NURIT GREENGER: THANK YOU GENERAL SHIMON EREM…A PILLAR OF ZIONISM
Shimon Erem, a giant Jewish leader succumbed to cancer on Sunday, May 27th, 2012, at the age of 90.
The “buzz” term is that ‘they do not make them like Shimon anymore.’ And indeed, Shimon was part of a generation that have not been duplicated, i.e. David Ben Gurion, Shmuel Katz, Golda Meir, Menachem Begin, Moshe Sharet, Yitzchak Shamir, et al. A generation of leaders who put their country, Israel, and the Jewish nation before their own life. Their dedication, devotion and commitment to defend and stand for the state of Israel had no boundaries.
So if they do not make them like Shimon Erem was, then either there is something wrong with the present generation or, we need not take this insult and show everyone that they do make them just like Shimon and his like today.
Shimon was like the watchman on the tower. Nothing that concerned Israel and the Jewish people passed him unspoken or, when needed, defended or rebuttal.
Shimon was a one man army; but we can be a collective watchman on the tower and an army of many and continue his legacy with more vigor and as much dedication. Shimon taught us the ropes, he opened the doors for us and he left us the instruction manual and all we need to do is run with it.
There is a book by Malcolm Gladwell, named ‘The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.'(http://www.amazon.com/The-Tipping-Point-Little-Difference/dp/0316346624). If each one of us does only one little thing for Israel and the Jewish nation, together, we will make a HUGE difference; we will be an army Shimon Erem would be proud of as his legacy will emerge stronger.
Shimon was among those who took upon themselves the crucial role in the founding and survival of the State of Israel. A man with many hats. Military, political, and community leader. He built the Golden Bridge for Jews and Christians to walk on, meet and cooperate. Take actions together that benefit mankind.
For the past 75 years Shimon devoted his life fighting for Jewish survival and the nation state of the Jewish people, Israel. He very well knew that Israel needs to have friends. A country that was established by many Holocaust survivors, the latest victims of the hate so many, world over, have for the Jews, needed allies. So for the past three decades Shimon worked tirelessly to bring Christians onto Israel’s side so they support the Jewish state and Jewish communities in their midst. When he saw his idea can work and work well, in 2002 he founded the Israel Christian Nexus-ICN (http://icnexus.org/), an organization its main goal is to unite and mobilize Jewish and Christian communities in the support of the Israelis, the people of the state of Israel.
Many of us are graduates of Shimon Erem’s university of community leadership and devotion to the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Now we all need to take what we have learned and teach others to duplicate and do the same. Take the torch and run with it.
Today we are mourning the loss of Simon. Tomorrow we will celebrate that he has not left a world empty of cause behind him.
Shimon followed, Psalm 121:4, ‘Behold, he that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.’
We owe him to do the very same.
Victor Frenkl said, everything can be taken away from a person, except one thing, attitude.
Goodbye Shimon and please watch over us from His heavens.
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