Rabin memorial at the site where he was shot
צילום: תומריקו
Walking Rabin's Tel Aviv
Everyone has his or her own "Yitzhak Rabin" moment and "where was I on November 4, 1995" story
Everyone has his or her own "Yitzhak Rabin" moment, and his "where was I on November 4, 1995" story. For many of us, the three murderous shots that killed the former Prime Minister were a prelude to the country's current state.
I deal with my personal anguish and frustration by visiting the sites that defined Rabin's life; the places which molded him into the great man he was.
I pick up my friend Uri, and, equipped with two copies of the Rabin's autobiography and an overload of memories, we set out on our journey.
We arrive at the School for Workers' Children in Tel Aviv (54 Trumpeldor Street), where Rabin studied for eight years. In his autobiography, titled “The Rabin Memoirs,” he mentions his fourth grade teacher, renowned author and educator Eliezer Smoli, who taught him love of country and helped him break out of his shy demeanor.
We walk to nearby Gan Meir (or Meir Garden, located between King George Street and Tchernichovsky Street), where the headquarters of Rabin's youth movement (The Working and Learning Youth Movement) once stood.
Then we head to "Rabin Base," an IDF compound located smack in the middle of Tel Aviv on Kaplan Street. Here Rabin spent his years as IDF chief of staff and defense minister.
Somewhat contemplative, we decide to visit the Rabin memorial, located in Rabin Square. It was here, on the square's huge stage, that Rabin sang “Song for Peace” along with more than 100,000 people during a peace rally, moments before he was shot by Yigal Amir.
Additional Tours
Original ideas for tours that focus on Yitzhak Rabin's life can be found in "Milestones" (NIS 15, or about USD3.30), a booklet published by the Yitzhak Rabin Center for Israel studies (Tel: 972-3-643-6545).
