new friend

We were hosts to a new friend a couple of weeks ago. While attending the LDS Dental Convention in Provo, we had a lady from Israel stop by our booth. We chatted for a few minutes and she told us that she was a visiting professor from Hebrew University in Jerusalem who was teaching Arabic at BYU. Her name is Jael Cohan. She said she loved music and would go to the Jerusalem Center for their concerts. We asked if she would like to hear the Tabernacle Choir. She said she would love to. On Sunday before Labor Day we called and made arrangements to pick her up and host her for the day. We went to the Conference Center for the Choir concert. It was wonderful, of course. Afterward, we took some pictures and went down front to see the organ. At the front of the center we saw Elder Scott. I ushered her over and introduced her and myself. He shook our hands and talked to her for a few minutes. Afterward I explained about apostles and told her what a privilege it was to see and talk to one. THEN we walked up to the next level and saw Senator Orrin Hatch. OK well, I just marched up to him and introduced him to her. She was delighted when he opened his shirt and had a chain with a Hebrew insignia. He said he had worn it for 34 years to remind him of his responsibility to Israel. She asked him if he knew Marvin Goldstein, the composer and pianist. He said that he was a very good friend and were in the process of writing a symphony together. He said he had the first movement written. Senator Hatch also told her that he had written a Hanukkah song. We brought Jael to our ward for church, then we went back to Temple Square to see all the buildings and exhibits. It was quite the day. We loved to hear about her life and family and she was enthralled with all we had to show and tell her about. She had lots of questions about the temple. We loved being able to show her the new temple exhibit in the South Visitors Center. It was great to make a new friend.