Shimon Peres: World Leaders in Jerusalem, Israel

Usually the streets are busy on Friday mornings,

especially before an approaching holiday,

but in Jerusalem, Israel, this was no regular Friday morning.

Main streets were closed to traffic,

even some schools had to close,

as the main Route #1 into Jerusalem

was reserved for the personal motorcade of

US President Barak Obama.

The funeral for former President Shimon Peres

was not to be a usual funeral either.

The state funeral at Har Herzl

brought together an array of international leaders,

like Jerusalem or the world has ever seen.

President Obama flew in and out of Israel

for the funeral in Har Herzl cemetery.

President Reuven Rivlin spoke

as did Prime Minister Netanyahu,

 former US President Bill Clinton,

and current US President Barak Obama.

The entire funeral event was live-streamed around the world.

Imagine all those world leaders wearing kippot on their heads,

Prince Charles even had a special one,

not like John Kerry’s plain black style.

What will happen next as the old year 5776 ends?

Yes, it was not your usual Friday in Jerusalem.

so I had to share more than a simple Shabbat Shalom,

Was that Mahmoud Abbas shaking hands in the front row

in Jerusalem, Israel, today?

One thing for sure,

Shimon Peres proved that most anything is possible.

If you hang in there long enough,

you can become a president.

During Operation Protective Edge in 2014,

while Peres was still in office,

young children from the south were invited for

a fun day camp at Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli President’s house.

This clown put a dove on the President’s head,

those children should remember the moment forever.

Peres pursued peace, and for at least one moment

the bird of peace was truly upon his head.

A solemn day, but

I like to remember the great video recorded after his presidency.

Now it is time to prepare for Shabbat,

time to get back to “normal.”

שבת שלום

שנה טובה

Shabbat shalom

Happy New Year.