At the Holocaust Museum Houston’s Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award Dinner, grief met grit as more than 1,400 guests gathered at Hilton Americas-Houston to honor Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin. The couple, whose son Hersh was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and later murdered in captivity, were recognized for transforming unimaginable loss into a global campaign for the freedom of all hostages.
The evening opened on a poignant note with flutist Ariella Perlman performing “Jerusalem of Gold,” followed by blessings from rabbi Brian Strauss of Congregation Beth Yeshurun and co-pastor Becky Keenan of Living Hope Church. The program culminated in an intimate armchair conversation led by Israeli journalist Amir Tibon, himself a survivor of the October 7 attacks. Tibon’s deeply personal exchange with the Goldberg-Polins evinced the couple’s resilience, recalling Hersh not only as a victim but as a son, brother, and activist whose voice still echoes through their advocacy.
The event shattered expectations, raising more than $2 million for the museum — its most successful fundraiser in two decades.
Honorary chairs Riva Collins and Ira Mitzner, dinner chairs Tali and Eric Blumrosen and Susan and Michael Bono, and host committee chairs Susie and Jeff Raizner helped orchestrate the milestone evening, with presenting sponsor Dorothy Lee Levinson ensuring its success.
Since 1994, the LBJ Moral Courage Award has recognized individuals who, like its namesake, risk personal and professional stakes in pursuit of justice. Past honorees include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, George W. Bush, Elie Wiesel, and Steven Spielberg.
Among those in the crowd were Rhona and Bruce Caress, Dorit and Marty Aaron, Mike Morgan, Mady Kades, Nancy and Jack Dinerstein, Susan and Barrett Reasoner, Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron, Ginger Blanton, Tracy and Gary Stein, Nancy Li and Soner Tarim, Chris Kase, Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman, Brian Caress and Jessica Strehlow, Joy and Benjamin Warren, Joan Schnitzer, and Dr. Scott Sawyer.
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Lily Evans and Joyce Evans.
