A story.
This from the challenging and dangerous days back in May of 1948. Having just declared the state, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion had an extraordinary load of responsibility, including the need to select ambassadors. Already under attack by nine Arab armies, boatloads of refugees from displaced persons camps sending their penniless and destitute cargo, yet Israel had joined the family of nations, so ambassadors had to be sent abroad. Fortunately, as a nation of immigrants, of survivors, Israel abounded in native speakers of the world’s languages.
So Ben-Gurion summoned the painter Reuven Rubin who was from Romania. The Prime Minister asked him to serve as ambassador to that country. It was an invitation so far from anything Reuben had ever considered that he was absolutely mind-boggled.
“Ambassador to Romania? Why, Mr. Prime Minister, what do I know about being an ambassador?”
“My dear friend”, Ben-Gurion responded. “What do I know from being a Prime Minister? But you see,” he continued, “there aren’t so many of us here so it’s up to us.”
The artist had occasion to repeat that comment to his wife on the eve of their departure for Europe. Israel had no flag factory at the time. While the country had a flag-designed by Reuben-you couldn't just walk into a store and buy one and he felt sure an ambassador had to have a flag of his country. As the flag designer, new the proportions, so he drew a design. Wouldn’t you know his wife, Esther, and preparing her family for the trip, had just brought new pajamas for the two young sons. One happened to be blue and the other white. She got her scissors and thread and sewed all night. The next day, the Reuben’s left carrying the flag made out of two pajama shirts. –Michael Zedek
Comments