Story time with President Rivlin

President Reuven Rivlin visits a Tel Aviv kindergarten, where he reads a story to the kids.

Rivlin is visiting a town battered by a terror attack only two days ago, and young parents fear for their own and their children’s lives as the killer, Nashat Milhem, is still at large.

In his visit to the Hadas Kindergarten in central Tel Aviv and alongside Keren, the teacher, and the educational staff, Rivlin reads the children the story, “Harold and the Purple Crayon” — the Hebrew-language protagonist is called Arron — by Crockett Johnson.

The kids, on their part, ask Rivlin why he wanted to be president, what does a president do, and why he did not prefer to become a soccer player.

Rivlin explains: “I’m just not very good” at soccer. “I think it’s better that I am president because that way I have the opportunity to listen to all people in the country. I listen to all the citizens and the citizens with difficult jobs. I listen to mayors and ministers, principals and teachers, and I try to help with any problem and to resolve them. The president is primarily the mouth of all people, of all the public. When the president expresses his opinion he does so after hearing everyone’s voices. And you children – even if you don’t agree with what your friend says, first of all you need to listen and think – maybe what he is saying makes sense? It is important that we listen to everyone with dignity, and maybe we will learn something,” he says.