Ceremony evokes special memories of Israeli president.
by Charles Gardner.
Precious memories of a former Israeli president were shared during the unveiling of a Jewish memorial stone near Lincoln, England, on Sunday.
Inspired by the recently excavated Magdala Stone in Galilee dating from the Second Temple period, it is the gift of the city’s Christians – out of sorrow for their shameful mistreatment of God’s chosen people over the centuries as well as a tribute to the many Jewish airmen who gave their lives fighting the Nazis with the RAF.
Speaking for the memorial hosts, the International Bomber Command Centre, Sir Michael Graydon recalled his friendship with the late Ezer Weizman, a former Israeli president who served with the RAF as a Spitfire pilot during World War II.
Weizman visited the UK in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of D-Day, and again for a later State visit.
“I was given the task on both occasions of spending time with him,” Sir Michael told invited guests at a special ceremony on Sunday. During the state visit, he was taken to nearby RAF Cranwell, where he was “in his element” being able to sit in a Spitfire and Hurricane. And when he couldn’t work out how he was going to return to London, he was ushered onto a Lancaster bomber!
“His eyes lit up and we flew him back to Northolt (near London) in the Lancaster with him up front alongside the pilot. He said it was the highlight of his state visit. We remained in touch, both visiting him in Israel and through letters until his death.”
As many as 20,000 British Jews (excluding those from the Commonwealth) served with the RAF during World War II, possibly as much as 600 of whom were killed flying in Bomber Command.
Sir Michael explained: “For all these connections and the magnificent contribution made to Bomber Command and indeed much wider by Jews in World War II, I can think of nowhere more appropriate to remember and recognise this contribution than here at Canwick Hill (overlooking the city of Lincoln).”
He was also certain that the late Queen, who died exactly two years before the ceremony and who unveiled the London Memorial to Bomber Command, would very much have approved.
The event was sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem and the ornately carved stone was provided at great expense by local quarry owner Phil Kerry.