Finance Ministry Employee with Special Needs Honored as Outstanding Worker
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich honored Shimon Cohen, an employee with special needs, as the 'Outstanding Employee of the Year' during a ministry event. The award recognized Cohen's consistent, cheerful greetings to the minister each morning.
The story in 4 lines · by baba
- Finance Minister Smotrich awarded an employee with special needs.
- The employee, Shimon Cohen, was named 'Outstanding Employee of the Year'.
- Cohen's daily cheerful greetings to the minister were cited as the reason.
- The moment was described as emotional and resonated online.
During a holiday gathering for the Israeli Ministry of Finance staff, Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich surprised Shimon Cohen, an employee with special needs, by awarding him the 'Outstanding Employee of the Year' award. Smotrich shared a personal anecdote about his daily interactions with Cohen, who greets him with a large smile at the ministry's entrance each morning. The minister described Cohen's warm reception as an integral part of his workday, stating, "He greets me every morning with such a smile that I simply have to give him the outstanding employee award."
Cohen, visibly moved, approached the microphone to express his gratitude to the minister. "I want to thank him. He moved me very much. It's fun to see him every morning," Cohen said. He then directly addressed Smotrich, adding, "He respects me and loves me, and I love him too."
The event concluded with a warm embrace between Cohen and Smotrich in front of the assembled employees, transforming the official ceremony into a deeply personal and emotional moment that resonated widely online.
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