BD”E: Mrs. Esther Pollard, A”h; Dedicated Life to Freeing Her Husband Jonathan

Mrs. Esther (Yocheved) Pollard, a”h, the wife of, lhbch”l, Jonathan Pollard, passed away early Monday morning at Hadassah Hospital in Yerushalayim.

She had been in the ICU unit of the COVID ward, after she contracted the coronavirus while also fighting cancer. She was 68 years old.

Mrs. Pollard had dedicated her life to freeing her husband Jonathan from an American prison, after he pleaded guilty to passing classified information to Israel, and he received an unprecedented life sentence.

Jonathan was paroled in 2015 after serving 30 years in prison, and he and Esther were allowed to leave to Israel in late 2020.

Jonathan Pollard said in a statement that “I did not imagine in my worst nightmares that I would lose Esther. After decades of fighting for my release, I felt so helpless that I could not help her in her struggle for life.”

The Chairman of Eretz Hakodesh at the World Zionist Congress, Rabbi Pesach Lerner, who served as the Rabbi of the Pollards and accompanied them for thirty years, said in a statement Monday morning:

“The heart of us all is broken at the bitter news. ‘A Woman of Valor Who Can Find?’ and Jonathan found a special woman. A woman who dedicated her life for Jonathan. She dedicated her life literally: her health, her career and her personal development for Jonathan.

“I can say with certainty that Jonathan is alive today only thanks to the love and support Esther has given him. Jonathan is free today thanks to the relentless efforts that Esther has devoted to him.

“She did this out of an unusual mission and faith in G-d. We pray to Hashem to give Jonathan strength to continue. I call on the people of Israel to come and support him in this difficult time at the funeral and in comforting him.”

Her levayah was held on Monday afternoon at Har Hamenuchos in Yerushalayim.

Baruch dayan ha’emes.