Goldberg-Polins set to appear at Sydney and Melbourne UIA events
'We will stand together and show our honoured guests and all the people of Israel that their courage and sacrifice is not taken for granted by our community over 13,000km away'
UIA Australia has announced Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin as the guests of honour at its 2025 Campaign Gala Events in Sydney and Melbourne.
The parents of Hersh Golberg-Polin z”l, who was murdered by Hamas in the tunnels of Gaza, became the faces and voices of families fighting to bring Israeli hostages back home. They spent 330 days advocating for their son and all the hostages through incredible personal pain – making speeches to leaders around the world and using social media to ensure Hersh and the other hostages remained in focus.
Rachel’s words of courage and strength have echoed across the globe as she has proudly declared that “hope is mandatory” and reminded the hostages that they are loved and that above all they needed to stay strong and survive.
Even after Hersh was tragically murdered on August 31 last year, they continued to advocate for the hostage families – determined that no other family should have to suffer the extreme loss and anguish that they were faced with.
“The bravery they have shown in the face of this unimaginable adversity is what makes them our Stars of David. This February we are honoured to invite them into the Australian Jewish community to show them that our entire community stands resolutely united with them,” UIA said.
In Perth, UIA will welcome Michael Oren – an American-born Israeli historian, and bestselling author who served as Israel’s Ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013 and later as a Member of the Knesset and Deputy Minister of Diplomacy in the Prime Minister’s Office. His insights into Israeli politics and the situation on the ground promise to be illuminating for UIA’s Western Australian audience.
Together with Michael, Rachel and Jon, Stars of David will also honour other ordinary Israelis who have exhibited extraordinary courage on and since October 7. Their names will be announced in the weeks to come.
The events will be fundraisers where the ticket price will cover the cost of attendance, then attendees will be asked to pledge their donations to support the rebuilding of Israeli communities.
Keren Hayesod-UIA is central to the planning and action in the rebuilding of Israeli communities and individuals from the North to the South, and from the East to the West. Nation building programs that impact on a mass scale while focusing on the people’s recuperation and rehabilitation.
UIA Australia President Esther Frenkiel OAM said, “We will stand together and show our honoured guests and all the people of Israel that their courage and sacrifice is not taken for granted by our community over 13,000km away. We invite the community to unite with us as we continue rebuilding lives and communities.”
Event dates are as follows:
NSW – Sunday 23 February
VIC – Wednesday 26 February
WA – Thursday 27 February
Book at uiaaustralia.org.au, follow UIA on Facebook and Instagram (@uiaaus) to stay up to date on the events.
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