A year after the Columbia shuttle tragedy, we remember the smiling face of Ilan Ramon z"l against the images of the disaster. We recall his courage, dedication and congenial personality, and we seek ways in which to commemorate his life.

Many of us attended memorial ceremonies for Ilan Ramon and the NASA team a year ago; we signed memorial books, wrote to the families, marveled at the images from Space, and planted trees in Israel in accordance with Ilan's own call to the public.

Click to Plant
http://192.116.234.203/kkl/index.asp

As the successful US Mars probe begins exploring the red planet, and questions about manned or unmanned space exploration are tentatively broached again, we pause and marvel at the miracle of life and our world, the value of life itself, respect for life and the greatest aspirations of humankind. Ilan Ramon grasped the immensity of the richness of life and touched infinity, as a person and a leader. We pay tribute and remember him in admiration and sorrow a year after his death, may his memory be blessed and his example be handed down through the generations.

With NASA and the world, we mark the memorial on Sunday, 1st February 2004.

The date of memorial is the 29th Shvat, which falls Monday night/Tuesday, 7-8th February, 2005.