[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 197 (Tuesday, December 12, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2341-E2342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    REMARKS BY MARVIN LENDER ABOUT THE TRAGIC DEATH OF YITZHAK RABIN

                                 ______


                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 12, 1995

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to share a statement made by 
my dear friend Marvin Lender about the tragic assassination of Yitzhak 
Rabin. A resident of Woodbridge, CT, Mr. Lender is the former national 
chairman of the United Jewish Appeal and has a long and distinguished 
record in helping others. He has made countless contributions to 
community and civic affairs, but has concentrated his efforts on the 
Jewish community and the people of Israel.
  Before assuming the chairmanship of the United Jewish Appeal [UJA], 
Mr. Lender was UJA's national chairman for major gifts, and contributed 
greatly to the Passage to Freedom Special Campaign for Soviet Jewry and 
Operation Exodus. The success of Soviet Jewry's settlement in Israel in 
freedom and dignity is due to his extraordinary efforts on their 
behalf. He served as UJA's cochairman for the northeast region, general 
chairman of New Haven's Combined Jewish Appeal, and president and 
chairman of the boards of directors of the United Israel Appeal and the 
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
  Mr. Lender currently resides in Woodbridge with his wife and three 
children. He serves on the board of trustees at Yale New Haven Hospital 
and is the cochairman of the annual drive for the New Haven chapter of 
the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Mr. Lender cochairs the New Haven 
Holocaust and Prejudice Reduction program which helps eliminate 
prejudice by making school-age children aware of the horrors of the 
Holocaust.
  Through his following statement, it is clear that his countless 
efforts on behalf of the Jewish Community and the people of Israel were 
inspired by the achievements and the example of Yitzhak Rabin. I 
applaud Mr. Lender's heartfelt statement remembering and honoring 
Yitzhak Rabin. Mr. Rabin's life and his achievements will be remembered 
and revered for many years to come.

       I am returning to Israel after just arriving back in the 
     states on Friday. Sleeping on the flight is impossible. My 
     mind never stops thinking about Prime Minister Rabin. The 
     times that I had the privilege of being with him are so vivid 
     to me. I have feelings of sadness. I feel that the Jewish 
     people have experienced another major tragedy. Israel is at 
     the center of it all again--the bombing of a bus in Tel Aviv 
     or Beit Leit--soldiers being killed in South Lebanon--and 
     now the taking of the life of the Prime Minister of the 
     State of Israel. Israel, the homeland of the Jewish 
     people. And to make matters worse, if that is possible, 
     Rabin was murdered by a Jew. For many reasons, I felt I 
     needed to be there--to attend his funeral--to pay my 
     respects and personally say good-bye--to be there as a 
     representative of the United Jewish Appeal, as a strong 
     supporter of Israel, as a Jew, and most of all, as a 
     friend and admirer of Yitzhak Rabin. In fact, ironically, 
     after many years of interacting with him, and especially 
     over these last two years, I had come to know him more 
     intimately, and to some extent he began to know more about 
     me and how I felt about what he was doing.
       Our first meeting was on the day after he was elected Prime 
     Minister. I remember it as though it were yesterday. I 
     remember September 13, 1993, on the lawn of the White House. 
     I will never forget his demeanor. He was so uncomfortable. 
     His body language was so obvious. He did not want to be 
     there, but he knew he had to be in order to lead our people 
     to a new phase in our history. This was the first significant 
     step in the peace process. Rabin had the courage to take this 
     momentous step, beginning the long rocky road that he would 
     travel to achieve peace. He spoke, and you could hear his 
     concern, his emotion and his passion. He concluded his 
     poignant remarks with the Hebrew words so familiar to us, 
     ``Ose sholom binromov hu yasase sholom Olaynu v'al kol 
     yisroayl v'imru omayn.'' And at the end, which was a 
     beginning, he shook hands with Arafat, symbolizing a time for 
     change and peace.
       Immediately after the signing, Brian Lurie, executive vice 
     president, United Jewish Appeal, Joel Tauber, president, 
     United Jewish Appeal, and I, flew to Israel and met with the 
     Prime Minister to define UJA's role in peace. He was very 
     clear about our responsibility to Aliyah and Klitah 
     (immigration and absorption). After watching the historic 
     vote in the Knesset, we took the message back to America. Our 
     meeting with Mr. Rabin once again demonstrated his ties as 
     well as expectations vis-a-vis Jews in the Diaspora. From 
     that moment, Mr. Rabin was under a different kind of 
     pressure. Every time an Israeli died or was injured in a 
     terrorist attack, it was like losing his own child. He 
     despised fanaticism and terrorism by all people. There were 
     no distinctions between Jews and non-Jews. The Baruch 
     Goldstein event was a tragedy for him, not unlike any Arab 
     terrorist activity.
       My image of Prime Minister Rabin is that of a shy man. One 
     who preferred not to make speeches. He was direct and 
     focused--yet one could sense his strong feeling and 
     sensitivity every time he spoke. If you were fortunate to be 
     with him in a small group, it became even more evident how 
     bright, intelligent, sharp and knowledgeable he was about any 
     subject. It did not matter whether it related to the United 
     Jewish Appeal, the Jewish Agency for Israel, or any other 
     subject matter, the Prime Minister would always offer a 
     solution. Peace was his focus. It impacted on all of the 
     issues that he talked about during his campaign and his 
     term in office--the economy, immigration and absorption--
     as well as the social issues of the country.
       A year ago, I heard the Prime Minister speak at a meeting 
     in London. That evening, he recounted a number of significant 
     events of the week. He spoke of the arrival of the Chief 
     Rabbi of Syria, marking the end of a movement to free Syrian 
     Jews, as well as the signing of the Jordanian Peace Accord in 
     Arava.
       But he spoke most emotionally as he recounted the shiva 
     call that he had made to the family of Nachon Waxman. I saw 
     his tears and pain as he described the attack that he 
     authorized in an attempt to release a Jewish hostage.
       There were many meetings over the last three years--from 
     the day after he won the election, to our meetings in 
     Washington several days ago. He was always focused, 
     determined and very clear about his mission. However, one 
     could see the passion and compassion that this great man 
     possessed. He knew, and so did we, that he was making great 
     progress on the road to peace, albeit with great sacrifice 
     and pain. He was deeply hurt by the demonstrations and 
     personal attacks on him by the right wing in Israel and 
     America. But he was a man driven by his desire for peace. He 
     did not want the children to die in a war. Little did he know 
     that he would give his own life for peace. Yitzhak Rabin was 
     a warm, caring man--a husband, father, grandfather, and a 
     friend. He loved his country. He loved Jerusalem.
       On October 25, in Washington, D.C., in the Rotunda, how 
     proud I was when the Prime Minister spoke about ``my 
     Jerusalem.'' His words were those of a poet. How beautiful. 
     How poignant. It really is his Jerusalem. That evening, he 
     presented President Clinton with the Isaiah Peace Award on 
     behalf of the United Jewish Appeal. It was truly their peace. 
     The strong feeling of affection that they had for each other 
     were very obvious.
       At the funeral, I will always remember the siren blasting 
     for two minutes. I watched Israelis, dignitaries from around 
     the world, and representatives of world Jewry, as they bowed 
     their heads in sorrow. His loss will be felt by all. When 
     President Clinton walked by the casket and bowed his head, I 
     cried. When I listened to Shimon Sheves, his granddaughter, 
     and Etan Haber, I cried. The people who spoke reflected the 
     true feelings of all of us, and all those from around the 
     world honored him with their attendance, attesting to his 
     greatness.
       We appreciate and are grateful for having had him as our 
     leader. Yitzhak, we will truly 

[[Page E2342]]
     miss you--I will truly miss you. May your life and commitment to peace 
     be an inspiration to all mankind.

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