J Street mourns legendary singer Theodore Bikel z”l

J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami released the following statement mourning the death of Theodore Bikel:

It is with profound sadness that we mourn Theodore Bikel–a friend, legend and champion of the two-state movement long before there was a J Street.

Bikel’s extraordinary life, in many ways, told the story of the Jewish people in 91 years. From the horrors of the Holocaust, he realized the Zionist dream of his namesake–Theodore Herzl–and settled in Tel Aviv, before living the American dream on Broadway and in Hollywood.

As an American Jew, Bikel was a pillar of our community. He used his voice to advance the cause of peace and justice for all people, and fought for an Israel that truly lived up to the best of our traditions. Writing, even at the age of 90, that “Jewish silence in the face of injustice is intolerable”–his passion for a two-state solution never slowed.

We were honored by, and will never forget, his moving performance at our 2012 national conference. We are eternally grateful for all that he did for our movement.

May his memory be a blessing.