“Thou Shalt Not Steal”: Rachel Goldberg–Polin and Or Levy on Freedom, Captivity, and Loss

“Our black hole was a deep void, from the most terrible day of our lives, the day we buried Hersh,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin writes in her book *When We See You Again*. “We moved through total darkness, thicker than a blindfold… There was no air. There was no dawn. And then, on day 496, we met Or.”

Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Or Levy were abducted together from the “death shelter” on October 7. Hersh was murdered in captivity, while Or returned to Israel after 491 days. Five days after his return, Or asked to meet Hersh’s parents, Rachel and Jon. At the hospital, he told them for the first time about the days he had spent with Hersh in captivity: the moments they shared, the conversations they had, and the ways they supported one another and held on to life.

Around the anniversary of October 7, in the concluding event of the online series *The Ten Commandments*, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and captivity survivor Or Levy will discuss the commandment “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” They will speak about living in the shadow of trauma and loss, and explore the meaning of the commandment in light of the freedom taken from Or and the life of Hersh, cut short in captivity.

Participation is free, with advance registration required.