Page 263 - big friday
P. 263
Ben-Gurion, Shertok and Rivkind shown as the Prime Minister
signs the Declaration
who would never forgive him if they did not receive an invitation.” Rivkind argued at
length with Otte Wallisch, who was in charge of preparing the hall. Wallisch insisted that
the number of places was limited owing to the size of the hall, while Rivkind argued that
“the list of invitees cannot be whittled down to nothing.”
According to Rivkind, it was his brother who invited the Philharmonic Orchestra to
play HaTikva at the ceremony (although others disagree – see below). How would the
orchestra, seated on the second floor, know when to start playing the anthem? Rivkind’s
solution was as follows: “It was decided that immediately after Ben-Gurion rapped three
times with his gavel, a youth stationed on the auditorium level would press a switch which
would activate a red light in front of the conductor, and the anthem would be played.”
However, things did not work out as planned. Rivkind recounted, “The boy whom I
E ndlessly Recounted 261
signs the Declaration
who would never forgive him if they did not receive an invitation.” Rivkind argued at
length with Otte Wallisch, who was in charge of preparing the hall. Wallisch insisted that
the number of places was limited owing to the size of the hall, while Rivkind argued that
“the list of invitees cannot be whittled down to nothing.”
According to Rivkind, it was his brother who invited the Philharmonic Orchestra to
play HaTikva at the ceremony (although others disagree – see below). How would the
orchestra, seated on the second floor, know when to start playing the anthem? Rivkind’s
solution was as follows: “It was decided that immediately after Ben-Gurion rapped three
times with his gavel, a youth stationed on the auditorium level would press a switch which
would activate a red light in front of the conductor, and the anthem would be played.”
However, things did not work out as planned. Rivkind recounted, “The boy whom I
E ndlessly Recounted 261
