In a powerful moment at the Democratic National Convention, Rachel and Jon Goldberg, whose son Hersh was kidnapped during the Nova music festival during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, delivered an emotional plea for the release of all hostages held in Gaza on Wednesday night in Chicago.
Chants of "bring them home" echoed through the crowd as the Windy City-born couple approached the podium, which was made possible after a campaign was launched to persuade organizers to grant them a speaking slot on the crucial night, when Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, accepted the vice presidential nomination of the party. They were met with thunderous applause and repeated calls for the hostages' return.
Rachel began by painting a vivid picture of the hostages' plight: "And at this moment, 109 treasured human beings are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. They are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. They are from 23 different countries. The youngest hostage is a one-year-old redheaded, baby boy and the oldest is an 86-year-old mustachioed grandad. Among the hostages are eight American citizens. One of those Americans is our only son. His name is Hersh, he's 23 years old and, like Vice President Kamala Harris, Hersh was born in Oakland."
She went on to share personal details about her son, including his love for music, his support for the Hapoel Jerusalem soccer team, and his sense of humor. Rachel recounted the terror attack on the festival-goers, highlighting the heroism of Hersh's friend, Aner Shapira, who threw back grenades hurled by the attackers until he was killed by absorbing the explosives of the eighth grenade and thus saving the others who were hiding with him in an improvised shelter.
Jon emphasized the non-partisan nature of their cause: "This is a political convention, but needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages, home is not a political issue. It is, it is a humanitarian issue, the families, the families of the hostages meet every few weeks in Washington, we're heartened that both Democratic and Republican leaders demonstrate their bipartisan support for our hostages being released.
He called for an immediate agreement to help de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. Rachel concluded with a heartrending appeal to her son: "Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you. Stay strong, survive." The father than added, "Bring them home." At the end of the speech, the audience rose to their feet in a standing ovation.
The Goldbergs' appearance was broadcast live across American networks, dominating coverage and discussion of the ongoing conflict.
