Parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin call for a ‘day of good deeds’ to mark 613th day of captivity

As Tuesday marks the 613th day in captivity for the hostages in Gaza, the families of the hostages are making a call for a “day of good deeds.”

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose 23-year-old son Hersh was killed in Hamas captivity in August 2024, launched the initiative in a post on Instagram Monday, calling on the public to “flood the world with goodness and light.”

The couple chose the day 613 because the number corresponds with the number of mitzvahs outlined in the Torah. There are currently 55 remaining hostages in Gaza, of whom 20 are thought to remain alive.

“Join us on Day 613 as we flood the world with goodness and light in merit of all the cherished hostages coming home. Now-er than NOW,” the couple wrote in the caption.

The Polin-Goldbergs directed the public to share their good deeds in a public website where over 90 users had already contributed on Tuesday morning. The couple organized a similar initiative for a week in July 2024 in which they invited the public to do good deeds to promote the release of the remaining hostages.

“It was the most strengthening, invigorating week of our challenge in trying to save the hostages,” Jon Polin said in the Instagram reel.

The call comes as another initiative was launched by Israeli President Isaac Herzog Tuesday to hold a day of fasting and prayer for the hostages.

In an address Tuesday at a swearing-in ceremony for 28 newly appointed rabbinical judges, Herzog called on the chief rabbis of Israel to make a declaration for the day of fasting.

“I call upon you to take action, and I propose that you do everything in your power—first and foremost, to declare a general day of fasting and prayer for our brothers and sisters held by murderers,” said Herzog in a statement.

Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef said in a press release that the rabbis accepted the call, and would “announce this in the coming days.”