world » Israel ’s Statesman

continued from page 31

‘He Reminded Me
Of My Grandfather’

Peres and David Salama

I

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ŽŶŐƌĞŐĂƟŽŶ͛ŶĂŝDŽƐŚĞWƌĞƐĞŶƚƐ

Fall Spectacular Concert

met Shimon Peres in April 2004
when I was on the Michigan
Miracle Mission,” says David
Salama of Huntington Woods. “This
was before he became the president.
“He spoke to us before we were leav-
ing to go to the airport, if I remember
correctly. After he spoke, he was walk-
ing around the tables and was so down
to earth.
“He always reminded me of my

grandfather, who had passed away
eight years before this photo was taken
— the way he spoke, his accent and
some of his mannerisms.
“I told this to him and he smiled
and asked a bit about my grandfather.
I asked if I could take a picture with
him and he obliged — and I knew I
had a treasured moment saved with a
man of great importance.”

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&ƌŽŵdŚĞ:ĞƌƵƐĂůĞŵdŚĞĂƚĞƌƚŽĂƌŶĞŐŝĞ,ĂůůƚŽ͛ŶĂŝDŽƐŚĞ

‘Man Of The People’

Featuring

I

Cantor
Aaron Bensoussan

look at Shimon Peres in three
looking toward the future.
phases,” says Scott Kaufman, CEO of
“He joined Snapchat. I was on his
the Jewish Federation of
Facebook page last week, and
Metropolitan Detroit.
there were so many posts with
Peres 1.0 was the last of
a personal story and photo. He
that founding generation of
was a man of the people. He was
the State of Israel and one
not on a high horse; he always
of the main architects of the
listened and had a twinkle in his
military. He was a hawk then
eye.
as far as regional issues were
“I was asked to introduced him
concerned. Then there was
the first morning of a national
Peres 2.0 as he transformed Scott Kaufman young adult mission where I
in the 1980s into the leading
was one of the [lay] leaders,”
champion of the two-state
Kaufman recalls. “I gave an intro-
solution, who never wavered and was
duction to about 1,000 people from two
always the optimist.
missions. It was a highlight moment
“Peres 3.0 was the world’s oldest
for me at 34 years old. Peres had a great
millennial as president. He was an out-
relationship with our community. He
ward-facing voice of Israel — the Start- was a giant of a statesman the likes
Up Nation — in how technology can
of which we may not see again for a
make the world better. He was always
while.”

“East Meets West”

Also Appearing

Cantor
Ăƌů'͘ĞƌƌŝƐ
͛ŶĂŝDŽƐŚĞ

Cantor
ĂĐŚĂƌLJ
DŽŶĚƌŽǁ

Thursday, November 3, 2016
at 7:00 p.m.

Aaron Bensoussan: “stout and impassioned singing”
ͲEĞǁzŽƌŬdŝŵĞƐ

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&ƌĞĞĂŶĚŽƉĞŶƚŽƚŚĞƉƵďůŝĐ
ŌĞƌŐůŽǁƚŽĨŽůůŽǁ

DID WE MISS YOUR STORY?

To share a personal story about Shimon Peres on our Facebook page, send 200
words or less (with a photo) to kcohen@renmedia.us. For more on Peres, visit the
William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History at djnfoundation.org.

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32 October 6 • 2016