This march was a show of strength by over 1000 pre-army youth, all members of the Aharai! movement, who came to honor the memory of Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first astronaut, on the 14th anniversary of his tragic death. Also present were representatives of KKL-JNF and Bank Leumi, who sponsored the march, and a large group of IDF soldiers.
They gathered at the Derech Hatavlinim Farm ('Spice Route Farm') in the southern Galilee, and hiked 6 kilometers to the Nahalal Cemetery, where Ilan Ramon is buried alongside his son Assaf.
It was a cold, sunny day. The hikers carried loaded army-style stretchers, as used by IDF combat units on route marches. They stopped at various scenic spots to hear about the life and aspirations of Colonel Ilan Ramon, who was an acclaimed fighter pilot, and the country’s first astronaut at NASA. They also heard that earlier in his career, he was the youngest pilot to take part in the Israel Air Force strike against the Osiraq Nuclear Reactor in Iraq.
Ramon’s first space mission was on the Columbia Space Shuttle where he conducted some 80 scientific experiments during the 16 days he was in space. The mission ended abruptly when the space shuttle crashed during its re-entry to the earth's atmosphere, and all of the 7 crew members were killed.
Aharai! (Hebrew for “follow me!”) is a social educational organization that develops young leadership, and engages youth from the social and economic periphery of Israel. The program is designed to empower at-risk youth with the skills for meaningful service in the IDF, and later as responsible and productive members of Israeli society.
At the end of the trek, the hikers held a memorial service at the Nahalal cemetery, just meters away from the graves of Ilan Ramon and his son Assaf. Assaf, who was an F-16 fighter pilot like his father, was killed in a training accident in September 2009.
THE CEO of the Ramon Foundation, Ran Livne, told the participants that he has no doubt that Ilan Ramon would be proud to be associated with this project that supports and promotes Israeli youth.
“Two hours ago we held the annual memorial for Ilan, and one of the participants was an American Jewish astronaut by the name of Garrett Reisman, who was friends with Ilan at NASA. He said that Ilan had told him that he wanted to become involved in youth education on his return back to Israel.”
Haim Dana, from the Defense Ministry’s Social-Security Division, said that members of Aharai! are all part of the special family that makes up Israel.
“It is wonderful to see you all together, Jews, Druze, Bedouins and Christians. You are all the leaders of tomorrow. I salute you for the work you do, and for your commitment to society.”
The Head of the Haifa branch of Aharai! Gur Yosef said that the organization has 370 branches throughout the country, in all sectors of society, including in the Ethiopian, Ultra Orthodox, Druze, Bedouin, Muslim and Christian communities. “This is the tenth time we have held an Ilan Ramon Memorial March and the participation is growing from year to year”.
“It is thrilling to see you here now, and also earlier, marching through the country side and plodding through the mud. It appears that the wet and cold does not bother any of you! We adopted the legacy of Ilan Ramon, with all that he symbolizes, as a model, because he aspired to great heights and achieved so much, and with all that he never forgot who he was and where he came from.”
Participant Yusuf Mazalefzki is a 12th grade student from the Arab Muslim town of Shible at the foot of Mount Tabor in the Galilee.
“Aharai! changed my life! Since joining I stopped roaming the streets and causing trouble. I found that I am able to be a productive member of society by helping others. I am keen to become a youth leader during the next year and then join the army”.
YisraeI Ishte from Holon, who is of Ethiopian decent, became an Aharai! youth leader after spending some 4 years in the movement.
“I developed immensely after joining Aharai!, and becoming a youth leader was a natural progression. I want to give to others what I received. Today I volunteer in a school the mornings and in a community center for kids with problems in the afternoon.
Twenty-six year-old Naomi Abdallah from the Druze Village of Yarka, who is a master's student in Alternative Education, is the Aharai! coordinator for the Druze community in the north of the country.
“We encourage the weaker sections of our society to take part in our activities, and the endeavor is proving to be very successful. There is no doubt that because of our work, vandalism in certain areas is declining rapidly.”
This was the first year that KKL-JNF teamed with Aharai!.
Shlomi Uliel, KKL-JNF Head of Education Centers, told the participants that he was excited to watch them trek through the same areas that KKL-JNF labored to save and conserve some 100 years ago.
“KKL-JNF has been promoting education, and especially informal education, for many years, so it is no surprise that we support and encourage Aharai! and its educational enterprise.”
KKL-JNF Youth Leader Omer Ariel, who will soon join the Israeli Air Force, said that he felt his pre-army year is the right time to give back to society.
“My group strives to strengthen needy youth in the poorer neighborhoods of south Tel Aviv and prepare them for the challenges that they will face as they grow up.”
Eti Azulai, KKL-JNF Public Relations Coordinator in Israel's northern region, explained:
“We work to strengthen the social and economic periphery through an assortment of activities including developing forests and trails for the public and promoting tourism in those areas. All this helps create a connection between Man and his surroundings, and improves interpersonal relationships and quality of life.”
The last speaker was IDF Colonel Ram Carni, who said that he salutes each and every one of the participants.
“I see that you are all interested in improving and elevating the quality of life and social values in Israeli society. That was the way of both Ilan and Assaf Ramon. I am thrilled to say that it appears to be your way as well. You will all soon be part of the IDF, and I have no doubt that you will excel there too.”
The event ended with the singing of Hatikva, the national anthem.