Saturday, August 29, 2009

Arlington meets Mount Herzl

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America buries another Kennedy today.
Our leaders say farewell to a faithful friend of Israel.

A touching story was revealed by Prof. Leonard Fein of Boston and was picked up by Israel's Haaretz.
After Prime Minister Yitshak Rabin was assassinated (in 1995), Senator Edward Kennedy dug up some earth from the Arlington graves of his brothers John and Robert, who had also been gunned down. He carried the dirt onto the plane to Israel. After Rabin was buried on Mount Herzl, Ted waited for the crowd and the photographers to disperse. Then, on his hands and knees, he gently placed the American earth onto the freshly-dug Israel earth.
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Now the grave is covered by the unusual tombstones which Rabin's widow commissioned from architect Moshe Safdie. Yitzhak Rabin is written in Hebrew on the black marble, Leah Rabin on the white.
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May the leaders rest in peace.
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11 comments:

  1. What an interesting story. Wonder if Senator Kennedy brought back some earth from Israel!

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  2. What an interesting story! I like the stone work too.

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  3. Thank you for posting this. I had not know of Ted Kennedy's way of honoring Rabin before. Kennedy's humanity was not often portrayed here, or if it was, I didn't notice it. What comes in our news reports seems to be usually sensational, scandalous, or violent, and I have learned to tune out much of it in self-preservation.

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  4. Circles within circles. It's beautiful and so elegant. I prefer understatement when it comes to monuments

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  5. Oh my goodness, this is heart wrenching. It's such a beautiful story.

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  6. History absolutely touching. Example of friendship between peoples, messenger of universal peace.

    Great men are noted for small and significant acts.

    Beautiful monument too. Thanks for this magnificent post.

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  7. Very well said, Dina.
    So touching!
    Aloha and thank you for sharing this with us. You have enriched my life! L'Chaim!


    Aloha-

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  8. I was moved by this story, Dina. Thanks for sharing it. Indeed, seemingly insignificant acts can have great power.

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  9. Your two posts about the relationship between the Kennedys and Israel are very interesting, especially since this is the first time I've heard about them.

    Can I just gush a bit? I really love your blog because I always learn something new! Thanks always, Dina!

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