Professor and Mrs. Judea Pearl Join President and Mrs. Bush in Lighting Pearl Family Menorah at White House Hanukkah Ceremony

Professor and Mrs. Judea Pearl Join President and Mrs. Bush in Lighting Pearl Family Menorah at White House Hanukkah Ceremony

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The Daniel Pearl Foundation today announced that Professor and Mrs. Judea Pearl will join President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush in lighting the Pearl's family Menorah in this year's Hanukkah celebration at the White House. The Menorah used in the ceremony originally belonged to Professor Pearl's grandparents, Chaim and Rosa Pearl, who brought it with them when they moved from Poland to Israel in 1924 to establish the town of Bnai-Brak.

Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal Reporter who was abducted and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002, remembered his great-grandfather in his last hours. His final words, captured on video tape, were: "I am a Jewish American from Encino, California. My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish. Back in the town of Bnai-Brak there is a street named after my great-grandfather Chaim Pearl who is one of the founders of the town."

"To think that this Menorah which has traveled from Poland to Bnai-Brak would one day be glowing in the White House is simply beyond my wildest imagination," said Professor Judea Pearl, Daniel's father and President of the Daniel Pearl Foundation. "This tribute to our son and to the town that his great-grandfather founded in 1924 honors hundred of thousands of such Menorahs which were brought to Israel from many countries by freedom-seeking Jews who, inspired by the story of the Maccabees, achieved sovereignty and dignity by re-building their historic homeland."

"Our family is humbled and honored by this unexpected tribute and we hope that our Menorah serves as a visual reminder to all people who are facing darkness that, with hope and perseverance, freedom and goodness will prevail." Said Danny's mother, Ruth Pearl.

The Menorah lighting ceremony will take place at the foyer of the White House on December 10 at 5:30pm.

About the Daniel Pearl Foundation

The Daniel Pearl Foundation was formed in 2002 in memory of journalist Daniel Pearl to promote the ideals that inspired his life and work. The world came to know Daniel Pearl as The Wall Street Journal reporter who was murdered by terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan. Since then, he has been remembered more for his humanity and love of life than his senseless death. The Foundation works domestically and internationally to promote cross-cultural understanding, to counter cultural and religious hatred, to encourage responsible and creative journalism, and to enrich people's lives through music. For more information please visit www.danielpearl.org.

Professor and Mrs. Pearl are also editors of I Am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl (Jewish Lights, 2004), winner of the National Jewish Book Award. This collection of essays from 147 Jews in 12 countries provides a panoramic view of how contemporary Jews define themselves. Contributors include Larry King, Kirk Douglas, Richard Dreyfuss, Mike Wallace, Shimon Peres, Elie Wiesel, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and many more.

Web site:

http://www.danielpearl.org

Source: The Daniel Pearl Foundation

CONTACT: Danielle Newman of Sitrick and Company, +1-212-573-6100,
media@danielpearl.org, for The Daniel Pearl Foundation

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