We’ve Lost a Great Leader, Mother, and Grandmother
Ma’ariv, Israel, September 9
All my life we admired Queen Elizabeth II. Every week, at synagogue, we gave a blessing to the queen and the royal family. I still remember when, as a young child, the queen came to Manchester to inaugurate the Jewish Museum. Thousands of community members, including us, stood outside the building to greet her. When she appeared, my father, who was a rabbi in the community, stood and congratulated her. It was exciting. For me, the queen showed us greatness. As a young child, I came to a family celebration in London. Because we were a family of 14 people, we couldn’t stay in one place and so we split into two apartments. I recall sending a letter to the queen in which I wrote to her that it was difficult for me to split up and that I knew that there were many empty rooms in Buckingham Palace and asked whether it would be possible to stay there. The queen responded personally and said that she was sorry that she would not be in the palace so it would be closed but invited me on another occasion. Of course, the opportunity never happened, but the fact that the queen made time to pen a response to a child made me feel extremely special. Many people across the kingdom are crying and saying that we lost a mother and a grandmother. Indeed, the queen was a mother and a grandmother to all of us. Her attitude toward each person was exceptional. We have a lot to learn from her about how she accepted everyone no matter who they were, especially with her amazing sense of humor. Despite the difficulties she went through, she gave a lot to her people and supported them through their ups and downs. As a reporter who lives in England and grew up in England, I feel that the loss is great. The queen had difficulty with Israel, but, after all, she lost a cousin in the King David Hotel attack before the establishment of the state. Her connection to the Jews was unique. When my friend Eva Neumann, a Holocaust survivor, received the Order of the British Empire from the queen, the queen came down to her in a wheelchair to give her the medal, spoke to her, and thanked her for her actions to preserve the memory of the Holocaust. She always maintained a warm relationship with the chief rabbi of England and even kept an additional kitchen for kosher guests. We lost a leader who gave a lot. It’s a sad week for the whole world. Rest in peace, Your Majesty. And long live King Charles. –Josh Aronson (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
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