In a recent interview with Yitzchak Yehudah Holtzman of the Kfar Chabad Magazine, Dan Patir, a high ranking advisor to Israeli government officials in the 1960s and 70s, spoke about his meetings with the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory.
Among his many positions, he advised President Zalman Shazar, and Prime Ministers Yitzchak Rabin and Menachem Begin.
His career in the Israeli government began in 1964 when he started working in the public relations department of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. It was in this capacity that he accompanied Shazar and Rabin to their respective audiences with the Rebbe.
When Rabin became the Israeli ambassador to Washington in 1968, Patir and Rabin bonded, resulting in Patir becoming Rabin's full time advisor. He later followed Rabin to Israel and continued as his advisor when he became Prime Minister in 1974.
When the Likud government came to power, Menachem Begin, the new Prime Minister, asked Patir to continue on as his advisor. It was then that he accompanied Prime Minister Begin to his audience with the Rebbe.
Patir's memories of these historic encounters will, G‑d willing, be published here soon.
What Holtzman was not expecting when Patir arrived for his interview was an album of pictures.
During his tenure as an advisor, Patir became friendly with one of the Israeli journalist photographers, Eliyahu Attar, of blessed memory, who photographed Shazar's 1966 visit and Begin's 1977 visit to the Rebbe. Attar gave the images to Patir as a gift.
Here are two of the photos, the rest to come, G‑d willing, at a future date.
