Sometimes in newspapering, a reporter will be at the right place at the right time without any real planning.

That happened to me in the winter of 2012 when I was invited to then-Israel Ambassador Michael Oren’s residence in Washington, D.C., to cover a farewell dinner honoring retiring Senator Joseph Lieberman.

This was one of those events where the closest parking was about two blocks away and the security was high. Figuring this would be the case, I arrived at the Orens’ residence early, so ahead of time that I was for a while the only reporter there.

Seemingly in over my head, I made small talk with the ambassador, talking to him about the speech he gave at the Jewish Federation of North America’s General Assembly. Oren joked with me that he was glad that “someone had listened.”

Suddenly the door opens and in walks former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. He was followed by then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Madeleine Albright walked in.

Senators and congressmen from across the land opened the door, and let’s just say I wasn’t alone with the ambassador any longer.

Senator and Hadassah Lieberman arrived. And then, the tour de force himself, Sen. John McCain, comes and shakes hands with the ambassador and everyone else, including this reporter, in the room.

Speaker after speaker spoke beautifully about Sen. Lieberman. Looking around the room was like being at an all-star event. The names you read in the New York Times and see on the network news were there.

And so was I, wanting to take my phone and photograph everyone in the room. Yes, I was starstruck.

So after a wonderful, warm-hearted speech from Ehud Barak, Sen. McCain took the podium and microphone from Ambassador Oren.

And he proceeded to bring down the house in gut-wrenching laughter. Seriously, we were all laughing so much, it hurt.

McCain talked about what it was like to have an Orthodox Jew as one of his best friends in Joe Lieberman.

And he was blunt in his descriptions. But the audience loved the edginess to it.

“Why in every [expletive deleted] kosher menu do we have to have salmon?” he asked.

Then came the story about a flight to Israel when the senator and war hero awoke from the long voyage, only to find his Jewish friend from Connecticut covered in a tallis and davening by his side.

“I hear this mumbling and I look and there’s this guy wearing a shawl—I thought maybe I’d died,” the Arizonan said.

Somewhere in the speech, McCain said he might as well become a Jew since he was behaving like one while traveling with Lieberman, eating kosher, using Shabbat elevators and now davening.

Again the room erupted in laughter.

“I have an announcement to make,” he began, “I’m converting to Judaism.”

“Since I was doing all this [expletive deleted] anyway I thought, hell, I might as well become Jewish myself.”

If there was any other speaker that evening, I don’t think anyone present remembered much of what they had to say.

Sen. Lieberman came over, thanked Sen. McCain and the two hugged as old, wonderful friends do.

McCain’s comments were ostensibly loving words for his friend Joe Lieberman.

I was fortunate to be there.

Now with Senator McCain’s passing, I try hard not to forget his voice that evening at the ambassador’s residence.

McCain was a force that night in that room, just a small snapshot of the American leader and hero history will remember and this nation will miss.

By Phil Jacobs