Remember the bumper sticker “We are all Miriam Lapid”?
On December 6, 1993, Mordechai Lapid, age 56, and his son Shalom Lapid, age 19, were shot to death by terrorists near Hebron. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorists opened fire on the family car in the Givat Harsina area near Hebron, killing the father and the son, and leaving the mother, Miriam, with 13 children to raise – alone.
The bumper sticker and similar button articulated so much feeling.
Miriam Lapid was a symbol for all of Israel. All of Israel felt her pain. All of Israel felt her loss. A grieving widow caring for 13 orphaned children was a gargantuan task.
Now, 31 years later, we are suffering the brutal murder of six kidnapped hostages –Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Eden Yerushalmi, as well as US citizen Hersh Golberg-Polin – and all of “Israel is a grieving mother,” as described in the book of Lamentations.
Every so often, a cause elevates itself. It takes on a life which is greater and bigger than one would ever have expected. This happens because of a fusion of issues that include the media, character, timing, charm, and the poignancy of the story and the charisma of those telling the story.
When this unique combination of factors unite, the story takes on a life of its own. The Hersh Goldberg-Polin story – that never should have or would have unfolded had it not been for the heinous attacks by Hamas on October 7 – is one of those examples. His story has touched so many of us, so deeply. His mother and father have touched us. The posters of him and his image, the pictures, all touched us.
President Herzog
ISRAEL’S PRESIDENT Isaac Herzog gave voice to this idea in his eulogy for Hersh. Many who attended the funeral wore red t-shirts which read “Sorry”. Herzog explained this sentiment when he asked forgiveness from Hersh and the other five executed hostages.
“I ask for forgiveness – from you, Carmel, Uri, Eden, Almog, and Alex. I ask for forgiveness on behalf of the State of Israel. We failed to protect you in the horrific events of October 7. We failed to bring you home safely,” Herzog said.
“Hersh, your unique light touched all of us from the first moment, even through the posters pleading for your return. Most of us never had the privilege of knowing you in life, but for the past eleven months, you have lived within us. Michal and I met with your parents and family many times over the past year and were honored to know people of exceptional character and to learn an unforgettable lesson – from them – about the boundless love of a mother and father.”
Hersh became and will remain a symbol of the hostages. That in no way diminishes the other hostages and their stories and their suffering. It is simply human nature to latch onto a symbol that represents the whole. It is how great stories are built using metaphors and metonymy as well as synecdoche. Metonymy comes from the Greek and means “change of name” while synecdoche means “in place of.” That is what we do when we build great stories.
In much the same way, the story of Anne Frank served that role. People came closer to understanding what it was like to be a young girl during the Holocaust in Amsterdam because they read her diary.
No one can possibly understand what Hersh and his family went through. But because of the way in which his story was told and the passion with which they told their story, so many were able to come to at least a miniscule understanding of the horror and the suffering they confronted.
Hamas celebrates death; Israel celebrates life. Even with these tragic murders, we see the great life that these victims represented. Hamas erased their lives. But they cannot erase the memories of each and every one of the victims.
The message
Ultimately, that is the message of hope. That is the message of Israel. That is the message of Goldberg-Polin and Miriam Lapid; that is what they represent for all of us.
May the memories of all those slaughtered at the hands of Hamas be a blessing.
The writer is a social and political commentator. Watch his TV show Thinking Out Loud on JBS.