," pleading, "please don’t leave us now."
To her son, she said, "Finally, you're free. ... I love you and I will miss you every single day for the rest of my life."