Page 18 - Issue 9

Amsterdam, Holland:
From Joel Serphos, Rosh Chinuch Netherlands: We
started with pe'ulot about Rabin for all of the kvutzot.
The oldest group (JK6) prepared a speech and a part of
the ceremony. We taught the younger groups Shir
Lashalom. The tekes started with a short speech about
Rabin, the importance of his remembrance and what his
death meant to the world. We had one or two minutes of
silence, followed by Hatikva.

Kikar Rabin, Israel:
From Laura Rosenberg, Shnat Australia 2008: After two challenging and Spanglish‐filled days
of learning about Rabin and his peace plan, each and every 2008/2009 Habonim Dror Shnattie
and Workshopper assumed their position in the sea of blue chultzot flooding Kikar Rabin.

Hebrew translators, consisting of madrichim and some super‐special chanichim, were dotted
amongst us, delivering the somber – yet empowering – speeches given by Tzipi Livni, Ehud
Barak, James – ‘yes we can’ – Hoffa, etc.

The general avira amongst the Shnatties was that of bittersweet thoughts of peace in the
Middle East. Some understood the assassination of Yitchak Rabin to be a direct rejection of
the desire for coexistence between Palestinians and Jews. Others embraced the tragedy as a
call for immediate action.

Personally, however, I took the assassination as a solemn realization of the great rift within
the Jewish nation. As a member of Habonim Dror, I am well aware of the importance of taking
small steps. We concern ourselves a lot with discussing and seeking to resolve the Arab‐Israeli
conflict, yet fail to even broach the subject of the schisms that exist within ourselves; secular
and religious, right‐ and left‐wing, Sephardi and Ashkenazi, rich and poor. How can we aim to
be a “light unto the nations” if we fail to be a proper dugma to our own chanichim?

Sadly enough, rather than understanding the tragedy of the murder of Rabin as merely the
loss of a great leader, I understood the assassination as a manifestation of the deep‐seated
differences and lack of understanding between Jews today.

Hence, for me, Rabin seminar was a call for Tikun Adam. We must look to heal the rifts
between ourselves. Only once we have succeeded in unifying and creating peace at home,
can we begin to dream of Tikun Olam and peace with others.