Saturday, November 04, 2006
November 4th. 11 Years.
Just got back from the memorial ceremony: 11 years to the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.
It was elating and devastating at the same time.
Elating - because our choral group was performing for the first time, which was very exciting. We rehearsed like crazy for the last 2 weeks - - - and we performed amazingly well!!!
I couldn't believe we were the ones singing.
The general rehearsal we had with the microphones, sounded so different and confusichng and totally discouraging, that I was quite anxious about how it will turn out.
However, once we started the first notes, all the scratches and faults have disappeared, as if a magic wand was waved. We sang the first line or two pretty much on autopilot, as we were all so tense (well, Duh!), but from then on, each of us gave his and her best, and - WOW!
We were actually surprised at ourselves... We smoothly passed all the hurdles of our first song (which is very challenging to perform) and went on to our second (and closing) one: "Song For Peace", that Rabin sang with over 200,000 people at the peace rally in Tel Aviv, 11 years ago, minutes before his assassination.
When we finished our singing, the audience just quietly sat there, staring at us - and then burst into applause.
It was a huge compliment under the circumstances - as you never, ever, clap at a memorial ceremony .
Needless to say: as we were coming off the stage, performing a very dignified exit, the black folder in my hand opened, and all the papers scattered all over the floor, forcing me to gracefully kneel down and collect them...
Indeed, serious moments sometimes need to be broken with a comic relief, but why does it a-l-w-a-y-s have to be me?!
We were elated and beaming with pride, hovering on the waves of compliments that were quietly conveyed to us on the way back to our seats.
And then they started the movie about Rabin.
I thought I would be bored to death, and was very tempted to go, but decided to stay, nevertheless.
It was a documentary movie, in both English and Hebrew. A small movie about a big man, made in such good taste.
It showed snippets from Rabin's life as a politician, interlaced with stories about the man and the person he was.
I have no idea how long the movie lasted.
Half hour?
An hour??
I lost track of time. We were all glued to the screen.
It was fascinating to watch - like watching an old movie that you know by heart, and you know very well that the hero dies at the end, but you are still shocked when the villain actually kills him.
Accompanying Rabin on his way from a soldier to a commander to a politician, all the way to becoming Israel's Prime Minister, and then the seemingly impossible peace-making with Jordan and with Arafat, the director of the movie included interviews with politicians, both friends and foes.,
We were laughing here and there, as some of the things that were said were so cynical. Well, you know - politicians.
But, as the movie progressed in fast-motion towards the night of November 4th, 1995, there was complete silence, and a growing sense of tension, each of us recalling quietly where we were and what were we doing, when the newsflash hit the TV screens, and a choked voice announced one of the most unforgettable sentences in the history of Israel:
"The government of Israel announces with shock and grief...".
The movie ends with a series of home-videos, showing Rabin doing daily activities, and the closing picture shows him raising a cup of coffee to the camera, as in "Cheers".
End of movie.
Nobody moves.
And then the lights are turned back on, to reveal many, many red eyes.
That movie, and that memorial service in general, was more than about the loss of a person.
It reminded us, yet again, that those 3 shots that the murderer shot Rabin in the back (he wasn't man enough to face him), killed not only the Prime Minister, but much more than that.
They say, "A fool may throw a stone into a well which a hundred wise men cannot pull out".
Yup.
Lest we forget.
# posted by Nava @ 11:42 PM 
Comments:
If the Havera ever record, you going to post a link to it here?
We should Tivo the Ravin video, if possible, so I can see it to.
Love from India,
Post a Comment
<< Home
We should Tivo the Ravin video, if possible, so I can see it to.
Love from India,
