Larry King’s Timely Request

By COLlive reporter

Veteran interviewer and media personality Larry King used his air time on the 32nd annual Chabad “To Life” Telethon in California to ask the public to make a special dedication.

“40 years ago this week, on September 7, 1972, the world was shaken by the unthinkable,” he opened his statement.

“11 Israeli athletes were brutally murdered because of their Jewish blood,” he said referring to the Palestinian terror attack during the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.

The anniversary of the killing was marred this year when the International Organizing Committee of the Olympics refused to dedicate a moment of silence during the games in London, England.

“The world has yet to properly acknowledge those innocent 11 victims, but tonight we take a stand,” King offered an alternative remembrance.

“We carry on their legacy by helping more people. By doing a Mitzvah. By lighting a Shabbat candle,” he said. “A candle of hope.”

The known Jewish television and radio host concluded by saying that he hopes the public “will join me in committing ourselves to do an additional act of goodness and kindness.”

A Shliach in California said that many have responded to King’s call, which is based on the Rebbe‘s opinion that the only answer to darkness is to increase in light.

“The yahrtzeit of the murder is on Friday, 26 Elul, and I have been giving out the names of the 11 athletes for people to have in mind while they light Shabbos candles,” he told COLlive.com.

Here are their names:
David Berger
Amitzur Shapira
Andrei Spitzer
Yossef Gutfreund
Ze’ev Friedman
Kehat Shorr
Yakov Springer
Moshe Weinberg
Eliezer Halfin
Mark Slavin
Yossef Romano