Transcripts For CSPAN3 President 20240703 : vimarsana.com

CSPAN3 President July 3, 2024

Id like to begin the program today. The birth of israel truman. And the birth of israel. Celebrate in commemorating the 75th anniversary of president trumans decision to recognize israel. And id like to have cantor, hasan, tal benyehuda join me on the stage. Shell be singing the National Anthems of israel and the United States of america america. You know what to do. Please join me. Oh, say, can you see me by the door concert . Live . All right. Whats so proudly we held at the twilight lights . Last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright star eyes through the power of lust forward or the ramparts we watched were so color. World, listerine, ing and the raw guts for glue that bursting in give proof through the no side that our flow back was still there. Oh, say does that star spy angled ben . I had. Or the land of the offer and home of the bar pray pray. Corps o lord above never penny more never share who did home me oh oh the for ten is at all cordial more are in see on sophie oh oh oh oh oh dear god. Hey, no heart here. Oh god, snow the poor live. Hell turn the hopes she there her turn who read see on the rose sha la him live here time hope she but her its hey do address on rose la he. You may be seated. Thank you that was amazing at at. Id like to invite rabbi michaels attic up to the stage rabbi is going to make a few comments. Thank you. Inviting a rabbi to make a few comments. I was told to give you an invocation, but before, in the immortal words of every rabbi from time immemorial, before i speak, i do want to say a few words. Its raining outside in jewish tradition. Thats a good sign. Thats a good omen. Its a good thing. Oh, i didnt want to invoke her name, but whats whats the, you know, their housekeeping expert . Its a good thing. Martha stewart, thank you very much. Now, now, now, lets get serious. Its a grave moment in the exodus drama. Yom suf, the sea of reeds, blocks to the israelite advance as the chariots of yul brynner are in hot pursuit. Moses tries to play the newly liberated slaves panic. And then the torah informs us. He turns to god, at which point the text says, god says my itzhak eli, deborah, albany, israel. The east saw. Ooh, why do you cry out to me . Tell the children of israel to go forward. For those whose hebrew is a little rusty, i thought should translate it in may. The awesome legacy of president harry truman. Remind us forward. May the historic rebirth of a National Sovereignty marking now the 75th year of a reestablish 3000 years young state of israel challenge us both here and there for there is always room to go forward forward to be better forward to form an even more perfect union. Forward to do better. And may this gathering urge us to join in that in may. The sacred dimension all around us in the holiness, even the holy one within us, inspire all that we all that we may make a fractured a little better, a little more and a little more still, for then we shall do what prayer always insists that we rise up to become better persons than we were moments ago on that day. Perhaps god may suggest that we have done what we must Going Forward and that we shall have done that work very well. Can you hear us soon . May that be gods will. Amen. Thank you, rabbi. And cantor benyehuda. Thank you for those lovely songs you sang united us in song and spirit. My name is alex burden. Good morning. Thank you for being with us. Im the executive director of the Truman Library institute and its wonderful to see so many friends, so many friendly faces. I think i see some grumpy faces. Theyre like, here comes alexs standard speech again. But its not. Well have some thank yous and it will have some recognition. But i really appreciate you all being here. Theres a couple of special groups that i want to identify. I acknowledge the Truman Library institutes board of directors, led by our board chair, Pat Ottensmeyer, whos down on the front row, our former board members. I see one of you smiling up at me now. Donors, members and volunteers, there are several really prominent local jewish institutions with us today. I appreciate you coming to celebrate this special day with us, the jewish federation, the Midwest Center for holocaust education, the hyman brand, hebrew academy, and the Jewish Community relations bureau. American jewish committee. Thank you for being with us. There are also several members of jewish war veterans post six over five, led by adjutant greg quinn. Thank you for being here. Thank you for your service. I appreciate it i also want to welcome and salute Susan Jacobson who is with us today. Susan is the grandniece of Eddie Jacobson, the close friend of germans who played such a pivotal role in convincing the president to recognize israel. About 75 years ago today. Thank you all for being with us on this historic occasion and how appropriate for us to be here to do this at the truman president ial library and museum in this historic auditorium on a stage where so many know worthy things have happened. Today we are reflecting on the 75th anniversary of one of the most politically courageous decisions in the history of the american presidency. As you know, the april 12th, 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of Harry Trumans rise to the presidency and the Truman Library institute and our partners, the Truman Library, are utilizing the 70th anniversary to not only honor and celebrate president trumans legacy and more importantly, to explore the complex Global Global challenges he faced, as well as the lessons that can be gleaned from his principled leadership, his unwavering commitment to democratic ideals, and world defining decisions. Chief amongst those was president trumans official recognition of israel. Just 11 minutes after its creation on may 14th, 1948. And what a tremendous honor it is to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the birth of israel and the recognition with each of you and with our special guest, ambassador michael herzog, israels ambassador to the United States. The story of truman in israel and the life and times of harry truman, for that matter, need to be shared now more than ever. And this is the Truman Library institutes mission to share trumans story and to teach important lessons from his life and presidency. Im sure you all saw the dozens of kids that were in the building today getting in our way. But here with their excitement and thats what its all about, teaching a new generation about these lessons. The new 30 million exhibition that hopefully youve all seen. If you havent, its right out there. Please go through it on. Your way out of the building does a wonderful of sharing these stories and these lessons, including the chapter about the creation of israel. The exhibition now includes the shirley and barnett c helzberg junior recognition of israel gallery. This stunning gallery details how the dream of a jewish homeland became a reality through a carefully curated selection of text panels, wall graphics documents, artifacts and photographs from the truman collection, as well as a dramatic film. The recognition of a jewish homeland. Surely, on behalf of all of us involved with the Truman Library, i want to thank you and your family for helping us properly share this important story through your generous support. Thanks to for the Additional Support we received for that gallery and for the new museum from all of you. Thank you. If you have not seen the museum, if youve not seen the helzberg gallery, please see it. Not today. Come back. Just let us know. Wed love to host you. Wed love to have you here. Museum attendance has been fantastic. But finally, i want to thank the friends who made this mornings gathering possible. Todays program and keynote address, as well as the elegant reception we enjoyed this morning, were made possible by the truman and israel 75th anniversary title sponsor, the karen and steve park family. Thank you, karen. Thank you, karen. Yes, im going to try to make you cry for your passion, for your generous city, your leadership, and your unfailing nagging devotion to president truman. His legacy and his library. We are grateful. Additional thanks to two other Institute Board members for their help with todays event, marilyn berenbaum and harvey kaplan, appreciate what youve done very much. And now id like to introduce an individual who is committed to justice and understands the impact that prejudice has on democracy. Daniel album is head of north america at the Jewish Agency for israel and the president and ceo of Jewish Agency international development. Daniel has worked closely with members of congress, foreign leaders and diplomats and has appeared in Media Outlets ranging from nbc dateline to al jazeera me and has published Opinion Pieces in the new york times, the Chicago Tribune and other publications in the United States and israel. Thank you again for joining us. Enjoy the program. And gentlemen, please join me in welcoming daniel. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, beth. Your excellency, ambassador herzog, members of the truman family. Members of the benyehuda family and members of the jacobson family. Honored guests. It is a privilege to be here. Its for me. Perhaps even a little bit of a special privilege. I came to the Jewish Agency a little over two years ago in my first meeting as head of north america for the Jewish Agency, was a week before i started at the Jewish Agency. And that was because of a call i received from the then chairman of the Jewish Agency, isaac herzog, who said, i know you dont work for me yet, but i need you to join this call with the Truman Museum tomorrow. And something about karen peck insisting that it that i join. I agreed. And so my start with the Jewish Agency has been inextricably linked with the Truman Museum and for anyone in the room who doesnt know. And i most of you do know my boss, the chairman of the Jewish Agency at the time, is the president of the state of israel. And im sure youll hear from the ambassador sends his regards certainly about this event. But i know how important it was to him two years ago and remains important to him today. It is appropriate that this event happens in the month of may, not just because it is the month of Harry Trumans birth or the month of the state of israels birth. But it also happens to be jewish heritage. Jewish American Heritage month and the story of israels creation is, of course, a story of Theodore Herzls vision. Its a story of David Bengurions tenacity. The story of is a story of Harry Trumans political courage. But it is also, in many real ways, the story of american jewry, personified by a moment, by a person whos already been mentioned here today, and i imagine will be mentioned a few more times. One Eddie Jacobson, a proud son of kansas city who had the good fortune during his time in the army to befriend a young lieutenant wearing glasses unusual at the time, named harry truman, who went on to become a judge in missouri, then elected to the u. S. Senate. Then very short period time Vice President and then president. And suddenly mr. Jacobson, who was not by any means known to be involved in politics or zionism or anything else, found himself to be among the most american , not in america at that time. Perhaps one of the most important in history, because he found himself with that opportunity, that closeness to power, that the most eloquent speakers for zionism simply didnt have. And he made one request. He made the request that his friend, the president , the most powerful man in the world, meet with signed weitzman, who im told that harry truman first called him because, of his inability to understand that the language at the heart which is not uncommon american challenge. Lets not we shouldnt simplify history. President s dont make decisions because their friends ask them to. And credit for that decision belongs with the president. The president s have to face a multitude of affairs, both political, moral and what is in the best interests of their country in the world. But we should have no doubt that at that critical moment in time when that meeting occurred, that a role been played by mr. Jacobson, when harry truman told the story years later, he said something that was not factually correct. He said that Eddie Jacobson was in the room in that meeting. The white house records show that Eddie Jacobson wasnt there. He was a recognized figure. The meeting was trying to be helped relatively secret from the press. So he was not invited. That meeting. But i think 75 years in a very real sense, we can say that harry truman got it right, that jacobson was in that room and that in a very real sense, all of us as american were in that room hoping and praying for the fulfillment of a dream of 2000 years, to have the creation of a state of israel, which harry truman then lended the power of the United States, the indispensable power in the world at that time and today, in friendship and in recognition, a power we continue to rely upon this day. As those of us who love the state of israel know they can rely upon the United States at these times. I was not asked to give an invocation or a prayer. So, rabbi, i think it has and youll forgive me and perhaps help me if i can conclude my remarks by saying the piano, the prayer that we say when we reach a happy time. Those you. In other words, please do join in for us. Tired and i yellow hand my last harlem share s. A. T. And everything. I know this man has. Thank you all, lord our god, for helping us, keeping us and sustaining us so we can enjoy this time. Thank you all much. Hello, clifton. I like to invite Clifton Truman daniel as president trumans eldest grandson and the honorary chairman of the Truman Library institute to the stage. That wasnt in my script. Alex. Thanks. Thank you for being here today. And welcome and you, daniel. Thanks for being with us today. As Harry Trumans grandson, i often get asked to share my grandfathers perspective on his presidency, and people frequently asked, what would i think . Would his opinion, his reaction, be to events happening today . I have no idea. In this instance, though, i dont have to wonder what he would say if he could be here. He considered his decision to recognize israel. One of the proudest of his life. Lee, the first secretary general, the United Nations made the assertion that if there had been no harry truman, there would be no israel. Today, id like to add that the same could and should be said of that other remarkable kansas city and Eddie Jacobson, my grandfathers friend and Business Partner. They met in 1906 when grandpa was 22 and eddie was 15. Grandpa was, a vault clerk at Union National bank in kansas city. And eddie daley delivered a day deposit of the days receipts for burger, hannah and munger, a nearby dry goods store. Despite that significant gap in their ages, at that age, they saw something in each other and became friends. They went their separate ways. Later that year, didnt meet again until 1917 at oklahoma. Fort sill. Both were training to fight in world war one. With his in retail and grandpas in banking they had the only successful canteen on the base. Grandpa said that at one point they were earning 641 just like standard oil. When the war was over, they sailed home together on the same troopship and reportedly both of them were seasick. So while theyre hatching their plan, you can imagine them going, you want to open a Mens Clothing store . Sure. And they did. They open truman and jacobson clothing store. And they were the postwar recession. Tanked the business. They did very well the first year, but it got them eventually. Eddie became a traveling salesman. Grandpa went into politics. Throughout his career, though, as a county judge, a senator, Vice President and president , eddie, if ever, traded on their friendship. Nor was he envious when grandpa joked one day to him, he said, why dont you enter politics . Eddie said, no im going to make an honest living. What he did ask a favor it was always for someone else, never himself. In 1948, with pressure mounting to recognize the nation state of israel, grandpa was beset by both sides. The state department, chiefly in the person. Secretary of state george marshall, feared alienating the arabs and their oil. And marshall, whom greatly admired went so far as to tell grandpa if recognition was granted, he wouldnt vote for him. In the 1948 election. On the other side, the american zionists, led by rabbi abel silver, who was a great orator and great leader, but also very aggressive and uncompromising. The story that he pounded on grandpas desk in the oval office is apocryphal, untrue, but apparently he did everything up to that. And as a result, the lost access. So in a panic, they turned to eddie him to convince grandpa. See dr. Weitzman. It was at that point, former head of the world zionist organization,

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