Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin: How Torah Gives Us Faith and Hope

Update: 2025-10-12

Description

This episode is brought to you by Simchat Torah Challenge, a Jewish communal project inspiring tens of thousands of Jews of all backgrounds to read the weekly parsha. The weekly English-language email newsletter and website bring Torah and insights from trusted sources. Join for free at SimchatTorahChallenge.org

In this special Simchas Torah episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin—parents of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Hashem yikkom damo—about their relationship to Torah.

For two years, we’ve been struggling with the paradox of how Simchas Torah has become eternally intertwined with October 7. So, at Koren’s celebration of Rabbi Sacks’s Humash, we could think of no two better people to talk to. In this episode we discuss:

How can we find redemption specifically within our exile?
How can we move on when we’ve been permanently broken?
How can we work to live our lives through the lens of Torah?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how Torah gives us strength and hope in even the darkest times.

Interview was held on Sept. 8 and begins at 18:26 .

References:

18Forty Podcast: “Chaim Saiman: Is Talmud the Jewish Constitution?”

“The Inverted Halakhah of Simhat Torah” by Chaim Saiman

Parshat Beha'alotcha

Ezekiel 37

Genesis 32:27

The Koren Shalem Humash

For more 18Forty:
NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join
CALL: (212) 582-1840
EMAIL: info@18forty.org
WEBSITE: 18forty.org
IG: @18forty
X: @18_forty
WhatsApp: join here

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.