Sam was born in my old home town of Media, PA and attended Swarthmore College, just a couple blocks from the Brandywine Peace Community office. I knew Sam for the past twenty years, though I hadn't seen him since he and I and a group from Philadelphia, after months of prodding by Sam, sat in at the Israeli consulate in Philadelphia, demanding the release of Mordechai Vanunu and Israel's acknowledgement of its nuclear arsenal. From 10 a.m. - midnight, we sat in the vestibule of the Israeli consulate occupying the 12th floor of a downtown office building. Just getting up there (and through some locked doorways) took some doing. Then we sat and sat and sat, prodded by Sam to stay. Throughout the day, consulate personnel would move through us entering and exiting their well secured office area. The assistant consul general at one point threatened Sam and me with what he'd do if we got in his way again that day - "I will hurt you," he threatened. Sam asked if he was intending to threaten us and the assistant consul general responded: "Israel doesn't threaten, we does."

Well, after consulate personnel left for the day, we stayed until about midnight when we were arrested for refusing to leave. Sam stayed on, refusing to leave, making a home in efforts for peace and prodding us to do the same. It would have been wonderful if Sam had lived to see the release of Mordechai Vanunu and to see the promise of disarmament for which he toiled.

Sam's inspiration - born in word and print, work and suffering - now rest in the home of our hearts that we may continue to make peace.