Honoring Harold Shapiro

On Dec. 10, Scores of friends, relatives and admirers of Harold M. Shapiro– a founder and guardian angel of Meretz USA, and now its Honorary Life President– gathered at Manhattan's Zipper Factory nightclub to honor him on the occasion of his 80 th birthday. The throng was hugely entertained by music, dance and video, including the bravura singing of Meretz USA board chair, Theo Bikel, a reading of Myra Shapiro's poetry by actress Barbara Barrie (a lifelong friend, dating back to her college days together with Myra and Harold at the University of Texas) and the spirited, innovative dancing of the Shapiros' daughter, Judy.

A delightful surprise came in the form of a video production arranged by daughter Karen and introduced by Meretz MK Avshalom (Abu) Vilan. It was a compilation of birthday greetings warmly conveyed to Harold (or "Herold" as the titles put it) by a wide array of political leaders– literally from across the spectrum– including: Prime Minister Olmert (commenting that he used to differ more with Harold politically than he does today), President Shimon Peres, Labor party leader and Defense Minister Barak, Likud leader Bibi Netanyahu (mentioning that he admired Harold despite their differences of opinion), Avigdor Lieberman (also a right-wing political leader but a coalition partner to Olmert), a beared leader of the United Torah Judaism party, Arab MK Ahmad Tibi (of Ta'al, the Arab Renewal party) Likud MK Ruby Rivlin, as well as words of friendship from whom we'd expect, all five of Meretz's Members of Knesset. The audience chortled in amazement at the greetings of non-Meretz and especially the right-wing figures and the one ultra-Orthodox MK.