Last week I had the privilege of listening to Nobel Laureate, Professor Robert Aumann speak at the Arie Crown Hebrew Day School banquet in Chicago. It was via a live feed from Petra, Jordan where he was attending a conference of Nobel Laureates dealing with Middle East peace. It was about 4 o’clock in the morning for him but he graciously accepted to address our banquet at that hour.
It was a fascinating experience for me. The live feed was two-way. We could not only hear and see him, he could hear us. But more fascinating than the technology that enabled it were the words he spoke about his experiences in Stockholm and in Jordan. In the aggregate it was a big Kiddush HaShem.
He told that he took his entire family with him wife, children and grandchildren ... a total of 34 people. So not only was he wearing a Kipa... all the male members of his entourage did. When he got to the podium he made the Bracha of HaTov VeHametiv ...B’Shem U’Machus. And he got a huge Amein from his entire entourage.
The required attire for the evening for anyone in attendance was white tie and tails so there he was... white tie and tails, long flowing beard, and a white Kipa Seruga. It must have been quite a sight. And all the male members of his family wore white tie and tails too, including the young grandchildren. From an article in a local periodical here, I learned that they did not use the formalwear provided by the Nobel committee in Stockholm. Those contained Shatnez. Instead all the formal wear was rented in Tel Aviv.
At the Petra conference he met Noble laureate Elie Weisel and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. And when he met the King Abdullah of Jordan, at the Petra conference he made the Bracha upon seeing a Melech B’Shem U’Malcchus because Abdullah has real power. Abdullah was very impressed when he translated it for him. Professor Aumann also told us that when he saw the king of Sweden in Stockholm, he made the Bracha for a Melech without Shem U’Malchus because the king of Sweden has no power.
What was really quite impressive were the lengths that the Nobel committee went to accommodate the religious needs of professor Aumann. The Saturday ceremony did not begin until Motzoei Shabbos. The royal meal included Kosher food for the Aumanns. They were served on new china and new silverware and new gold stemmed crystal. Waiters came to the table with washing cups and bowls for Netilas Yadayim. The next day at the king’s palace the ancient silverware was kashered for them.
But his greatest moment of pride it seems occurred when he saw the flags of all the countries represented by the Nobel Prize winners. There were, I believe, 8 winners from six countries. So there were six flags over a Swedish government building. The one just to the right of the Swedish flag in the center was the Israeli flag.
Professor Aumann also spoke a bit about the Petra conference. He said that the most important and perhaps the only real solution for peace is education. It is what the young Arab children learn at an early age in school that determines how they will treat Jews as adults. That is the key to peace in the future. It was agreed by all attending the conference that the key to peace is the elimination of hatred of Jews from the curriculum of all Arab nations across the region. Without that, there can be no hope. I agree.
This is a man I can truly admire. I have heard some very controversial things quoted in his name. But none of this came up when he addressed us. If anything I saw a man who loves the Torah... he still learns daily with the same Chavrusa for over 30 years. He loves his people, his nation, and respects his nation’s leadership. He reflects values which I preach and try to live by.
The choice by the ACHDS banquet committee to feature him as a guest speaker and his acceptance was natural. It was a perfect fit for the school.
