Peres 90th marked in birthplace
It may still be two months until the Israeli President turns 90, but birthday celebrations for Shimon Peres are already underway in his birthplace of Vishnyeva.
Last Thursday, as part of Limmud FSU, a number of ceremonies were held in the presence of his eldest daughter, Tzvia Walden, named after Peres’s grandfather Tzvi Meltzer, who was killed in Vishnyeva by the Nazis.
Festivities included the opening of a photo exhibition charting the President’s life. A plaque was also unveiled at the site of the house where Shimon grew up. It reads: “In this place, Shimon Peres, son of Yitzhak and Sarah Perski, the Nobel laureate and 9th President of the State of Israel, was born on August 2, 1923.”
Right next to the house still stands the original well that Peres often speaks of, recalling how delicious the water was and how the taste still remains with him today.
Prior to the celebrations, the town held a memorial service near the Valley of Death monument commemorating the 2000 Jews of Vishnyeva who were killed by the Nazis.
The idea for the day was first raised a year ago with the government of Belarus by Chaim Chesler, co-founder of Limmud FSU, and Yoram Dori, a close adviser to Peres for many years. As well as government backing, the day received support from the Jewish community of Belarus, the Israeli Embassy in Belarus, the Minsk district government and the Vishnyeva Municipality.
“Shimon Peres, a Nobel laureate, is probably the most well-known and prominent individual to ever be born in Vishnyeva, and it brings the town a lot of honour,” said Chesler.
“We hope that this can dramatically elevate tourism and development in the region, especially as we are about to celebrate his 90th birthday later this year.”
AJN STAFF
comments