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10 HASHALOM November
2016
ISRAEL
Excerpts from the speech made by Shimon Peres at the
White House after receiving the Presidential Medal of
Freedom in 2012 from President Obama
“…Mr. President, my vision is of an Israel living in full, genuine peace, joining
with all the people in the Middle East – former enemies and new friends alike;
of Jerusalem becoming the capital of peace; of an Israel that is a scientific
center open to all, serving all without discrimination; of a green Israel, and an
increasingly green Middle East…”
“My vision is of an Israel whose moral code is as old as the Ten Commandments
tablets, and whose imagination is as new as the digital tablets as well…Together,
our old and modern vision can help bring tikkun olam. It will take a long time
before we shall achieve it and become satisfied, as you have said. I believe that
in the coming decade, Israel will be a center of the latest development in brain
research. As the secrets of the human brain are being revealed, people may
improve their capacity to choose between right and wrong…”
Excerpts from President Barack Obama’s eulogy
at Shimon Peres’ funeral
“…He showed us that justice and hope are at the heart of the Zionist idea… he
lived a full life driven by big dreams. Shimon Peres’ life is the State of Israel. This
is the story of the Jewish people over the last century. Shimon once said that
‘the message of the Jewish people to mankind is that faith and moral vision can
triumph over all adversity.’”
“…He reminds us that Israel, like the United States, was not built by cynics.
Peres was never cynical. His story is the story of a man who never gave up
on hope, faith and optimism - even when all the evidence is to the contrary.
He believed that tomorrow can be better, and that makes us not just honor
Shimon Peres, but love him. Shimon accomplished enough things in his life for
a thousand men. But not with a longing for the past, but for the dreams that
have not yet come true. His work is now in the hands of Israel’s next generation
and its friends. We draw strength from his example. Choose life. Shimon let us
choose life. Shimon: Todah Rabah Chaver Yakar.”
Obama draws from God’s words to Moses in
Deuteronomy 30:19:
“This day, I call upon heaven and earth to bear
witness that I have set before you life and death,
the blessing and the curse; you shall choose life, so
that you and your offspring may live.”
Shimon Peres, A Portrait by Hanoch Piven
The artist, Hanoch Piven, created a portrait of Shimon Peres using a variety of
everyday objects and household items which were not chosen randomly.
Piven explains his choices as follows:
- The robot for his nose: conveys Peres’ tireless efforts and the place technology
holds in his vision
- The flowers for his mouth: represent Peres’ never-ending optimism
- The spring around his head: symbolizes activity, energy, and flexibility
- The band aids for his eyebrows: cover the wounds of his failures
A Beit Ha’am Anthology in Memory of Shimon Peres CONTINUED....
November 2016
HASHALOM
11
ISRAEL
The Eyes of Beta Israel
Lyrics: Shimon Peres, Music: Idan Raichel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4TMKg7ETYw
They are big and bright like a bush not consumed by the flames of time
Their magic charges with a rare beauty, and the pupil longs for Zion and shines
The white of the eye is like a slice of the Hermon, the distance concealed in fading
mountains
The eyelid closes, humble and seeking vindication, heavy with embracing sadness
And Beth Israel has not been cut off
And Shema Israel has not been silenced
The legacy is alive the letters are intact, the path is rugged and fraught with obstacles
And the people press on until the homeland comes into view, offering no comfort
And Beth Israel has not been cut off
And Shema Israel has not been silenced
Blessed is the yearning that brought you here
At the end of an arduous journey, arriving like a dream
And Shema Israel has not been silenced
Shimon Peres – excerpts from an interview he gave at
the end of his presidency on July 11, 2014
“We’re living in a different age today. Nowadays, a farmer needs
science to cultivate a plot of land, and science doesn’t need power. In recent
years, we have seen how real revolutions are occurring without weapons. When
Stalin and Lenin wanted a revolution, they murdered 20 million people. In our
day and age, a young guy named Zuckerberg – who doesn’t have an army
or an ideology, and it’s doubtful whether he has even read Marx– rose up and
made a revolution. The Communist revolution went bankrupt, whereas see
what Zuckerberg’s revolution has accomplished – without exerting any force.
Whoever chooses to take Stalin’s path has no future.”
Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish
Agency, said the following after Shimon Peres’ passing:
“Throughout his many roles in Israel’s leadership and over many years, Peres
was always driven by a deep sense of responsibility toward the Jewish people.
He concerned himself with the fate and future of the entire nation, but also with
each of its sons and daughters, both near and far. When looking into the future
and formulating a vision, he always made sure to secure the place of the Jewish
people among all the other nations, as well as the place of each sector of our
people within the entire Jewish people.”
“On a more personal note, Avital (Sharansky’s wife – E.G.) and I always felt that
our struggle was important to him. We’ll always remember that he used his
ties and influence to open doors for Avital worldwide in order to advance our
struggle. When I was released from prison and came to Israel, he was the first
Israeli I saw after landing when he came to greet me as Prime Minister.”
“I’ll always remember him as the individual who started the Israeli chapter of my
life. I’ve always admired his dedication to his values and vision. He will be sorely
missed by all Jews. May his memory be blessed.”
People who don’t have fantasies,
don’t do fantastic things.
Shimon Peres
A Beit Ha’am Anthology in Memory of Shimon Peres CONTINUED....
You need to surprise! Break
free of past conventions
Shimon Peres