This year’s Fiesta Shalom honored Dr. David Lizárraga, chairman and founder of TELACU Education Foundation, with Theodor Herzl Award for visionary Leadership and Dina Siegel, the Head of AJC Latin Institute, with Golda Meir award for Visionary leadership.
Among the participating guests were comedians and actors Gina Rodriguez and George Lopez, who recently visited Israel and now considers Israel George Lopez’s friend, actor Edward James Olmos, Congressman Tony Cardenas, California State Treasurer John Chiang, California Assembly Speaker-Designee, Anthony Rendon, and City Controller of Los Angeles, Ron Galperin.
Emceed by Palmira Perez, with the impeccable singing of Ladino and Hebrew songs, by Noa Dori, food galore and stories by Noa’s sister Maya Dori about the Spanish Jewish community that was expelled from Spain in 1492, Israel place in 21st century world was defined. A laboratory country for so much needed cyber security, for life saving technologies to the knowhow of immigration integration, a global leader in innovation on a large scale.
The problem of radical Islam terror against the civilized world was also defined by three cases of American, Israeli and Spanish American who were murdered on the altar of Islamic terrorism.
From Jerusalem, where Jewish American citizen, Ezra Schwartz, was murdered, while in Israel for a year study, by an Arab-Moslem terrorist; to Paris, where a first generation USA citizen from Latino origin, Nohemi Gonzalez, a 23-year-old California State University, Long Beach student, was among the scores of dead from the Islamist assault in the capital of France, while she was dining in a Parisian bistro; to Mali, a country with which Israel has to diplomatic ties, where Israeli citizen, Samuel Ben-Hillel, who worked for an international consulting firm specializing in the development of education and served as a senior adviser to governments around the world, was among the 20 victims killed by Islamist gunmen in Mali’s capital of Bamako, to California where people are trying to get a grip of a world gone wrong during a Fiesta Shalom get together event.
With his Fiesta Shalom initiative idea, Consul General of Israel, Mr. David Siegel, is forming the David Siegel Familia, working to have special relations between Israel and the United States, getting many ethnic groups together, in common ground and interest, an extension of God’s biblical commitment that ‘Those who bless Israel, shall be blessed, and those who curse Israel shall be cursed.’
Now more than ever, during challenging times, in the spirit of communal celebration, the efforts of Israel is growing. It is important to embrace people’s diverse backgrounds and traditions, and stand together as one community.
At Fiesta Shalom people who know right from wrong, truth from lie gathered to ask that God shines on all nations equally. Based on the word ‘shalom’ its meaning, inter alia, is wholeness, this event is unifying diverse community under the banner of the blue and white flag of the state of Israel. And we all need to ask of ourselves to honor goodness, morality and peace.
We live in a fractured world and our duty is to heal it. Fiesta Shalom is one significant step to achieve this goal.
On a side but important note, Western Civilization Heritage Israel Program (C.H.I.P) is preparing the next generation to be a leader in the Fiesta Shalom long-term initiative.