Ben Schamisso
Families of Americans held hostage by Hamas return to Washington
Families of Americans held hostage in Gaza met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., Wednesday as they pushed for more action.
LEARN MOREPosted: 2:51 p.m. EST Dec 1, 2023
Rachel Goldberg will do anything and everything to bring her 23-year-old son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, home from Gaza. She spoke at the U.N, met with the pope and told her story to tens of thousands in Washington, D.C.
"We're turning over every stone and we're talking to every single person we think we can possibly talk to," Goldberg told Scripps News' Ben Schamisso.
Goldberg-Polin, a dual American Israeli citizen, grew up in Virginia before moving with his family to Israel when he was 7. On Oct. 7, he and other young people escaped the carnage at the Supernova Music Festival and took cover inside a bomb shelter, which Hamas terrorists attacked with machine guns and grenades.
Goldberg-Polin managed to survive, but his arm was blown off.
Asked if she had received any proof of life about her son, Goldberg said she was told that "Hamas usually wants their hostages to be alive" and she is hoping that her son "had the surgery that would have been needed for his arm."
From her home in Jerusalem, Goldberg shared with Scripps News that a couple days ago, she woke up in the middle of the night feeling her son's physical pain.
"We've heard from people who were released that they either slept on plastic chairs or on concrete floors. And just the idea that he's in such agony from this very traumatic, physical injury, not to mention, obviously the mental trauma," she said.
Goldberg says the relatives of hostages have become one big family — and she feels only joy seeing some of their loved ones released.
But for now, the truce is over — and still no word on her son.
"It's hard for us. I mean, that's putting it mildly," said Goldberg, adding that with the resumption of hostilities, she also worries for innocent Israelis and innocent Gazans who are caught in the crosshairs.
During the interview, which was recorded on Thursday, Goldberg wore the number 55 on a piece of tape she fastened to her shirt.
It's been 55 days since her only son and eldest child was kidnapped by Hamas — and since a primal maternal instinct kicked in to move mountains to save her son.
"I can't rest. I can't sit. I can't take time off," said Goldberg."There's only one way this ends well. And that's with people coming home alive and with Hersh coming home alive."
