On October 7, 2023, Rachel Goldberg-Polin's son Hersh was taken from the Nova Music Festival into Gaza. For 330 days, she and her husband John fought to bring him home; meeting with world leaders, speaking at the UN, and wearing a piece of tape on their chests with the changing number of days he'd been held captive. Hersh was murdered in captivity on day 330.

In this raw and unforgettable conversation, Rachel sits down with Danielle to talk about her new book When We See You Again (NYT bestseller). She opens up about the reality of living inside grief, the pressure society places on people to “heal,” why she rejects toxic positivity, the philosophy of “tragic optimism” that now guides her life, and why she refuses to let her humanity break.In this episode, she shares: 
The final two texts Hersh sent his parents and what they meant
Why Rachel calls herself "disordered" 
The story behind the tape that millions of people around the world started wearing
"Toxic positivity" vs. "tragic optimism" — and the Viktor Frankl quote that Hersh lived by
How Rachel held space for the suffering of mothers in Gaza while her own son was held there
The one question she still can’t answer: “How are you?”
Why Rachel says motherhood changed “the DNA” of who she is in the world
The Jewish mystical idea that reframes why we're here at all
What it means to mother a child who is no longer in this world
Why Rachel says “hope is mandatory” even after unimaginable loss
"Every soul comes to this world to do one act of kindness." The teaching that helps Rachel make sense of Hersh's life and her own

Grab a copy of Rachel’s NYT bestselling book When We See You Againhere

Follow Rachel + her family on Instagram here

On October 7, 2023, Rachel Goldberg-Polin's son Hersh was taken from the Nova Music Festival into Gaza. For 330 days, she and her husband John fought to bring him home; meeting with world leaders, speaking at the UN, and wearing a piece of tape on their chests with the changing number of days he'd been held captive. Hersh was murdered in captivity on day 330.
In this raw and unforgettable conversation, Rachel sits down with Danielle to talk about her new book When We See You Again (NYT bestseller). She opens up about the reality of living inside grief, the pressure society places on people to &ldquo;heal,&rdquo; why she rejects toxic positivity, the philosophy of &ldquo;tragic optimism&rdquo; that now guides her life, and why she refuses to let her humanity break.In this episode, she shares:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The final two texts Hersh sent his parents and what they meant</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why Rachel calls herself "disordered"&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">The story behind the tape that millions of people around the world started wearing</li>
<li aria-level="1">"Toxic positivity" vs. "tragic optimism" &mdash; and the Viktor Frankl quote that Hersh lived by</li>
<li aria-level="1">How Rachel held space for the suffering of mothers in Gaza while her own son was held there</li>
<li aria-level="1">The one question she still can&rsquo;t answer: &ldquo;How are you?&rdquo;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why Rachel says motherhood changed &ldquo;the DNA&rdquo; of who she is in the world</li>
<li aria-level="1">The Jewish mystical idea that reframes why we're here at all</li>
<li aria-level="1">What it means to mother a child who is no longer in this world</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why Rachel says &ldquo;hope is mandatory&rdquo; even after unimaginable loss</li>
<li aria-level="1">"Every soul comes to this world to do one act of kindness." The teaching that helps Rachel make sense of Hersh's life and her own</li>
</ul>
Grab a copy of Rachel&rsquo;s NYT bestselling book When We See You Again <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/when-we-see-you-again-rachel-goldberg-polin/10d0fd82926a3b2a?ean=9798217198009&amp;next=t">here</a>
Follow Rachel + her family on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bring.hersh.home/">here</a>

Behind every headline is a person + a deeper story. Question Everything with journalist Danielle Robay cuts through social media buzz to uncover the voices, ideas, and cultural moments that shape how we see the world. Each week, she asks bold questions that challenge assumptions and reveal the nuance behind the narratives, inviting you to look closer at the world, and at yourself. Because there's always more to the story.
——
Danielle is also the creator of the bestselling QUESTION EVERYTHING card game series, which has sparked connection and conversation in thousands of living rooms around the world. She's also the co-executive producer (alongside Reese Witherspoon) and host of Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club. With her signature curiosity—dubbed "The Queen of Questions"—and a background in political science, Danielle brings both heart and rigor to every conversation. A Gloria Steinem Fellow and mentee of Larry King, she's carried forward a legacy of curiosity and connection, interviewing icons from Taylor Swift to Malala Yousafzai in more than 8,000 hours of elevated conversation.

QUESTION EVERYTHING

Rachel Goldberg-Polin on Being a Tragic Optimist + Why Love Is the Strongest Force We Have

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/01202b08-0abf-4347-b511-b44300499dab/transcript