Memorial Service Held For Late Sen. Joe Lieberman At Washington Hebrew Congregation In Washington DC
On Wednesday, a memorial service was held to honor the life of Sen. Joe Lieberman at Washington Hebrew Congregation in Washington, DC.
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00:01:30Okay.
00:02:30Okay.
00:03:00Okay.
00:03:30Okay.
00:04:00Okay.
00:04:30Okay.
00:04:52In the holiness of this hour,
00:04:54suffuse for all of us with precious and personal memories
00:04:58and with sentiments of abiding love and respect,
00:05:01we've come together, family, friends, and colleagues
00:05:05to honor the memory of Joseph Isidore Lieberman,
00:05:09a man of tremendous heart and intellect
00:05:12who dedicated his life to his family and to public service,
00:05:16to his community, to his state of Connecticut,
00:05:20and to his country.
00:05:23I'm Susan Schenkman,
00:05:24Senior Rabbi of Washington Hebrew Congregation.
00:05:27And on behalf of the clergy, staff,
00:05:30lay leaders, and membership,
00:05:32I'm honored to welcome Senator Lieberman's family
00:05:36and all of you to Washington Hebrew.
00:05:39I was privileged to hear Senator Lieberman speak
00:05:42on this very bimah nearly 23 years ago
00:05:45and to learn from him in this sacred space
00:05:49that he honored with his presence and his words.
00:05:53This morning, we'll recall and reflect
00:05:55upon the many places he instilled with holiness
00:05:58during his lifetime.
00:06:01It is written that in every person,
00:06:03there is a private shrine of memory and love,
00:06:06and in that sanctuary, our loved ones abide.
00:06:09We sense their presence, caress their spirits,
00:06:13and enfold them in our hearts.
00:06:15They talk to us.
00:06:16They tell tales.
00:06:19Thus, the pain of separation is soothed by memory.
00:06:22The hurt sustained is healed by love,
00:06:24and we ourselves become purified
00:06:27and ennobled through our sorrow.
00:06:31We join together today to celebrate Senator Lieberman's life,
00:06:35his words and actions,
00:06:37and to express both consolation and thanksgiving
00:06:40for having been blessed by his presence in our lives,
00:06:44our nation, and our world.
00:06:47Jewish tradition instructs us to stand with those who mourn
00:06:51so that they may feel the presence of the community.
00:06:55In recognition of our shared loss,
00:06:57we turn to words from our sacred scriptures
00:07:00that provide strength and comfort in this moment.
00:07:05We'll join in the words of Psalm 23.
00:07:08If these words are familiar to you,
00:07:10even if different from the version I'm reciting,
00:07:13please join me with the words that speak to you.
00:07:17With God as my shepherd, I shall not want.
00:07:21God makes me lie down in green pastures,
00:07:24leads me beside still waters, and restores my soul.
00:07:28You guide me in right paths for the sake of your name.
00:07:32Yea, though I walk through the valley
00:07:34of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
00:07:37for you are with me.
00:07:39Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
00:07:42You have set a table before me
00:07:44in the presence of my enemies.
00:07:46You have anointed my head with oil.
00:07:48My cup overflows.
00:07:51Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
00:07:53all the days of my life, and I shall dwell
00:07:56in the house of God forever.
00:08:00Amen.
00:08:32Hadassah.
00:08:36To Joe's children, Hani, Matt, Rebecca, Ethan.
00:08:41To his sisters, Rieta and Ellen.
00:08:44To all of the grandchildren.
00:08:47Prime Minister Netanyahu, my fellow former vice president,
00:08:52Mike Pence, Mrs. Pence.
00:08:54To all my former colleagues in the Senate and the House,
00:08:59Leader McConnell and Elaine Chao especially.
00:09:02And to all of the distinguished guests.
00:09:09I'm here for one reason only.
00:09:12To honor Joe Lieberman and to bear witness
00:09:16to his remarkably faith-filled life
00:09:20that was so rich in kindness and decency,
00:09:23principle and great achievements for his nation.
00:09:29We can say of Joe the very best we can say of any man.
00:09:33His was a life of constant consequence
00:09:36for his family, his friends, his nation.
00:09:42I knew Joe long before I had the honor
00:09:45of asking him to run alongside me
00:09:48in the election for president and vice president
00:09:5124 years ago.
00:09:53I knew him when he was attorney general of Connecticut.
00:09:58And then of course we became colleagues and allies
00:10:01and very, very close friends in the Senate.
00:10:06We shared views on many issues.
00:10:09The climate crisis, women's rights,
00:10:12gay and lesbian rights, human rights.
00:10:20So many causes that we fought together.
00:10:24We also were allies when we were sometimes
00:10:27in the small minority in our own political party.
00:10:31Back when he was a Democrat,
00:10:34we were some of the only ones that voted in favor
00:10:39of President George H.W. Bush's military action in Iraq.
00:10:47We were in the minority in our own party
00:10:50on some nuclear weapons issues and we became very close.
00:10:56He had friends in both parties, as all of you know,
00:10:58and there are people from both parties here
00:11:00and will speak today.
00:11:02There's been talk recently of Venn diagrams in our country.
00:11:06I think the thinnest overlay of a Venn diagram
00:11:10between Democrats and Republicans
00:11:12is right there where Joe Lieberman is.
00:11:16He wrote about how I became a Shabbos gloy for him.
00:11:21And when the Senate would run overtime on Friday evenings
00:11:27and the Sabbath would begin,
00:11:29I often offered to take him over to an apartment
00:11:32my parents had in the Methodist building.
00:11:34Here's a Southern Baptist taking an observant Jew
00:11:38to the Methodist building and turning the lights on
00:11:41and then turning the lights off when I left and so forth.
00:11:44And anyway, we became extremely close.
00:11:51And then, during that campaign of 2000,
00:11:54we became kin, really.
00:11:58Our families became kin, too, Hadassah.
00:12:02We laughed together and we fought like hell together
00:12:06and we prayed together.
00:12:08We thought for a season we had won together.
00:12:12And I learned a lot from Joe,
00:12:16including a few words of Yiddish.
00:12:19I was already familiar with the word mensch,
00:12:21but I did not know its full meaning
00:12:23until I got to be a good friend of Joe Lieberman.
00:12:27And if you want to know its full and true meaning,
00:12:30you can skip the dictionary
00:12:31and just look at the way Joe Lieberman lived his life.
00:12:36He put friendship over anger.
00:12:39He practiced reconciliation as a form of grace.
00:12:44I believe we can all learn from Joe's life
00:12:48some critical lessons about how we might heal
00:12:51the rancor in our nation today.
00:12:54I speak from personal experience
00:12:57because after that 2000 race,
00:13:00Joe and I developed some very deep disagreements
00:13:04on policy and political matters.
00:13:06And no matter how hard I tried or how hard Joe tried,
00:13:10we could not convince the other
00:13:13of the merit of our respective positions.
00:13:15And those of you who've had arguments with Joe
00:13:17know exactly what I'm talking about.
00:13:21It's not an accident that he would often break out
00:13:24into song, usually his favorite song,
00:13:26Frank Sinatra's My Way.
00:13:29How many people have heard him sing My Way?
00:13:32I know, yes, all right, that was a frequent occurrence
00:13:35on the campaign trail.
00:13:38I've thought about those days a lot
00:13:43because in spite of our disagreements in those days,
00:13:47we both knew deep down that the strong foundation
00:13:52of our friendship and the values that we shared in common
00:13:56were so much stronger than what was driving us apart
00:13:59in those years.
00:14:01I found myself thinking about Joe frequently
00:14:04over the last three months since he passed
00:14:07and since the service in Stanbury, Connecticut.
00:14:11And what stands out above everything else
00:14:14in my memories of Joe is the way that his Jewish faith
00:14:18was so foundational to the purpose
00:14:22with which he lived his life.
00:14:26I spent some time trying to capture that in my own words
00:14:34and did some research since the service in Connecticut
00:14:37and ultimately I found that he, not surprisingly,
00:14:40said it better than I possibly could.
00:14:42So if you will allow me, I would like to share with you
00:14:45some of Joe's words about the connection
00:14:48between his faith and his purpose.
00:14:52He wrote, I was raised in a religiously observant family
00:14:56which gave me the clear answers of faith
00:15:00to life's most difficult questions.
00:15:03My parents and my rabbi, Joseph Aaron Krantz,
00:15:07taught me that our lives were a gift from God the creator
00:15:11and with it came a covenantal obligation
00:15:14to serve God with gladness by living as best we could
00:15:19according to the law and values
00:15:21that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai.
00:15:26He continued, the summary of our aspirations
00:15:30was in the Hebrew phrase tikkun olam
00:15:32which is translated to improve the world
00:15:35or to repair the world or more boldly
00:15:38to complete the creation which God began.
00:15:41In any translation, this concept of tikkun olam
00:15:45presumes the inherent but unfulfilled goodness of people
00:15:50and requires action for the benefit of the community.
00:15:55Now I want to note that he was not naive
00:15:57in believing that his faith
00:15:59would automatically clear away all obstacles
00:16:02and lead to the success of any endeavor.
00:16:05He went on, speaking of tikkun olam, he said,
00:16:08it accepts our imperfections and concludes
00:16:11that we as individuals and as a society
00:16:14are constantly in the process
00:16:17of improving and becoming complete.
00:16:20Each of us has the opportunity and responsibility
00:16:23to advance that process both within ourselves
00:16:27and in the wider world around us.
00:16:32He quoted Rabbi Tarfin in the Talmud who said,
00:16:34the day is short and there is so much work to be done.
00:16:37You are not required to complete the work yourself
00:16:40but you cannot withdraw from it either.
00:16:44And he concluded, these beliefs
00:16:48were a powerful force in my upbringing
00:16:51and seem even more profound and true to me today.
00:16:56Even as a college student, he started the work
00:16:59of tikkun olam by going to the deep south
00:17:02in a time of danger for those pushing for civil rights
00:17:07and voting rights there.
00:17:10He took this philosophy to heart on an issue
00:17:12that we worked on together,
00:17:14addressing the global climate crisis.
00:17:18He talked about how extreme events
00:17:20were becoming a more regular and now daily occurrence.
00:17:26He once said, today we can see with our own eyes
00:17:29what global warming is doing.
00:17:31And in that context, it becomes truly irresponsible
00:17:34if not immoral to not do something.
00:17:38By the way, yesterday was the hottest day
00:17:41in recorded history.
00:17:44It broke the record of one day earlier.
00:17:48Today may break it again.
00:17:52What to do?
00:17:53Joe argued and I quote,
00:17:54global warming is not a conquer to kneel before
00:17:59but a challenge to rise to, a challenge we must rise to.
00:18:04And he was brimming with ideas
00:18:06on how we could solve this challenge.
00:18:08First and foremost, by putting a value
00:18:12on improving the world,
00:18:13on putting a value for the fate
00:18:17of future generations over politics.
00:18:20Just two years ago, Joe wrote of the urgent need
00:18:24for bipartisanship on the climate crisis.
00:18:28And for those of you gathered here
00:18:32who admired his commitment
00:18:36to the highest values and morals, listen, please.
00:18:40He said, there is much more
00:18:41that our government will need to do
00:18:42to avoid future climate clause disasters
00:18:45and it will be done best if members
00:18:47of both parties are working together to find solutions.
00:18:53Here in America, we continue to grapple
00:18:56with the vitriol and fear that have threatened
00:19:00to drive us apart.
00:19:02Around the world, democracy is under threat.
00:19:05Humanity itself faces an existential crisis
00:19:09of our own making if we continue to use the sky
00:19:14as an open sewer.
00:19:18These parallel crises beg the question,
00:19:20can the world be repaired?
00:19:24Can we muster the courage to reject the rancor
00:19:28that threatens to define this current moment?
00:19:32I believe we can.
00:19:35I believe the concept of tikkun olam
00:19:38that was central to the life and work of Joe Lieberman
00:19:44can be found in all of the morally-based movements
00:19:49that have characterized humanity's progress.
00:19:54In all those movements, advocates at times felt despair.
00:19:59But when the underbrush was cleared away
00:20:02and the central issue was defined
00:20:05as a choice between right and wrong,
00:20:07then at a very deep level,
00:20:09the outcome became foreordained.
00:20:13Repairing the world is our moral imperative.
00:20:18Joe Lieberman lived his life fully
00:20:23with a deep awareness and appreciation
00:20:26of that moral imperative
00:20:28and the responsibilities it required of him.
00:20:33So today, to remember him is to refresh our memory
00:20:37and today to remember him is to refresh not only our hope
00:20:41but our dedication to tikkun olam.
00:20:46May God bless the Lieberman family.
00:21:07Vice President Gore, Vice President Pence,
00:21:22Senators, Members of Congress,
00:21:27Distinguished Guests,
00:21:30Above all, Hadassah and the Lieberman family,
00:21:36which has grown exponentially, I see.
00:21:40That's bringing the mitzvah of Pu'u Vuu.
00:21:47Multiply.
00:21:52It was important for me to be here today
00:21:57to express my deepest affection and respect
00:22:00for our beloved Joe Lieberman.
00:22:05I'm sure that like all of you here,
00:22:09I miss Joe terribly.
00:22:13He left an indelible mark on me,
00:22:19just as he did on everyone who had the good fortune to know him.
00:22:24Joe was exceptional in so many ways.
00:22:28He was unfaltering in his integrity, his decency, his loyalty.
00:22:35He was an exemplary leader who combined clear and forceful convictions
00:22:42with a pragmatic approach to solving problems and to solving conflict.
00:22:49He was an American patriot and a proud Jew
00:22:53who steadfastly stood with Israel and the Jewish people,
00:22:57especially during trying times.
00:23:01And it's precisely during these trying times
00:23:06that I miss him even more.
00:23:09I met Joe in the early 80s
00:23:13when I was representing Israel in the United Nations,
00:23:16and he was Attorney General in Connecticut.
00:23:18And when we met, he said,
00:23:20one day you'll be Prime Minister.
00:23:21And I said, one day you'll be Senator,
00:23:23and he said, one day you'll be President.
00:23:24Well, almost.
00:23:28But what struck me first when I met him
00:23:33was his moral clarity and his moral courage.
00:23:38This was apparent during his 24 years as Senator
00:23:41and during his vice presidential candidacy.
00:23:45Over the years, we met countless times.
00:23:49I treasured his wise counsel, his right sense of humor.
00:23:56He had a way of saying it with a smile.
00:24:01The corner of his lips, he had the smile.
00:24:06I valued his unflagging friendship in good times and in bad.
00:24:11He was unwavering in defending Israel
00:24:14and expressed his support literally up to the end of his life,
00:24:18literally up to the end of his days.
00:24:22Hours before his passing,
00:24:25he was editing the final draft of a statement
00:24:28that he and Alan Dershowitz had co-authored
00:24:30backing Israel's war in Gaza.
00:24:33His last written words, I believe, were the following.
00:24:37We believe that Israel must be allowed to achieve
00:24:40its legitimate goal of disabling Hamas.
00:24:45After October 7th, Joe understood
00:24:48that what was at stake in this war
00:24:51was the survival of the Jewish state
00:24:53and hence the survival of the Jewish people.
00:24:56Throughout his distinguished career,
00:24:59he also understood, as few do,
00:25:01how important the alliance between America and Israel
00:25:04was for the future of both countries.
00:25:08He knew that we must stand together against dangers
00:25:12that threaten our common future.
00:25:15This is why he spent his last years
00:25:17as the head of an organization united against a nuclear Iran.
00:25:23He knew how dangerous our world would become
00:25:26if Iran were ever to develop and acquire nuclear weapons.
00:25:31Over the years, we often discussed
00:25:34how Iran was behind the entire axis of terror
00:25:37that threatened both our countries.
00:25:41He told this to Forbes magazine
00:25:43a few days after the October 7th savagery.
00:25:48He said, focus on the problem, which is Iran.
00:25:54This was quintessential Joe.
00:25:57Focused, clear-eyed, right to the point.
00:26:07Dear Hadassah, you and your family
00:26:10have lost a loving husband, father, and grandfather.
00:26:14America has lost one of its finest public servants.
00:26:20The Jewish people have lost one of its most noble sons.
00:26:24Israel has lost one of its greatest champions.
00:26:29And I have lost a beloved friend
00:26:34and an irreplaceable comrade-in-arms.
00:26:37We shall always remember Joe.
00:26:41May his memory be a true blessing.
00:26:45Yehi zichro baruch.
00:26:58I apologize, I have to go write a speech
00:27:02and then deliver it.
00:27:33Mr. Prime Minister,
00:27:37I'm used to people walking out when I get up to speak.
00:27:52Hadassah, family, friends,
00:27:57distinguished guests, colleagues,
00:28:01it is such an honor to join you
00:28:04in celebrating the life of a truly great American,
00:28:11my dear friend, Joe Lieberman.
00:28:15On the day that Joe died,
00:28:18I was speaking at a middle school in Western Maine.
00:28:23An eighth grader got up and asked me this question.
00:28:30Of all the senators that I had worked with over the years,
00:28:36who was the one that I accomplished the most with?
00:28:42After carefully noting that I had worked
00:28:46with many great senators,
00:28:50I answered the question, Joe Lieberman.
00:28:55Later that very same day,
00:28:59shortly after I got home,
00:29:02I learned that Joe had died.
00:29:06I was stunned for only hours before
00:29:11I had been touting his virtues to the students of Maine.
00:29:18If you ever wonder if one person can make a difference,
00:29:25just look at the legacy of Joe Lieberman.
00:29:30He was a prolific legislator
00:29:33who authored so many significant laws.
00:29:39There was landmark legislation to reorganize
00:29:43and strengthen our intelligence community
00:29:47in the wake of the attacks of 9-11.
00:29:52His work to repeal the discriminatory
00:29:55don't ask, don't tell law was a profile in courage.
00:30:01The bill to reform FEMA
00:30:04after the woeful response to Hurricane Katrina
00:30:09was another, yet another, of his lasting accomplishments.
00:30:17Working with Joe was so satisfying
00:30:21because his nonpartisan persistence
00:30:25repeatedly yielded results.
00:30:30But Joe wasn't only a brilliant legislator.
00:30:36As Vice President Gore said, he was a mensch,
00:30:41a person of integrity, honor, compassion, and warmth.
00:30:47I saw those qualities time and again
00:30:52in his embrace of the families who lost loved ones on 9-11,
00:31:00in his determination to do what was right
00:31:04regardless of the political consequences,
00:31:09and in his love for his family, his friends, and his country.
00:31:17Joe also had a constant twinkle in his eye
00:31:22that reflected his marvelous sense of humor.
00:31:27How well I remember a lengthy conversation
00:31:32that Joe and I had on a long journey to Afghanistan
00:31:38about the relative burdens of Jewish guilt versus Catholic guilt.
00:31:47Joe finally won that argument.
00:31:52He said, my people invented it, your people perfected it.
00:32:01Vintage Joe.
00:32:05We laughed so hard that we woke up John McCain,
00:32:10who was the leader of the CODEL.
00:32:15It's so difficult for me, as I know it is for so many of you,
00:32:22to accept that Joe is no longer with us.
00:32:27Just a week before he died,
00:32:34Joe and I agreed with one another.
00:32:42Joe's legacy will continue to teach us so much.
00:32:48We learned so much from him.
00:32:52The prophet Isaiah said,
00:32:56because I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.
00:33:03Joe is engraved in our hearts forever.
00:33:09May his memory be a blessing.
00:33:34I learned today that his middle name was Isidore.
00:33:43His passing saved him a lot of grief.
00:33:50I can't believe I didn't know that.
00:33:54Oh, wow, I'm going to get through this, Hadassah.
00:33:57We all will.
00:33:59So the common bond, why are we all here?
00:34:03We love Joe, right?
00:34:05And he loved us.
00:34:07And to be loved by Joe Lieberman is an experience you will never, ever forget.
00:34:12His dad owned a liquor store.
00:34:15My dad owned a liquor store.
00:34:17Good training for the job in which we're talking about today.
00:34:22Good training for religious people.
00:34:27So I loved him like a brother, and I never had one.
00:34:33The Three Amigos.
00:34:35You can't see this, but you can come up and see it later.
00:34:38We're on some 130 going somewhere in Kevlar.
00:34:42John's reading a book.
00:34:44Joe is looking at his phone, and I'm asleep.
00:34:49That's the most accurate picture in the world about the Three Amigos.
00:34:55Now, how did this happen?
00:34:58You know, Al, you talked about your partner and all the things he did,
00:35:01and Susan, what a great summary of legislative accomplishments.
00:35:05But people have got to remember, after 9-11, Joe changed.
00:35:12Joe was always a social liberal, always the nicest guy in the room,
00:35:17the smartest guy in the room.
00:35:19But after 9-11, that night, I talked to him going across the street.
00:35:25He said, Lindsey, boy, we can never let this happen again.
00:35:29And from that came the Three Amigos.
00:35:33And from that is the highlight of my life.
00:35:38So much to talk about in such a short period of time.
00:35:42Everybody's got a Dalai Lama story.
00:35:45Here's mine.
00:35:51We're at the Wailing Wall.
00:35:52This is how it begins.
00:35:54John's running for president.
00:35:56So me and Joe are just going wherever John goes and making it up as we go.
00:36:01So John is supposed to go to the Wailing Wall and Western Wall and put his hand out,
00:36:07and that's the money shot for the Israeli press.
00:36:09What did I learn at the Wailing Wall?
00:36:12Do not get between the Israeli press and John McCain.
00:36:16So they crushed me against the wall, and I began to wail.
00:36:21So it's actually, help me, help me.
00:36:25Joe got me up.
00:36:28So I wrenched my knees.
00:36:30Fast forward.
00:36:31The next stop somehow is we meet the Dalai Lama in Colorado.
00:36:34You can't make this stuff up, right?
00:36:36So I'm sitting over in the corner because I can barely walk,
00:36:39and Joe brings the Dalai Lama over, and he says,
00:36:42I want you to meet my good friend Lindsey Graham.
00:36:44I said, hey, Dalai.
00:36:45Hello.
00:36:46I don't know.
00:36:47What do you say to the guy?
00:36:48Hello, Dalai.
00:36:49He's hurt his knee.
00:36:50Can you help him?
00:36:51So he puts his hand on my knee.
00:36:53The Dalai Lama does, not Joe.
00:36:56And it goes, mmm, mmm, mmm.
00:37:00And he says, is it any better?
00:37:02And I said, no.
00:37:03And he says, I didn't think so.
00:37:11Anybody met Gaddafi?
00:37:14You didn't miss a lot.
00:37:17Susan, you might have been there.
00:37:19So John had all these great ideas and some not so good.
00:37:24This was one of the not so good ideas.
00:37:26Let's go meet Gaddafi.
00:37:27I said, why?
00:37:28Well, anyway, so we go meet him.
00:37:30We drive around in the middle of the night,
00:37:32and we go to this tent.
00:37:34And this guy's jacked up on everything
00:37:36you can put in a human body.
00:37:39And he's got Amazon women bodyguards,
00:37:42and I'm trying to find a way out of here.
00:37:45So he starts out talking about the great scourge of mankind.
00:37:49It's not climate change in his eyes.
00:37:51It was Switzerland.
00:37:55We're here with this nut job, surrounded
00:37:57by all these people with guns.
00:37:59And he went on and on about how we should dismember Switzerland
00:38:03and give it to the French, the Italians, and the Germans.
00:38:07And it was always John, Joe, and me.
00:38:11John quickly said, I'm going to let Joe speak first.
00:38:18Joe said, I never really thought about it that way,
00:38:21but I've learned a lot, and I appreciate having met you.
00:38:25So we live to tell about it.
00:38:28The last quick story.
00:38:30John read somewhere 500 people were
00:38:32killed in one of the stands protesting
00:38:35against the government.
00:38:37So John called me, and Joe said, we need to go.
00:38:40And I said, why?
00:38:43Joe said, 503 sounds better to John.
00:38:47There was no place that John and Joe
00:38:49wouldn't go to show up for all the right reasons.
00:38:53And I'm here to tell you, it was the highlight of my life
00:38:58to be around those two guys, doing
00:39:01things that mattered at a time of great peril,
00:39:05being able to laugh.
00:39:06Your husband, your grandfather, your father
00:39:10was the coolest dude on the planet to me,
00:39:14because he could deliver Henning Young jokes, just
00:39:19endless jokes.
00:39:21I am so blessed to have known him.
00:39:23Adjective, he was humble, right?
00:39:26Confident.
00:39:27He knew Iran was bad, and nobody was
00:39:29going to convince him otherwise.
00:39:32And he believed we should see it through in Iraq,
00:39:34and he's willing to lose for it.
00:39:36That's confidence.
00:39:37He had confidence in who he was and what he believed.
00:39:41He was kind, incredibly kind to me, but strong.
00:39:47Strong to the point he would give what most of us
00:39:49would never think about giving up our job in politics.
00:39:54That's strong.
00:39:56He was religious to the point of enough already.
00:40:05Do we have any orthodox people here?
00:40:08Raise your hand.
00:40:09Too many rules.
00:40:12Joe could tell you when it was sundown any place on the planet
00:40:17on a Friday.
00:40:19I don't care where we were, he knew it was sundown.
00:40:22What did I learn when it was sundown on Saturday
00:40:25so we didn't have to do this anymore?
00:40:28So I learned a lot.
00:40:31Finally, Vice President Gore.
00:40:35Joe Lieberman convinced me from South Carolina
00:40:39to do a climate change bill with him and John Kerry,
00:40:45which means he's the most persuasive person
00:40:48on the frigging planet.
00:40:53He sold me hook, line, and sinker, and the problem is real,
00:40:58and we met, and we met, and we met, and we talked,
00:41:01and we talked, and we talked, and Joe kept me in the game.
00:41:04So what did I learn?
00:41:05A lot about climate change,
00:41:07and I got a restraining order against John Kerry,
00:41:10and that was an incredible experience.
00:41:16So from the time I met the man until the time he passed,
00:41:22I was better off for having met him.
00:41:25Hadassah, he was the love of your life.
00:41:28To the family, I know he's your patriarch and your rock.
00:41:32In order to make you feel good to the grandkids,
00:41:34you're trying to save Social Security,
00:41:35how are you doing your part?
00:41:37But to all the grandkids,
00:41:40I hope you'll listen to all the things being said
00:41:43about your granddad.
00:41:45He was a wonderful man,
00:41:47and one of the best things that ever happened to Lindsey Graham
00:41:51was to meet Joe Lieberman.
00:41:54So until we meet again, my amigo, God bless.
00:42:20To Hadassah and the family,
00:42:23Vice President Gore, Vice President Pence,
00:42:27to all of the members of the Senate, House,
00:42:32yes, brothers and sisters.
00:42:37We all have gathered today to pay tribute
00:42:43and to moralize the life, the legacy,
00:42:48and the liberating spirit of Joseph Lieberman,
00:42:53who was one of our nation's greatest statesmen
00:42:57and transformative leaders.
00:43:01I also stand to bear witness to the irrepressible commitment
00:43:06of Senator Lieberman to freedom, justice, and equality,
00:43:13democracy, civility, and bipartisanship.
00:43:18From my early days in the Civil Rights Movement
00:43:21as a youth organizer
00:43:24with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC,
00:43:28under the leadership of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
00:43:32I experienced firsthand the sacred solidarity
00:43:39and unity between blacks and Jews in America
00:43:45who were on the front line advocating for freedom and equality for all.
00:43:52I saw the steadfast embrace
00:43:58between Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Martin Luther King, Jr.,
00:44:05along with a host of other American Jewish and black leaders
00:44:10who prayed together, marched together,
00:44:14and in some tragic moments died together
00:44:18for voting rights and civil rights.
00:44:24For the decades of sturdy leadership
00:44:29and presence of Joe Lieberman
00:44:32as a fearless advocate
00:44:37for the oneness and for the freedom of all humanity,
00:44:41he was certainly admired not only by me,
00:44:45but others throughout the continuing Civil Rights Movement.
00:44:52Last year, at the observance of the 60th anniversary
00:44:58of the 1963 March on Washington,
00:45:03Senator Lieberman and I shared a few special personal moments.
00:45:12Together, as we reflected on the purpose and the impact
00:45:16of the March on Washington for freedom, justice, and jobs.
00:45:22Early one morning, last August,
00:45:26the two of us actually went back to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial
00:45:32here in Washington,
00:45:35and we walked together along the reflecting pool.
00:45:40We both began to remember about how it felt
00:45:45to stand there together 60 years ago,
00:45:51and now to weigh the progress that our nation has made
00:45:57toward racial justice and equality.
00:46:03But last August, we also discussed the current resurgence
00:46:10of racism and anti-Semitism in America,
00:46:15and the urgent need to renew and to rebuild
00:46:19the strong national coalition between blacks and Jews
00:46:23across the United States,
00:46:27and to work harder to fight against anti-Semitism
00:46:32and all forms of hatred.
00:46:35As a result, we began to build a framework
00:46:41for the establishment of that national coalition
00:46:45that is now named the Black Jewish Action Alliance, BJAA.
00:46:53Finally, over the past two years,
00:46:56I had the distinct honor and privilege of working closely
00:47:00with Joe Lieberman as co-chair of No Labels.
00:47:06His wisdom, his perseverance on the questions of how to shape
00:47:12a better future for our nation and for the world
00:47:17by learning from the past, not repeating the past.
00:47:22We will always, and Joe's principles were always on point.
00:47:28Now we must keep alive the principles that he lived by
00:47:33as we continue to declare the oneness of our humanity.
00:47:40In the Bible, it is noted that Joseph and Benjamin were brothers.
00:47:47Forever, Joe and I will be soul brothers.
00:47:54To Hadassah and the family, we love you.
00:47:58We respect you.
00:48:00Long live the legacy.
00:48:02Long live the spirit of Joseph Lieberman.
00:48:25Hadassah, Matt, Becca, Hani, and Eitan,
00:48:30and the rest of Senator Lieberman's family,
00:48:33it's a privilege to be with you here today.
00:48:37Prime Minister Netanyahu is here,
00:48:39Vice President Gore, Vice President Pence,
00:48:42Leader McConnell, distinguished senators, members of Congress.
00:48:46It's a great honor to be before you,
00:48:49and I know we're all here because of the grace of Joe Lieberman.
00:48:54Many of the remembrances honoring Senator Lieberman's life
00:49:00have highlighted his legacy as one of the great post-Cold War statesmen,
00:49:05or the fact that when he was the first Jewish American
00:49:09to be nominated by a major political party
00:49:11as Vice President of the United States.
00:49:13Senator Lieberman was never afraid to speak his mind.
00:49:16I think we've heard that.
00:49:18He was not afraid to be the voice of the opposition to any policy
00:49:22or action in which he disagreed.
00:49:25But in his principled advocacy on any issue,
00:49:28he acted with elegance, wisdom, and wit.
00:49:33No major recent figure so plainly rejected the animus and bile
00:49:39that consumes modern American politics.
00:49:43He was immune from the peaks of anger or outrage
00:49:47that flare up among the best of the rest of us.
00:49:51We all have in common a profound and enduring respect
00:49:54for this giant in American polity.
00:49:57His vast career achievements are worth celebrating, to be sure.
00:50:00But what made the senator truly exceptional was his sheer humanity.
00:50:05His sheer humanity.
00:50:07His civility, grace, wisdom, love of family,
00:50:10and the ability to convey his beliefs
00:50:12in a calm, respectful, yet powerful manner.
00:50:17Look at the list of those who attended his funeral
00:50:19at the end of March in Stanford, Connecticut.
00:50:22Vice President Gore, various senators, former staffers,
00:50:26a raft of colleagues in Connecticut state politics,
00:50:29and Governor Ned Lamont, his one-time political opponent.
00:50:33What all of them have in common,
00:50:36besides fiercely opposing Senator Lieberman on one issue or another
00:50:39during his career, is their profound and enduring respect
00:50:43for the man whose memory they were there to celebrate.
00:50:47And even in death, Senator Lieberman's grace
00:50:51brings out the best of us, brings us together.
00:50:55Vice President Gore, thank you for being here.
00:50:58And I never thought, as a former political opponent,
00:51:02that I would be so proud to have shared this stage with you
00:51:05and what you've said about my friend and your friend.
00:51:07It's an honor.
00:51:10I first got to know the senator,
00:51:12and this is the complicated part, Mr. President.
00:51:15I first got to know the senator as a political foe
00:51:18in the infamous Florida recount
00:51:20that determined the outcome of the 2000 presidential election.
00:51:24He was well aware of my role as a bit player
00:51:27on behalf of then-Governor George W. Bush
00:51:30in election offices, on television, and in courtrooms.
00:51:33And although he was known for his sense of humor,
00:51:36I always felt a bit sheepish
00:51:38whenever he occasionally teased me
00:51:40about my role in the recount.
00:51:43I remain a proud friend of President Bush,
00:51:46who shares all of our sentiments for Senator Lieberman.
00:51:49But I was quite cognizant that the recount
00:51:52derailed my close friend's historic bid
00:51:54for the second-highest office in the land
00:51:57and Vice President Gore's bid for the presidency.
00:52:00The last time Senator Lieberman joked with me about the recount,
00:52:03he sensed my discomfort because I was uncomfortable.
00:52:07And he didn't want to see his friend uncomfortable.
00:52:10And he said,
00:52:12you know, Mark, don't fret too much
00:52:15about this whole recount business, he told me.
00:52:18If we had won one or more states here or there,
00:52:21the outcome of Florida wouldn't have mattered one bit.
00:52:25Only upon his death did I learn
00:52:28that he had arranged for me to be a pallbearer
00:52:32at his funeral.
00:52:36I was so honored by the request.
00:52:39His extraordinary generosity of character
00:52:42persisted beyond his tragic death.
00:52:45My friendship with the senator developed further
00:52:48when I had the privilege of working for his friend and colleague, John McCain.
00:52:51John McCain's wit, of course, was second to none in politics,
00:52:54and his borscht-belt jokes with Senator Lieberman,
00:52:57often at Senator Lieberman's expense, were legion.
00:53:00McCain used to joke that it was now...
00:53:03I mean, this is straight from the Lindsey Graham book here.
00:53:06McCain used to joke that it was now time
00:53:09to fully convert to Judaism, having gone through
00:53:12so many Jewish experiences with his friend.
00:53:15Senator Lieberman, of course,
00:53:18equally wry response was,
00:53:21always to remind Senator McCain that a bris
00:53:24was an essential element of Jewish conversion.
00:53:27I'd like to hear what Lindsey Graham has to say about that right now.
00:53:33Senator McCain, like Senator Lieberman,
00:53:36was a great storyteller and capable of serious reflection.
00:53:39Before the vice presidential selection process
00:53:42and the start of the Republican National Convention in 2008,
00:53:45I was with Senator McCain at his cabin in Sedona,
00:53:48doing my best to assist at his famous barbecue,
00:53:51or at least not get in the way.
00:53:54The conversation eventually turned
00:53:57to our mutual friend, Senator Lieberman.
00:54:00This was just before the selection of the vice president.
00:54:03And McCain stopped the stream of his political commentary,
00:54:06the staccato, he's always going and fascinating,
00:54:09and he grew quiet and he stopped.
00:54:12Almost laid down the barbecue tools.
00:54:15And he said,
00:54:18Joe is good.
00:54:21He said simply.
00:54:24He is just good.
00:54:27When I say this, I get tingles, I'm sorry.
00:54:30But I remember it so vividly.
00:54:33The great John McCain saw in his friend a goodness.
00:54:36Lindsey knows this.
00:54:39Senator Collins has seen this.
00:54:42That we all, including him, aspire to.
00:54:45Even when John McCain passed over Senator Lieberman
00:54:48for the vice presidential nomination in the heat of the campaign,
00:54:51the senator from Connecticut did not hesitate to assist
00:54:54Joe Biden as she stepped onto the national stage.
00:54:57I will never forget the mock debate,
00:55:00it was only the three of us in the room,
00:55:03where Senator Lieberman played the part of then vice president Joe Biden,
00:55:06and I played the late great Gwen Ifill.
00:55:09It was a particularly challenging moment in the campaign,
00:55:12as you recall, although challenging moments
00:55:15are being redefined in campaigns right now.
00:55:18With Governor Palin facing the full brunt of media scrutiny,
00:55:21I saw firsthand the care, concern and empathy
00:55:24with which Senator Lieberman embraced the governor
00:55:27and talked her through the context of that difficult time.
00:55:33In that moment, there weren't a senator and a governor,
00:55:36nor even two vice presidential nominees.
00:55:39There were just two people talking,
00:55:42balanced by the senator's wisdom,
00:55:45experience and strength.
00:55:48It was a human, human moment that is so lost today.
00:55:51The selflessness and humility he displayed toward Governor Palin
00:55:54were typical of Senator Lieberman.
00:55:57In a world where success has a thousand authors,
00:56:00he stood out for his belief
00:56:03that service and good work were enough
00:56:06and that credit was of little importance.
00:56:09It was an honor to share the stage with Prime Minister Netanyahu
00:56:12and all of his colleagues.
00:56:15It was an honor to share the stage with Prime Minister Netanyahu
00:56:18and all of our thoughts are with Israel at this time.
00:56:21He would likely recall in 2018
00:56:24that Senator Lieberman and I, in a bit role,
00:56:27convened a secret meeting in our work as leaders
00:56:30of United Against Nuclear Iran
00:56:33of Arab and Israeli intelligence chiefs
00:56:36and high-ranking members of the Trump administration,
00:56:39including Ambassador Bolton, who is here today.
00:56:42This first-of-its-kind meeting focused on cooperation and security
00:56:45and stability in the region
00:56:48and it led to additional discussions that ultimately culminated
00:56:51in the Abraham Accords.
00:56:54That first meeting, hosted by Senator Lieberman and Iwani,
00:56:57was never publicly disclosed. We didn't talk about it.
00:57:00The senator was so proud to play a role
00:57:03in helping to normalize relations between Arabs and Jews,
00:57:06but he was adamant that those who coordinated
00:57:09many subsequent meetings and agreements deserved the credit.
00:57:12In his mind, the work itself was rewarding enough.
00:57:15Claiming public authorship was unnecessary.
00:57:18And look, at the risk of treading on that sensibility,
00:57:21I was really torn about how to say this,
00:57:24I mention this extraordinary and historical example
00:57:27of his devotion to service and repairing the world
00:57:30because its significance was in part built upon
00:57:33his unparalleled selflessness.
00:57:36Despite Senator Lieberman's insistence
00:57:39on being referred to as Joe,
00:57:42I couldn't help but address him as a senator.
00:57:45I always called him the senator.
00:57:48My apologies to the other senators in the room.
00:57:51He exemplified what it meant to be a great public servant
00:57:54and that is how I will always remember him.
00:57:57Whenever I had the privilege of introducing him,
00:58:00we did a lot of events together,
00:58:03I would say and identify him,
00:58:06the national treasure, Senator Joseph Lieberman.
00:58:09He would smile at me with that smile,
00:58:12walk up to the stage,
00:58:15and he would say,
00:58:18Mark, you've got to save that for my funeral.
00:58:21He'd retort, always sparking some laughter from the audience.
00:58:24And if he were here to respond
00:58:27to the outpouring of kind words
00:58:30that have been heaped upon him following his passing,
00:58:33I'm sure he would say something like this.
00:58:36Mark, couldn't you have waited a little longer
00:58:39to use that line, like 10 years?
00:58:42Because that would be his joke.
00:58:45I've used that joke, and as Joe would say,
00:58:48it gets better every time, at least amongst the two of us.
00:58:51Ultimately, his family provided his bedrock.
00:58:54His wife, Hadassah, was truly his partner.
00:58:57Her caring, wisdom, kindness, and generosity.
00:59:00And his children and grandchildren, everything to him.
00:59:03Every discussion I had, I got the update.
00:59:06I felt I knew, I didn't know some of you,
00:59:09but I felt I knew you.
00:59:12The Senator and Hadassah were a team,
00:59:15and she was his essential person
00:59:18in all they accomplished together.
00:59:21He was a father to me.
00:59:24He was certainly a burden for Hadassah and his children
00:59:27as they had to share him broadly.
00:59:30But I'm not alone in the feeling
00:59:33of that close relationship with him.
00:59:36I'm sure many others feel that in this room.
00:59:39His wisdom and warmth were bestowed on so many.
00:59:42And, like Lindsay,
00:59:45I have to have something to show, a picture.
00:59:48And this was the man.
00:59:51This is a picture from Senator Lieberman's
00:59:54high school yearbook.
00:59:57There were sideburns.
01:00:00And I want to read just briefly from that yearbook.
01:00:03Joseph I. Lieberman.
01:00:06Joe, Mr. Personality.
01:00:09Presided over senior and sophomore classes,
01:00:12a cappella choir, synagogue youth group,
01:00:15active member of school council, debating club,
01:00:18co-founder of the jazz club,
01:00:21editor of the pilot wheel, honor roll student,
01:00:24won Princeton Leadership Award.
01:00:27Always a kind word for everyone.
01:00:33A successful future assured.
01:00:36Hadassah, Matt, Becca, Hani, and Aitan,
01:00:39so many of us shared the center with you.
01:00:42Today we are here for you.
01:00:45May the memory of our national treasure,
01:00:48Senator Joseph Lieberman, be a blessing.
01:00:51I'm Israel. Hi.
01:00:54The United States misses him.
01:00:57His family misses him. And so do I.
01:01:00Thank you very much.
01:01:26Hadassah Lieberman and the wonderful
01:01:29Lieberman family,
01:01:32Vice President Gore,
01:01:35Prime Minister Netanyahu, Vice President Pence,
01:01:38and all the other honored guests
01:01:41who are here.
01:01:44Working with Senator Joe Lieberman
01:01:47across 46 years was one of my greatest
01:01:50honors and blessings.
01:01:53I've been asked to pay tribute to him
01:01:56on behalf of the many staffers he touched.
01:01:59And for that, I thank Hadassah
01:02:02and the Lieberman family.
01:02:05I began with Senator Lieberman.
01:02:08He was the Connecticut state majority leader,
01:02:11Senate majority leader in the late 70s,
01:02:14and then in the Attorney General's office,
01:02:17and later as his last and longest chief of staff
01:02:20in the U.S. Senate, and then for 11 years
01:02:23with the Kasowitz Law Firm.
01:02:26And of course, as you know, there were plenty of campaigns
01:02:29in between.
01:02:32When he passed, I emailed over 350
01:02:35Lieberman Senate staffers, many of whom
01:02:38are here today, part of a family we called
01:02:41Lieberstaffers.
01:02:44The response came pouring in and was
01:02:47heartbreaking, awe-inspiring,
01:02:50and unbelievable.
01:02:53One said it was the honor
01:02:56of my life to get to know
01:02:59and work with him.
01:03:02Another described him as one of the finest public servants
01:03:05our nation has ever seen, who was,
01:03:08quote, full of integrity, but also wit
01:03:11and warmth.
01:03:14Several said the senator changed the trajectory
01:03:17of their life and career with one
01:03:20saying, all I have done was built
01:03:23on the foundation of what I learned
01:03:26in the Lieberman office.
01:03:29Another noted, and this one really touched me,
01:03:32the senator made me a better person,
01:03:35father, husband, and friend.
01:03:38So as those emails flew in,
01:03:41you could feel the strong sense of love
01:03:44and admiration that the staffers
01:03:47through the years felt for him.
01:03:50Senator Lieberman loved celebrating
01:03:53birthdays. He loved a good joke,
01:03:56as we've heard, or a twist of phrase.
01:04:00And he would also break out in song
01:04:03when the mood struck him, as we've heard.
01:04:06He'd walk in a room with that smile,
01:04:09that glint in his eye, and immediately
01:04:12provide calm and put everyone at ease.
01:04:15So many staffers commented
01:04:18on his core decency.
01:04:21And here's one thing you probably did not know about him.
01:04:24Whenever we worked in the same office,
01:04:27I always had a big bowl of candy
01:04:30and a basket of fruit for the staff.
01:04:33Well, almost every day, he would stop
01:04:36by my office and grab a red apple.
01:04:39And we'd talk about the pressing issues
01:04:42of the day and the matters we were working on.
01:04:45And before too long, you could see
01:04:48that he had eaten the entire apple,
01:04:51core and whole.
01:04:54He loved red apples.
01:04:57He shaped my life in ways
01:05:00I can scarcely put into words.
01:05:03I'll never forget when he asked me to be his counsel
01:05:06in the Attorney General's office in 1982.
01:05:09If you can think back that far.
01:05:12There were not many women attorneys,
01:05:15ladies, in the office back then.
01:05:18Around seven or eight, if I recall.
01:05:21We didn't even have computers in the office then.
01:05:24I told him that we were hoping to have another child.
01:05:27And I knew I would need to take time off for that.
01:05:30He quickly said,
01:05:33no problem, Clarine.
01:05:36You can just put a crib in your office.
01:05:39We chuckled.
01:05:42And that was the end of the conversation.
01:05:45And I knew he'd provide all the support I needed.
01:05:49But he also did the same thing for staff
01:05:52who had health issues.
01:05:55When he had two brothers working with him in the Senate
01:05:58and one was diagnosed with cancer,
01:06:01he allowed the other to go
01:06:04to all of his health appointments with him.
01:06:07These were the actions of a person
01:06:10who was exceedingly dedicated to family
01:06:13and ensured that the staffers had the time
01:06:17and space to prioritize their families too.
01:06:21Senator Lieberman believed he had a solemn responsibility
01:06:25to help and serve the public,
01:06:28a true public servant.
01:06:31He cultivated an almost academic environment
01:06:35in our offices and expected the highest quality legal work
01:06:40and public policy work and constituent service.
01:06:44And as has been mentioned,
01:06:47the casework team operated under the Jewish principle
01:06:50of tikkun olum,
01:06:53dedicated to repairing the world one case at a time.
01:06:56He believed that ensuring that a senior citizen
01:06:59in Hartford, Connecticut,
01:07:02received their Social Security benefit on time
01:07:06was as crucial as the more high-profile elements
01:07:09of his office.
01:07:13I believe Senator Lieberman will forever be known
01:07:16as the moral conscience of the Senate.
01:07:19He had a unique sixth sense,
01:07:22I saw it the first time I met him,
01:07:25that innately tapped into the concerns
01:07:28and aspirations of everyday citizens.
01:07:32And he always elevated any conversation
01:07:36he was a part of to tap into our better angels.
01:07:42He also chose to engage in common sense problem solving
01:07:47instead of finger pointing,
01:07:50knowing that he needed to work in a bipartisan way
01:07:54and develop trust with all of his colleagues
01:07:57across the aisle and others
01:08:00to secure a successful solution for the country.
01:08:05He was in it to make a difference.
01:08:08I have no doubt that Senator Lieberman
01:08:12will be regarded as one of the most historic figures
01:08:16of the 20th and 21st centuries.
01:08:19First and foremost, the Senator devoted his life to America,
01:08:23taking heed of his hero,
01:08:26John Fitzgerald Kennedy,
01:08:29who implored us to ask not
01:08:33what your country can do for you,
01:08:36ask what you can do for your country.
01:08:39The Senator was a doer
01:08:42who believed in America
01:08:45and its founding values of freedom,
01:08:48human rights, opportunity, democracy
01:08:51and equal justice under the law.
01:08:54And he was all about advancing those values
01:08:57in every part of his public service
01:09:00for our country.
01:09:03A constant doer for our country always.
01:09:06When Senator Lieberman left the Senate,
01:09:09he, of course, continued to give his time and energies
01:09:12to boards and commissions
01:09:15concerned about the critical long-term
01:09:18domestic and international challenges of the day.
01:09:21But I don't know how many of you know
01:09:24or are aware of this.
01:09:27He also created a college scholarship program
01:09:30for outstanding Connecticut high school seniors
01:09:33with his remaining campaign funds,
01:09:36both to thank Connecticut
01:09:39and give back to Connecticut
01:09:42and to support future generations of leaders.
01:09:45And he, of course, continued his mission
01:09:48to repair the world
01:09:51by chairing No Labels and seeking ways
01:09:54to bridge the political divides in America.
01:09:57He also continued to be a voice of reason
01:10:01and morality in our public life.
01:10:04For all that and much more,
01:10:07Senator Lieberman is a giant to all of us
01:10:10who have been part of the Lieberstaff team
01:10:13in Connecticut or in the U.S. Senate.
01:10:16Thank you, Senator.
01:10:19Some of us may be wondering
01:10:22what you're doing up there right now.
01:10:25I, for one, have you mentioned
01:10:29a big red apple with angels
01:10:33swarming around you
01:10:36like the office staffers used to do
01:10:39outside my office door
01:10:42just to catch a quick conversation
01:10:46with you about how better
01:10:49to understand what exactly
01:10:52is happening down here on Earth?
01:10:56And I imagine you are still doing, too,
01:10:59by having robust discussions
01:11:02with St. Peter and others there
01:11:05about how best the broader faith community
01:11:09could address America's political
01:11:12and other crises right now.
01:11:15Senator Lieberman,
01:11:18your memory is a blessing to all of us
01:11:21who had the good fortune to work
01:11:24with such an outstanding
01:11:27and consequential leader,
01:11:30public servant, mentor, and boss.
01:11:33And from me, a friend,
01:11:36Godspeed.
01:11:54I want to thank everyone
01:11:57for joining with us
01:12:00to memorialize
01:12:03the love of my life,
01:12:06Senator Joseph Isidore Lieberman,
01:12:09my Joey.
01:12:12And I really, I have to tell you,
01:12:15God has given me
01:12:18an opportunity
01:12:21and I really, I have to tell you quickly
01:12:24that to have you around
01:12:27and to see your faces,
01:12:30so many of you,
01:12:33and your words,
01:12:36and I really, this has been very hard
01:12:39and everyone's been saying,
01:12:42oh, you're handling it so well,
01:12:45oh, you're handling it so well.
01:12:49And then your words
01:12:52and your steadfast support
01:12:55and respect were beautiful
01:12:58and they give me strength
01:13:01and I need strength now.
01:13:04So thank you for your love and respect
01:13:07for Joey.
01:13:10And now I think we as a family
01:13:13want to come together
01:13:16and that will begin as the eldest son.
01:13:34So as everyone's coming up,
01:13:37for as long as any of us can remember,
01:13:40we would finish
01:13:43our Passover Seders every year,
01:13:46late at night or sometimes in the early morning
01:13:49with our dad leading us
01:13:52in a rousing,
01:13:55if somewhat ragged rendition
01:13:58of God Bless America.
01:14:01It's a song that he loved
01:14:04and it's a feeling that he felt
01:14:07so deeply.
01:14:10And so we thought it would be fitting
01:14:13to end our time here together
01:14:16in his patriotic spirit,
01:14:19singing that song all of us together.
01:14:22So if you're able, please rise.
01:14:25The lyrics are on the facing page.
01:14:28God Bless America
01:14:31God Bless America
01:14:34Land that I love
01:14:38Stand beside her
01:14:41Hand guide her
01:14:44Through the night with a light from above
01:14:49From the mountains
01:14:52To the prairies
01:14:55To the oceans
01:14:58White with foam
01:15:01God Bless America
01:15:04God Bless America
01:15:07My home sweet home
01:15:13God Bless America
01:15:18My home sweet home
01:15:24Thank you all so much.
01:15:35Thank you for joining the National Memorial Service
01:15:38for Senator Joseph I. Lieberman.
01:15:41We ask that you remain seated while the family and speakers
01:15:44depart the sanctuary.