Shimon Peres Lights With Chabad

By COLlive reporter

Former Israeli President Shimon Peres hosted a Menorah lighting ceremony to celebrate Chanukah at the Peres Center for Peace located in Jaffa.

Leading the lighting were Rabbi Gershom Ohana of Kfar Chabad and his son Hatomim Uria Ohana, close friends of Mr. Peres during his long career in the Israeli government.

“On each night of Chanukah we add another candle reminding us to be in a constant state of ‘adding and moving forward’ and adding more light in the world every day,” Rabbi Ohana said.

Wearing a blue yarmulke on his head, Peres reminded the center’s staff that “We are ‘am levadad yishkon’, a people that dwells alone, and yet we must be a light unto the nations by bringing the light and warmth of the Chanukah candles to everywhere in the world.”

Uria Ohana, a law student and a high-tech product manager, told COLlive.com, “We had a short personal conversation with Mr. Peres. He is currently the head of the Peres Center for Peace in Tel Aviv, and is working on many international projects promoting Jewish Arab relations.”