Esther Pollard, z’l, the wife of Jonathan Pollard who worked tirelessly for decades to secure his release, has passed away at the age of 68, a statement issued by the family on Monday morning stated.
The levaya is scheduled to take place on Monday at 4 p.m. at Har Hamenuchos in Jerusalem.
Esther, z’l, who had been battling cancer for years, contracted COVID about two weeks ago and was rushed to the hospital on Shabbos after suffering a severe deterioration in her condition. At the hospital she was found to be suffering from septic shock.
Jonathan Pollard spoke to Arutz Sheva after Esther’s petirah, saying: “In my worst nightmares I never thought I would lose Esther. After decades of her fighting for my release, I felt so helpless that I couldn’t help her in her battle for life.”
Jonathan’s lawyer, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Shuras HaDin organization, said: “Esther Pollard, a’h, a lioness and a woman of great stature who fought for her husband and led the struggle for his release for 30 years, passed away this morning. She acted fearlessly out of a genuine belief in the tzidkut of the way.”
“She was by his side every day, in every prison and every crisis, and didn’t lose sight of the goal until they finally landed in Eretz Yisrael to begin their free life. It’s so painful to hear this morning that she only enjoyed their shared freedom for one year. I send my deepest consolations to Yonatan and the entire family. Yehi Zichra Baruch.”
Esther, a’h, and Jonathan made aliyah in December 2020 and settled in the Rechavia neighborhood of Jerusalem.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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22 Responses
ברוך דיין האמת
She was a true אשת חיל who worked tirelessly for years a d years to gain her husband’s release. Poor Yonason! She’s going to a great place in Gan Eden but he’s left alone, again, helpless and forlorn.
המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך אבלי ציון וירושלים
Nuuu, was she vaccinated?
BDE
Pollard wasn’t a spy. There were no nuke secrets given to the medinah. Nukes aren’t real. Pollard is an actor. This woman was too. Now, they’re trying to use her death to convince you to mess with your genes, okay? None of this is real.
BDE. A unique and dedicated woman, a true eishes chayil.
Interesting….
Missing from the headlines “triple vaxxed Ester passed away raising Questions of the effectiveness of Vax especially for cancer patients as they need most protection”….
So so sad. Bd”e
BD”E
Maybe he should remarry his first wife, it is a huge mitzva to remarry your ex.
You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but she and her husband created much troubles for Jews working for certain branches of the US government and let’s not forget the chillul Hashem.
commonsaychel, your comment just demonstrated that saychel is not so common.
She did not die from Covid. She died of cancer.
@Swings: Absolutely disgusting! He did what he felt was the right thing to do. Esther O”H supported him throughout his unfair treatment by the vicious authorities.
A Chines spy got barely 2 years and he got live for passing information of an enemy state to a friendly one.
How many others do we know, who left their husbands in a similar situation, while she stood strong supporting him all the way. She had all the reason to seek a new life and build a family, but all she wanted is to support him while many others dumped him.
She should rest in Gan Eden.
Hashem should send a true nechomoh to her husband Jonathan.
what?! I just saw them together in geula!
@swings:
swings: dont do what im about to do…
So much Torah learning and chessed etc. Why has Moshiach not come yet? Just read the YWN comments after someone lost his wife… “Did she vax?” “They caused trouble…” Here’s the reason. In black and white. BDE. I don’t know Pollard, as probably none of you do, but the pain he endured for 30 years and then beyond… may he only have peace from now on. and even those of you with mean and heartless (and brainless most of the time) comments, should also never experience the pain that they did.
BD”E. It is very sad.
@DavidtheKAnol, you have no idea how much damage he did to the US and to Jews serving the US.
It behooves me that so many people can make such insensitive comments at such a time. Where has Klal Yisrael fallen to. Some decency at such a time! Come on people!
Reading some of these comments, I.e. ysiegel, commonsaychel, swings, and others, all I have to say is, we have some very, very nasty people in am yisrael. We’re in bad shape indeed.
Among many increasingly crazy threads here over the past several months, this is perhaps evidence that QAnon has made aliyah. I would have thought the editors might have shut down these postings but obviously this kind of stuff drives “engagement”.
I’m sad for her family, friends and klal yisroel for the whole Pollard affair but this is NUTS.
Why has TYW become the garbage collector?
Do we really need people to see the garbage that are propagated in the TYW comments sections?