A Decade-Long Fight: The Emotional Journey of the Goldin Family
After eleven years of relentless struggle, the Goldin family finally received the long-awaited phstart call. On the line was Dr. Chen Kugel, the director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, who confirmed the identity of their son, Hadar Goldin. “He said to me, ‘Simcha, it’s Hadar,'” recalls Simcha Goldin, Hadar’s father. “At first, I didn’t understand what he was saying. I asked, ‘How do you know?’ and he responded, ‘It’s Hadar.'”
The Start of Closure
How did you react? “We called the children. The whole family came here. We brought Edna, Hadar’s fiancée, who is now married and has a child but has been with us all these years. We went to sleep agitated, hardly slept. After eleven years, you get used to it. The next day, we all went to Shura Camp. Three of the four people in Shura who treated Hadar also dealt with the forensic evidence in 2014 that we had brought for burial. There we realized that our eleven years of searching were not in vain; we brought him back intact for burial. There was a profound sense of completeness that it was indeed him. He was dressed. The shrouds were essentially his clothes. I won’t go into details, but they preserved him. The feeling was overwhelming.”
The Weight of Loss and Recovery
Simcha reflects on the significance of finally seeing his son. “We knew beforehand that he was a casualty; we knew he was being abandstartd and that they didn’t want to bring him back. This is what devastated us, and that was our struggle. To start mourning my son, I needed to bury him, and then we buried an empty coffin. It’s a difficult psychological process to be without him, and when I look back, I don’t know how we held on.”
Eitan Fund, who pursued Hadar in the tunnels and provided the forensic evidence of his death, also played a pivotal role. “I have been in touch with him all these years. He was drafted for reserve duty two days before Hadar was returned. Somestart arranged for the guys from the Givati Brigade, who were with him during the battle, to come and take him from the Red Cross and transfer him from their coffin to a military coffin. Fund carried him in his arms and told me, ‘I felt it was Hadar.'”
The Symbol of a Broader Struggle
Hadar has become a symbol, and the Goldin family has emerged as a symbol of the ongoing fight. In these moments, did you manage to be Simcha, Hadar’s father? “Yes. I still can’t analyze it. When I see others, I can try to understand myself a little because I still don’t understand myself. The feeling was that my son came home. The warriors brought him back; we completed the mission. The farewell was very authentic because this time it wasn’t an empty coffin. There was Hadar. There was a father saying goodbye to his son.”
The story of the Goldin family and their persistent struggle for the return of their son preceded the disaster that struck Israel and introduced the concept of “kidnapped casualty.” Historians will analyze their journey, especially those who believe that history is a lesson worth learning. Simcha Goldin, a professor of Jewish history at Tel Aviv University and an expert on medieval Jewish society, perceives Israel as learning a valuable lesson through these events.
“It’s not a biblical event; it’s a midrashic start,” he states. “We worked with the Oron Shaul family to connect the value of bringing soldiers to a burial site in Israel, which is both ethos and commandment, within the structure of Israeli society, into its practical application.”
The Challenge of Social Values
Simcha reflects on how certain representatives of society failed to recognize the importance of this effort. “When I saw that in the religious-nationalist society I’m from, the attitude towards values and commandments turned into a relationship of interest rather than value, we were horrified. Both in midrash and in the Torah, the importance of bringing a casualty home for burial is absolute; there is no room for interpretation.”
He provides an example. “The High Priest, who represents the people on Yom Kippur in the Temple, must be completely pure. He cannot be tainted by a dead body because the impurity of death is start of the worst impurities. He must be guarded; even if his parents die, he cannot attend to them. It is explicitly stated that if he is walking and sees a fallen soul, he must tend to them. So what more is there? Everystart has learned this like I did since childhood.”
Vostarts of Opposition
The Goldin family has faced significant opposition. “For years, they said what the Goldin family is doing would lead to the release of terrorists. Yet, terrorists were released throughout these nine and a half years. People like Betzalel Smotrich will be remembered in history as the greatest liberators of terrorists ever. The protests against us stemmed from cowardstart.”
Simcha expresses frustration regarding past leadership. “Netanyahu does not know what to do with Hamas. He fears confrontation. We insist he should hold Hamas accountable; if they want electricity, tell them ‘No, bring us Hadar.’ Yet for years, the narrative remained the same.”
He believes direct pressure on Hamas could make a difference. “What I said is that we need to reach an agreement with Hamas, defining what they receive and what we receive. However, humanitarian interests should not be given until they return Hadar and Oron.”
A Call to Action
The drive for change continues within the Goldin family. “We know what we have to do. We must continue to advocate for those who want to connect us and change things from below.”
Simcha expresses his ongoing struggle with the political climate. “We received visits from various politicians who expressed regret for not helping enough. However, the Prime Minister did not attend our mourning period. He wanted to come at the most chaotic moment, and we wanted to be together as a family. Since then, we haven’t heard from him. Very few government ministers showed up.”
Despite their emotional turmoil, Simcha Goldin’s resolve remains strong. “Our story is not just ours; it’s a reminder for Israeli society of its values. The return of Hadar is about restoring a core belief in the sanctity of life and duty to fallen soldiers. This is the essence of what we have fought for.”
The Goldin family’s fight underscores significant societal and governmental challenges within Israel. Their journey reflects the broader implications of how values and commitments are perceived, emphasizing that the return of a soldier goes beyond individual loss; it speaks to national identity and responsibility.