Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

62 | SEPTEMBER 7 • 2023 

An Israeli Space Hero
T

hirty years ago, a great tragedy occurred for both the United States and Israel. On Feb. 
1, 1993, when returning from its 28th mission, as it reentered the Earth’s atmosphere, 
the Space Shuttle Columbia overheated and blew up. All of the crew were killed, 
including Israel’s first astronaut, the shuttle’s payload 
specialist, 46-year-old Israeli Air Force Colonel Ilan Ramon. 
 
Ramon was well-known in Israel. He had a distinguished 
career in the Israeli Air Force (IAF) and was famous as 
one of the eight IAF combat pilots on the famous June 7, 
1981, secret attack that destroyed the nuclear reactor at 
al-Tuwaitha, Iraq. This dangerous raid stopped Saddam 
Hussein’s efforts to create an atom bomb, 
which would have posed an extreme threat 
to Israel.
The son of Holocaust survivors, Ramon 
was a secular Jew, deeply dedicated to the 
state of Israel and the idea of Jewish unity. 
When he joined the crew of the Columbia, 
however, Ramon knew he was representing 
much more than himself. He asked for kosher 
meals and, while in space, observed Shabbat. He flew with a copy of the Israeli Declaration of 
Independence, a pencil drawing from 14-year-old Peter Ginz who was killed at Auschwitz and 
a Kiddush cup, along with photos and letters from his family. Ramon also kept a diary that 
miraculously survived the wreckage of the space shuttle.
As then-Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon stated, Ramon’s career “touched and excited 
all Jews.” Ari Shavit of Israel’s Ha’aretz wrote what Israelis felt: “Ilan Ramon was one of 
ours. No Yuri Gagarin, no Neil Armstrong — but he was ours.” Ramon was also the only 
non-American to receive the U.S. Congressional Space Medal of Honor; unfortunately, 
posthumously. 
His loss was deeply felt and mourned by Detroit’s Jewish community. This is revealed in 
the pages of the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History. 
Shortly after the tragedy of the Columbia, for example, the extensive cover story in the 
Feb. 7, 2003, issue of the Detroit Jewish News was devoted to Ramon and his legacy. 
The “staff notebook” page from the next week’s issue discussed local connections to 
Ramon (Feb. 14, 2003). Harry Kirsbaum wrote about Rachel Lachover, a student at Hillel 
Day School of Metropolitan Detroit soon to have her bat mitzvah. She wrote a letter to 
Ramon in Hebrew asking for an autographed picture and a letter. Ramon honored her 
request and sent her a note saying: “I wish for you continued success in your life. You should 
continue to learn and to be interested — the world is filled with magical and interesting things.” 
Shelli Liebman Dorfman’s note reminded readers that Detroit’s Jewish community has 
connections with the Galilee area of Israel where Ramon was buried in the Moshav Nahalal 
Cemetery.
In several issues in 2003, there were advertisements with Ramon’s image that urged American 
Jews to plant a tree in Israel (June 20, 2003). This was inspired by one of his messages from 
space: “I call upon every Jew in the world to plant a tree in the land of Israel during the coming 
year.”
Ilan Ramon was a hero. With his death, Israel, the Earth and outer space had one less 
magical, interesting person. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives, available for free at thejewishnews.com.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

