THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 7, 1995 TAG: 9511070261
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Guy Friddell
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Three things set apart 16 subdued Israeli teenagers gathered Monday morning before a TV screen in Norfolk's Jewish Community Center.
They were up near dawn.
They paid no mind to a table with pastries and coffee.
The exchange students' faces were still, their few words soft.
Tears welled in the eyes fixed on the unfolding of the funeral service for Yitzhak Rabin, father of their close-knit family of a nation.
Near the close when two commentators began chatting about the type bullets that cut down the prime minister Saturday, a 16-year-old strode forward and cut off the set. Nobody murmured a word.
``I didn't see that they were saying anything that was appropriate,'' Eyal Meri-Esh told a reporter later.
Which speech pleased him most?
``His granddaughter's,'' he said. ``She spoke from the heart about her grandfather. She was talking out of sorrow, not out of political feelings.''
He was moved, too, by President Clinton who, Eyal had heard, read from the Torah every week. ``He knew what he was talking about.''
Oren Sochoy admired the context of the president's remarks. Then Oren smiled and said, ``The thing with the tie, maybe!''
Clinton told of Rabin's borrowing for a formal dinner a black tie, which the president straightened for him - a moment, Clinton said, he would cherish ``as long as I live.''
Sochoy liked King Hussein's calling Rabin his friend, his brother.
``A half a year ago it just couldn't be,'' Sochoy noted.
Tammy Maron was touched at Clinton's telling Rabin, ``Shalom Chaver. . . . And goodbye, friend!''
``We are shocked. We loved him very much,'' said Inbal Yanku.
That leaders of 80 nations were there ``says something about the man and who he was and what he did,'' she observed.
``It was great to be here until now,'' said Iora Silnitsky. ``We are confused because we are supposed to be there but we are here.''
She drew comfort from Clinton's recalling Moses' words to the children of Israel: ``Be strong and of good courage, fear not for God will go with you. He will not fail you, he will not forsake you.''
Clinton added: ``To all the people of Israel as you stay the course of peace, I make this pledge: Neither will America forsake you!''
``That is going to make us feel more secure,'' Iora said.
``The Americans can be really understanding of our needs,'' said Tammy Maron.
At word of Rabin's death, teacher specialist Joanne Funk noted, the 16 were drawn from various hosts' homes and united at that of Brad and Babbi Bangel, where they could draw together and speak in Hebrew as a group.
``Our hope is they know they are among friends here and we share their grief and we hope we can offer them some comfort,'' said Gloria Hagans, social studies coordinator for the Norfolk public schools.
After nine days in Norfolk, the 16 from Hugim High School in Hafia will journey to Santa Barbara, then to New York City, and thence home.
Rabin, Koren Gottlieb observed, represented Israel's way of life in that ``even though you are in the army, you're seeking peace. That's very special. He was like an everyday man, magnified, in charge of all the army.
``It was not just a man dying. It was kind of the essence of Israeli life. He was very typical, and yet he was a very important person.''
Chaperone Edna Shay said, ``He was not only the prime minister, he built the country. His life is a big part of the story of Israel. They grew together.'' by CNB