Spoken tributes at St. Anne's Church, San Francisco, at the funeral of our precious friend
Nadim Zarour
(1950-2000)

Libby Traubman

         Upon reflection I am very happy that I was at Grace Cathedral last Sunday morning to be with Nadim. I will never forget receiving one last big bear hug as he greeted Len and me before the talks began. Since Nadim's death I have been thinking a lot about what a huge difference he made as one man. And I would like to comment on just one thing that I feel is important to say.
         It occurred to me that when Nadim was speaking before a mixed audience, he was not just a man talking about Jerusalem.
         He was presenting a Palestinian face, a Palestinian presence to this audience.
         They were having an experience with who is a Palestinian.
         I believe this is so important for the greater community to get to know the Palestinian people — your story, your culture, your beauty.
         And Nadim made this possible over and over by moving beyond the comfort and safety of his own community and meeting with Jews and others, even years ago when it was far less common.
         Yes, Nadim represented the Palestinian community well with his dignity, his knowledge about the issues, his passion for the cause and his spirit, always speaking with authority but never hostile.
         Nadim is proof that one person can make a huge difference and I hope we will all continue building a larger more inclusive community together.
         I will miss Nadim very much. I already do.

Len Traubman

         I remember so well eight years ago when Nahida and Adham Salem first brought Jiries and Grace Nazzal, and Henriette and Nadim Zarour through our front door and into the Dialogue Group. My wife, Libby, wept, because we were so grateful, and it was so important.
         I already miss Nadim so much. I can hardly imagine life and our shared endeavors without him.
         Father Labib said last night that Nadim helped the Palestinian people be more visible, known, respected. I remember when a front page of the San Jose Mercury News, a major metropolitan newspaper in America, had a full-page article, “Children of Abraham,” and a large color photograph of a glowing Nadim sitting side by side with a Jew. Nadim had helped put something new in motion.
         Nadim was like Abraham and like a brother to me.
         Like Abraham, our father, Nadim helped take us all to new places in our lives. Like Abraham, he felt the call of God to take his family, his people, all of us – Arabs and Jews and many others – to better relationships and ways of living.
         I felt like Nadim was my brother. He took my hand and made me feel at home in the Palestinian community. And I did the same for him. There wasn’t often a lot of small talk between us, mainly just making things happen. But we’d just look into each other’s eyes and know we were there for each other.
         If he thought it would make a difference, he would always take time to to listen, and to speak in public or privately with Jewish women and men. And Nadim told his story and the Palestinian story so beautifully that he changed minds and hearts. He and Henriette certainly helped change mine.
         Like Abraham, Nadim knew and lived by the most important truth: The Lord our God is One — Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Ekhod. All is one. We are one, interrelated, and totally interconnected with each other. We are neighbors forever.
         Like Abraham and Nadim, in time, he would want us to move beyond our grief and continue to take our families and two great peoples to new better places, for the good of all – equally.
         And Nadim will help us, because we will remember Nadim – his vision and his way – always listening, always the high road, always with an outreached hand, in love.
         Henriette, Hanna, Samer, Sawson, Alice and Sami and little Sami, your Nadim was a great man. He had his face toward Jerusalem — a new Jerusalem, on Earth — and toward people. Always people.