David Rubinger Article

A beautiful and exciting reception was given this evening by MICHAELUNIQUE gift shop, in honor of the world famous TIME/LIFE photographer David Rubinger. This special event was held in the open-air plaza adjacent to the Maccabi building on Achuza Street. David Rubinger is the photographer of perhaps the most well known photo ever taken in ISRAEL, “Three Soldiers at the Kotel”. This is the famous photo taken moments after ISRAELI paratroopers arrived at the newly liberated holy site in June 1967.
The event was open to the public and was attended by dozens of people, including the press and media. In addition to Mr. Rubinger, also attending was Mayor Uzi Cohen. Mr. Cohen was very proud that such an event was being held here in Raanana and very happy to see all the people who came to the event. Upon viewing the many historic photos taken by Mr. Rubinger on display, the mayor said they brought back many memories.
Another special guest was Dr. Isaac Ifat, who happens to be the middle soldier of the three in the photo from the June 1967 liberation of the Kotel. The guests were very excited to meet and talk to him. It indeed was very special and exciting to see in person a figure who is the centerpiece of such a famous icon. Dr. Ifat, who was 23 years old when the famous photo was taken, is today an OB-GYN living in Rishon Letzion.
The organizer of the event was Michael Heymann, the owner of MICHAELUNIQUE gift shop. Mr. Heymann, originally from Jerusalem, opened his gift shop here only a couple of months ago. He came to Raanana to open another business which didn’t materialize, but was so impressed by our city, that he stayed here and finally opened up his current store. Mr. Heymann said that he was very impressed with Raanana because it is “clean and orderly” as well as “civilized and dignified”. According to Mr. Heymann, the store is getting “good, positive feedback”, especially due to the high customer service orientation and the quality and attractiveness of the merchandise he offers.
The guest of honor, David Rubinger, has been a photojournalist and resident of Jerusalem for many decades. While his “Three Soldiers at the Kotel” photo is the most famous, he said that his favorite is a close-up, candid photo of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat quietly conversing with each other during one of their history making meetings. When this reporter asked him why, Mr. Rubinger replied, “Because it is exactly the opposite of the typical, idiotic, grinning handshake photos that most photographers have leaders pose for”. Besides the dozens of famous historic photos he is known for, Mr. Rubinger’s other claim to fame is that he and his wife are one of only two couples that have had both their names listed in the masthead of Time magazine. While talking about the photo of Begin and Sadat, Mr. Rubinger offered an interesting anecdote about the Yom Kippur war. He said that if the Arabs had attacked ISRAEL on Succot or Pesach, it would have been truly disastrous, because then the roads would have been so busy (unlike on Yom Kippur) and that would not have allowed all the reserve soldiers to reach the front on time.Adding to the festivities of the evening, was live music played by Miki Giraz of Jerusalem, a friend of Michael Heymann. Miki played many selections including music from Naomi Shemer and other period pieces from the times of the photos on display. Making the event a truly “tasty” one, was the food served to the guests, supplied by Iris Place of Cakes, a neighbor of MICHAELUNIQUE in the Maccabi plaza. Their selection of borekas, cheeses, baked goods and desserts was truly delicious and a crowd pleaser. All in all, the event was very enjoyable and special for everyone.