Rabbi Shlomo Amar pays condolence visit to Jonathan Pollard
Rabbi Shlomo Amar pays condolence visit to Jonathan PollardAdi Ginzburg

In a modest home in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem, Jonathan Pollard sits shiva over his late wife Esther, who passed away this week.

Esther devoted decades of her life to bring about her husband’s release, but they were only able to live together for a short time: Esther was diagnosed with cancer which weakened her body, and then contracted COVID-19 which overpowered her.

In an interview with the Yediot Aharonot newspaper, Pollard said, "Her condition was deteriorating and she could not leave the house. Over Shabbat there was another deterioration, and on Sunday morning I was faced with an impossible decision: Let Esther go, or continue to fight with her being respirated. At that moment I told the doctor: ‘This woman has been fighting for me for thirty years. I must let her fight for herself.’ They connected her to a respirator, but unfortunately it did not help."

Esther passed away on Monday. Jonathan has no doubt that the years she spent in fighting for his release cost her health "in her inability to find the time to take care of herself," he says, "and for that I will owe her my entire life."

"She was my teacher. She introduced me to a way of life that I did not know, a way of life of truth. The meaning of living according to the will of God and according to Halakha. I learned a lot from her."

Esther's illness limited Esther and Jonathan's ability to visit many places. "One of the most exciting moments was the introduction of a Torah scroll at the Tomb of Joseph. It was a Torah scroll for which Esther had collected penny for penny, hoping it would give me credit and help bring about my release. It was intended for the Tomb of Joseph because he was a biblical figure who was imprisoned, and with whom I identify. Her hope was that I would make Aliyah to Israel and place the scroll there myself, and that is a dream we managed to fulfill together."