She began her activism after her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was abducted by Hamas while attending the Re’im Music Festival.

[1] Goldberg-Polin's son, Hersh, was kidnapped and abducted to the Gaza Strip during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

She spoke to both political authorities and media organizations, including the BBC,[4] CBS,[5] NBC,[6] and The Wall Street Journal.

[8][9] In daily life, she attempted to draw attention to the hostage crisis by putting tape on her clothing, on which she wrote the number of days since October 7.

[16] Following the announcement of Hersh's death on 31 August, United States President Joe Biden spoke with Rachel and her husband.

[19] Goldberg-Polin, her husband, Jonathan, and their three children migrated to Israel in the early 2000s where they received Israeli citizenship on arrival.