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As they became more independent of   greatest Jewish leaders of the era. Can   Preaching doesn’t work  very  well
      their parents, the Zionist idea became   you share some memories of those times?  with children; the best way to teach
      part of their core identity. They would   Our fathers idolized Ben-Gurion; there   is to educate by example. Our parents
      wait each week for Zionist pamphlets                               were constantly involved in Jewish
      to arrive in their shtetl! And also, there   were pictures of him all over our   organizations like Israel Bonds and
                                       houses. But the truth is, they loved
      were girls in the Zionist movement.   every Prime Minister of Israel.   Mizrachi and their shuls and schools.
      That was definitely part of it too!                                They taught us by doing, and that’s how
                                       In  the  1980s  and  90s,  Israel  Bonds   our children and we became involved.
      After the Shoah, Arie and Sam, like   had an annual Elie Wiesel Holocaust
      other survivors, understood the impor-  Remembrance Award dinner. At the   That’s the key to raising children. You
                                                                         show, you do, you role-model, and then
      tance of the State of Israel, much more   first dinner, they honored Elie Wiesel
      than people who grew up in America   himself, and I remember  when he   you pray!
      or in other places where Jews felt   came in from Boston and slept over   When our fathers spoke about their
      safe. They appreciated Israel the way   at my parents’ house because my   experience in the Holocaust, they never
      a person who has been starving for   father would not hear of him staying   focused on victimhood. It was a story
      years appreciates a piece of bread.                                of survival – Arie would say that G-d
                                       in a hotel. They developed a very close
      Sam said many times that they went   friendship.                   saved them, pushing them to the left
      to the first Israel Bond appeal in 1953,                           when everyone who went to the right
      and together they bought                                                    was killed – and looking for-
      a $100 Israel Bond. They                                                    ward. Our mother (Frieda)
      were so proud and excited                                                   died when we were pretty
      that they had invested in                                                   young, and he  taught  us
      the State of Israel, some-                                                  then how to look forward.
      thing  their  parents  and                                                  Their communal activities,
      grandparents couldn’t even                                                  supporting Jewish institu-
      dream of doing. One of the                                                  tions, remembrance and
      most significant moments                                                    Israel Bonds, are important
      in our childhood was when                                                   in their legacy. But there
      we went to the 10th-anni-                                                   is also what they taught
      versary celebration of the                                                  us about how to live per-
      State of Israel at the Polo                                                 sonally. They spoke a lot
      Grounds. There were 50,000                                                  about the dignity of hard
      people there, most of them                                                  work, which they learned
      Holocaust survivors, and                                                    from our grandparents,
      everybody was singing                                                       who were poor but worked
      Hatikva and crying simul-                                                   incredibly hard to make a
      taneously. That generation understood   We once went with our father (Arie)   living. They taught us that you cannot
      the miracle of Israel in a way that we   to Har Herzl, where many of the most   only help yourself; you must also help
      simply cannot. They witnessed the   important leaders in Israeli history are   others who have less than you. And
      fulfillment of their dreams. We still   buried, people like Yitzchak Rabin and   they taught us to appreciate the people
      have some of that passion, but it’s   others. He stopped at each one of their   that support us. They really appreci-
      often taken for granted with the next   graves and talked to them! It was very   ated their rescuers who helped them
      generation.                      emotional for him, for a little boy from   during the Holocaust and sought to
                                       the shtetl to meet these important lead-  help them later on when they were
      Arie was close with Dr. Yosef Burg, one
      of the founders of the National Reli-  ers of the state.           able to.
      gious Party and served in the Knesset.                             They believed sincerely in the unity of
      He was passionate about Yeshivot   How did Sam and Arie’s dedication to   the Jewish people. Many people today
      Hesder; he loved to talk with soldiers.   the thriving of the State of Israel trickle   are  on  the  far  left  or the far  right.
      He was also one of the founders of   down to your generation and your own   But they supported Israel, Chassidic
      FIDF. The combination of “Religious”   children? On Tu BiShvat, we plant seeds.   causes, secular Jewish causes – they
      and “Zionist” spoke powerfully to them   Your parents planted so many seeds, and   didn’t think they had to take one side
      both.                            it’s our responsibility to water and nur-  or the other. They believed that peace
                                       ture those seeds.
                                                                         is the most important thing – peace
      Over the many decades of their work   What’s the key to inspiring the next   among family and peace among our
      on behalf of Israel, Sam and Arie met   generation with a love for and dedica-  people. The Jewish people have to stay
      and worked together with many of the   tion to the Jewish people?  together. n


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