“We flew to London on British Airways with a 10-hour layover. John and I planned on visiting Michael and Shakira Caine,” informs Wendy Goldberg who, with son John Mirisch, was heading to Jerusalem for the 33rd annual International Mayors Conference.
John will be installed to a third term as the mayor of Beverly Hills on March 20. His 12 year-old son Vincent, who speaks Polish, Swedish and is studying Mandarin, will perform the installation with mom Wendy holding the Bible.
In Israel, their first stop, Herzliya is the coastal resort proudly claiming to be the sister city of Beverly Hills. Herzliya remains the wealthiest community in the state. Lauded as the second to Tel Aviv for its business startups.
Arriving at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem, they immediately visited the Western Wall. Among the world’s holiest sites where Jews are permitted to pray. A highly emotional moment for Wendy.
They toured the traditional route in the Old City of Jerusalem, believed to be the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion.
They later attended the opening ceremony dinner in the Jerusalem City Hall. Where Mayor Moshe Lion and long-time Israeli advocate Jack Rosen, (President of American Jewish Congress and Chairman on the American Council for World Jewry) along with wife Phyllis addressed the 30 visiting mayors from the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia.
They discussed the behind-the-scenes of Israel’s next-generation technologies. And the way cities manage their water systems (let us remember that Israel is founded on a desert territory). To the way cities manage a crisis, thus fortifying cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to be smarter and safer.
In Tel Aviv, Wendy and John were deeply affected during their walk through of Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center. Both were impressed with the technological advancements of the virtual reality tours. For instance, the horror of the concentration and death camps are precisely and realistically constructed, providing a terrifying authentic experience.
A poignant moment for Wendy was the museum’s latest edition of a three-dimensional holographic projection of an actual Holocaust survivor. “You experience stories first hand, and many asked the survivor questions that are chillingly informative and strike a universal chord today.”
They met with American Ambassador David Friedman and stopped at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
Later they were pleased to find that every afternoon once a week the senior citizens gather for food, dancing and convivial conversations at the City Hall.
Wendy hails the Israeli youth for their loyalty. Both sexes join the military. They are raised to serve and protect, their focus in keeping Israel safe is their strength. The Israeli Air Force ranks among the best in the world.
Apropos of today’s Anti-Semitic headlines, Wendy reflects, “How did we get here? Enough is enough. Stop the hate. Who could imagine doing these things? A lot is still going on, have we learned nothing? We must educate our children about the Holocaust, so that it will never happen again.”
The post George Christy Talks About Wendy Goldberg, John Mirisch, George Schlatter, Laugh-In and more! appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.