Bookends

A presidential gift from the father returns to the son

Rivlin presented with two-volume Hebrew translation of ‘Arabian Nights’ by his father, originally given to late president Yitzhak Ben-Zvi

By ToI Staff 18 October 2019, 5:43 pm

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President Reuven Rivlin at his official residence in Jerusalem for an event celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, October 17, 2019. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

President Reuven Rivlin was given a rare gift, two volumes of a Hebrew version of “Arabian Nights” translated by his father.

The books, which were presented to Rivlin on Thursday during a Sukkot event at the President’s Residence, had originally been given by his father to Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, the second president of Israel.

The gift was even more poignant because it included a handwritten dedication by Yosef Yoel Rivlin, a Middle East studies scholar, about the institution of the presidency, an office his son now occupies.

The books were recently found by Yael Ben-Zvi, the daughter of the late president, and will be included in an initiative to preserve old documents, a spokesman for Rivlin said.