Mother of Hamas hostage with Chicago roots named one of Time's 100 most influential people for 2024

The Chicago-born mother of a hostage taken by Hamas was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in 2024.

Rachel Goldberg’s son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, was one of about 250 people taken hostage by Hamas Oct. 7. Since then, she and her husband Jon Polin, also a native Chicagoan, have led an extensive campaign called Bring Hersh Home, calling for the release of Goldberg-Polin and the other hostages still being held by Hamas.

Goldberg appeared on the Time list alongside other noteworthy figures from around the world, including movie stars, musicians, athletes, activists, writers, businesspeople and politicians.

“I want to thank @time for my inclusion on the #TIME100 and for recognizing the significance and gravity of the hostage crisis and the need for the world to advocate on their behalf, until each one is returned home,” Goldberg wrote on the “Bring Hersh Home” Facebook page.

Goldberg has become one of the most visible advocates for the hostages and their families, according to Time. She’s met with world leaders, including President Joe Biden, addressed the United Nations in New York City and Geneva and had an audience with Pope Francis.

Goldberg-Polin was attending the Nova music festival in southern Israel when Hamas militants opened fire on festivalgoers, killing about 1,200 people. The war that has raged since has killed more than 33,800 Palestinians.

His left arm was blown off from the elbow in a bunker before he was taken, his family told the Sun-Times in October. Goldberg and her family have had no update on her son’s condition since he was taken.

“I pray this platform will help compel the world not to forsake these remaining 133 souls, who hail from 25 countries, 5 religions and range in age from 15 months to 86 years old, and who have now been held captive in Gaza for 194 days. We must not turn a blind eye to the suffering of these human beings, along with the suffering of all innocents in Gaza,” Goldberg wrote on Facebook.

Goldberg and Polin appear frequently on the page campaigning for their son’s release and sharing stories about him and the other hostages. They always wear a piece of tape with the number of days since Goldberg-Polin was captured. As of Wednesday, it’s been 194 days.

“Hope is absolutely mandatory,” Goldberg said during a recent interview on MSNBC. “I believe it, and I have to believe it, that he will come back to us.”

Goldberg, her son and her husband are dual American-Israeli citizens. Polin grew up in West Rogers Park and Skokie, and Goldberg grew up in Streeterville. The family moved to Jerusalem in 2008.

Evanston residents Judith and Natalie Ranaan were also taken hostage by Hamas Oct. 7. The mother and daughter were released nearly two weeks after they were captured.

Motaz Azaiza, the 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist, was also named on the Time list for documenting life under Israeli bombardment in Gaza and offering a glimpse into the humanitarian crisis gripping Palestinians that few news outlets have been able to capture.