Bobbi McKenna Interviews Daniel Pearl's parents, Judea and Ruth Pearl.
It is often said that the greatest sense of loss any human being can ever experience is the loss of a child. To lose a child to an act of nature — a storm or disease — to lose a child to an accident, that is tragic. To lose your child because of a deliberate act of violence committed by other human beings strikes at the very heart and soul of what it means to be human.
Many of us might succumb to our personal sorrow in such a case. But not Ruth and Judea Pearl. After their son Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal correspondent, was abducted and murdered by his captors in Pakistan in early 2002, they started a foundation in their son’s name: The Daniel Pearl Foundation.
Because Daniel Pearl loved music (he was a talented musician) and journalism, the Foundation works to 1) protect freedom of the press, 2) train journalists, 3) honor their sacrifices, and 4) promote respect and understanding through music.
Because of the power of human love and memory, Daniel Pearl is not lost. He is ever present in the hearts of his parents, in the blood of the young son who was born after his death, and in the minds of all those who seek to know the world and to tell its stories.
I never met Daniel Pearl in person. I only know him through the spirit of his “Mighty Heart” (the title of the 2003 book authored by his wife Mariane and the 2007 movie starring Angelina Jolie).
As a journalist, Daniel Pearl went the extra mile to tell the story that others might be afraid to tell. His colleagues at the Wall Street Journal remember his sense of humor and his integrity, his deep intelligence and his sense of ethics. I look at the photos of Daniel’s smiling face, and I feel like I know him. In my imagination I can hear his laugh.
People who knew him say that he was a kind man, a fair man, and that he was a man with no hatred in his heart. That was how he was raised in the home of Judea and Ruth Pearl in Southern California.
Ruth Pearl grew up in Baghdad. She met Judea in Tel Aviv, and after their marriage, the two moved to Southern California. Dr. Judea Pearl became a world-renowned expert in the field of artificial intelligence and a popular professor at UCLA. Together, they raised three lively children. In their beautiful hillside home, the dangers of the world must have seemed very far away.
Ruth is slim, pretty, and very earnest as she answers the doorbell and leads me into the kitchen. Judea Pearl’s eyes twinkle behind his glasses as he joins us at the kitchen table.
“We are just ordinary people,” he says, “trying to make sense of the universe.”
I ask him what he and his wife hope to achieve through their work.
“We are trying to change the world through education. We are trying to teach a love of life and respect for differences.”
Ruth describes some of the work of the Foundation. “We partner with existing organizations,” she says. “We work with high school journalism students. We help bring journalists from Muslim countries to work at newspapers where Danny worked.”
“Education is an effective method of propagating sanity,” Judea adds. “Journalists are soldiers in the army of sanity.”
The Daniel Pearl Foundation has reached out to support journalists in their quest for truth. It has brought youngsters together across borders, and it has used the universal language of music to bridge the gap between seemingly estranged peoples.
“We are fighting hatred,” Judea explains.
“All of our programs are built on the principle of rallying communities in a unique way,” Ruth says.
Judea nods his head.
It seems so simple: Love one another, respect differences, and live in harmony with others.
It’s time for me to leave. But first, we go out to the sunlit patio in the back so I can take a photograph of them.
Through the lens of my camera, I see their love and affection for each other. Through the lens of my camera I see their goodness. Through the lens of my camera, I see their hope for a better tomorrow for all of us.
POSTSCRIPT:
Before the general release of the movie, A Mighty Heart, I had an opportunity to see it in a special preview screening for journalists. As we were walking out of the theater right after the screening, I mentioned to some people that I had interviewed Daniel Pearl’s parents at their home.
"For real?" a woman asked with awe in her voice.
"Yes," I replied.
People gathered around me: "Who are you?" someone asked.
I know that Judea and Ruth will chuckle at the thought that I am now a celebrity because I interviewed them.
I trust that the movie will be very successful, and that it will help the work of the foundation go forward.
~~~~~
Please visit www.danielpearl.org for more information about the Foundation, and to find out how you can help.
Buy a copy of “A Mighty Heart,” Mariane Pearl’s riveting and heartrending tale of the kidnapping and murder of her beloved husband, Daniel, at www.amazon.com.
See the movie, “A Mighty Heart,” starring Angelina Jolie.
Ruth and Judea Pearl are co-editors of a book: "I am Jewish - Personal Reflections Inspired by the last words of Daniel Pearl", (Jewish Lights, 2004) winner of the National Jewish Book Award, which gives a panoramic view of how Jews define themselves in the post 9/11 world.
