Rona Ramon
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Rona Ramon








Name, Surname: Rona Ramon

Date and Place of Birth: April 16, 1964, Kiryat Ono

Marital Status: Wife and mother of 4 children of the first Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon

Died: 17 December 2018

Education: After her undergraduate degree in physical education and Holistic Therapy at Wingate Academic College, she completed her master's degree at Massachusetts Lesley University with her thesis on "Coping with Crises".

Profession: Holistic (Holistic) Therapist and Civil Society Volunteer

Short Biography: He was born as Ronit Bar Simantov in Kiryat Ono in 1964. His father, Israel, and his mother, Gila, immigrated from Turkey to Israel at the age of 15 as part of "Aliyat Hanoar". Raised at home with a love of Zionism and country, he joined the scout movement (Tsofim) as an instructor in his youth. After completing his military service in the Paratroopers, he began his academic training and got married in 1986, recognizing his wife Ilan Ramon on a friend's birthday.


Rona Ramon has taught classes, attended conferences, and continued workshops as a holistic therapist.

Rona Ramon moved with her family to Houston in 1998 to live as part of her husband Ilan Ramon's space shuttle preparatory work. In 2003, his wife, Ilan, the first Israeli astronaut, died when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on its return to Earth. Rona's eldest son, Assaf, followed his father in the Air Force, attended the pilot course and completed it with a certificate of honor. However, in 2009, a few weeks after completing the course, he died in an accident during a training flight with his F 16 aircraft.


After the deaths of Rona Ramon, Ilan and Assaf, we founded the “Ramon Foundation”, a network of educators and practitioners operating throughout Israel to inspire youth and students, whose aim is to educate youth and university students across the country inspired by the personalities of Ilan and Assaf. founded. The foundation also encourages students to study science and space.


Rona Ramon also took part in the formation of the "Ilan Ramon International Space Conference" program, which was organized for the training of astronauts and personnel working on space stations around the world. The Foundation undertakes that fighter pilot Eytan Stibbe, a close friend of Ilan Ramon and Israel's second astronaut, will participate in a scientific mission in space within a year as affiliated to the international space center.


Rona Ramon lit the second torch at the ceremony held on Mount Herzl on Israel's 68th Independence Day (Hag Atsmaut). He was also the guest of honor at the opening of Ramon Airport near Eilat, named after his wife Ilan and son Assaf. In 2018, he was given the title of "Amit Kavod" by Technion University for his long years of work.


Rona Ramon was diagnosed with cancer at a very young age and passed away on December 17, 2018 at the age of 54. After her death, Rona Ramon was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Ben Gurion University and her children received the certificate. In 2019, she was awarded the Israel Lifetime Achievement Award.


Institutions supported: Established and supported the “Ramon Foundation” to strengthen the academic excellence and social leadership qualities of the younger generation of Israelis.

Outstanding and Permanent Contribution / Reasons for Choosing: Rona Ramon is not only the wife of Israel's first astronaut Ilan Ramon, but also as a social therapist throughout her life, as well as her outstanding work in the education of young people, the work that these young people have shown to turn them towards space studies and science. He is a source of pride for the Israeli people for his contributions and international conferences in this field, and for this reason he was awarded the most prestigious Israel Award.

Bizi Takip Edin
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