Haifa museums banner
Carmel Castle banner
General workshops wide
Banner Hani
General workshops wide
Live advertising - wide - animated
Banner Hani
Haifa museums banner

Beit Suidan • Neighbor of the Baha'i Garden

Beit Suidan Beit Suidan is located on the slopes of Mount Carmel, adjacent to the garden...

Flower of the Week • Common Buzzard

Carmel presents us with flowers in all seasons. In this column...

This week, Ayala Ron from Haifa represented the "Hagana" organization in the Knesset at a conference honoring the organizations of the Hebrew Shield

On a personal note

About two months ago, close to her 95th birthday, I interviewed Ayala Ron from Haifa, who joined the ranks of the "Hagana" as a 14-year-old girl and performed various tasks within the organization.

Shortly after I recounted her stories here, Ayala was chosen to represent the "Hagana" organization at the underground conference in the Knesset in November 26.11.2024. Thus, on Tuesday of this week (XNUMX), I had the honor of accompanying Ayala to the conference alongside her daughter and members of the "Hagana" heritage organization ": Chairman of the organization - Brigadier General Dr Ephraim Lapid, a member of the "Haganah" in Haifa - Eliezer Amir, the organization's vice director - Sarit Amram Katz and the secretary of the organization - Yossi Soravich.

Representatives of the Defense Heritage organization at the Knesset underground honoring ceremony, November 2024 (private album)
Representatives of the Defense Heritage organization at the Knesset underground honoring ceremony, November 2024 (private album)
Representatives of the Haganah organization at an underground honoring ceremony in the Knesset, November 2024 (private album)
Representatives of the Haganah organization at an underground honoring ceremony in the Knesset, November 2024 (private album)

Link to the article - "Shirley Temple from Haifa, 95 years old"

The underground veterans' conference in the Knesset to commemorate the 29th in November

The moving recognition ceremony for the Jewish defense organizations was held in the week that marked the 1947th of November XNUMX, the day on which it was decided in the United Nations Assembly to cancel the mandate and establish a Jewish state alongside an Arab state. The event in the Knesset, which was moderated by Dr. Moshe Foxman-That, the director of the Knesset Museum, focused on the contribution of the underground to the establishment of the state and was attended by representatives of the "Haganah", the Etzel, the Lahi and the Palmach organizations as well as a group of trainees of the National Security College for Youth (HMBL) named after the late Doron Erez.

The MBL was established 13 years ago with the aim of exposing a select group of students from grades XNUMX to XNUMX to the problems of existence and security of the State of Israel through the study of the central issues in national security, education for leadership, active volunteering in the community, study and discourse that respects difference and education for meaningful service.

The participants of this week's ceremony in the Knesset were invited to visit the exhibition "From the Underground to the Legislature" which was presented in the lounge and included unique exhibits. The exhibition told the story of the underground people who fought for the establishment of the State of Israel and decided to disarm and fight through political bodies for the identity of the new state. Among other things, a distinguished list of members of the underground who also served as members of the Knesset after the establishment of the state, many of them members of the "Haganah", was presented.

The chairmen of the Hagana, Hagana, and Lahi associations at a ceremony honoring the underground for the 29th of November, this week in the Knesset (private album)
The chairmen of the Hagana, Hagana, and Lahi associations at a ceremony honoring the underground for the 29th of November, this week in the Knesset (private album)
Moshe Foxman Shael, director of the Knesset Museum, at the ceremony honoring the Lezion Underground in November 29, this week in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
Moshe Foxman Shael, director of the Knesset Museum, at the ceremony honoring the Lezion Underground in November 29, this week in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
At the exhibition "From the Underground to the Legislature" presented this week at the Knesset Lezion in November 29 (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
At the exhibition "From the Underground to the Legislature" presented this week at the Knesset Lezion in November 29 (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
At the exhibition "From the Underground to the Legislature" presented this week at the Knesset Lezion in November 29 (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
At the exhibition "From the Underground to the Legislature" presented this week at the Knesset Lezion in November 29 (Photo: Yael Horowitz)

"The struggle for the establishment of the state was replaced by a struggle for its face"

After light refreshments, the conference opened with a collection of songs of the period, after which the Speaker of the Knesset, MK Amir Ohana. At the beginning of his remarks, he quoted the words of Menachem Begin as commander of the IDF, in his broadcast to his fighters from the organization's radio station:

"The national military organization is abandoning the underground within the borders of the independent Jewish state. We went underground under a foreign oppressive regime to beat it and eliminate it - and indeed we cleaned it well, cleaned it and removed it. We removed it forever. Now, for the time being, in part of the homeland, Hebrew rule has arisen, and in this part of the homeland, The liberated part, in this part where the Hebrew law will rule and is the only law in the land, here there is no need for a Hebrew underground. In the State of Israel we will be soldiers and builders, we will obey its laws because they are our laws and we will respect its government because it is our government."

Later in his speech, MK Ohana emphasized the importance of connection and unity, also in reference to our time.

"Despite the long-standing rivalry, a rivalry that sometimes deteriorated to the brink of fratricidal war in "Sazon" and "Altalana", Begin and his men decided to put an end to hatred, incitement and violence, and to vacate the building of the joint national house. The free hatred that destroyed the second house was a warning sign to those who established the The third house The uniforms and weapons were replaced by suits, the secret meetings were replaced by many rallies participants, and the wall posters that were hung at nightfall were replaced by colorful election posters. The struggle for the establishment of the state was replaced by a struggle for its face. Those who led the rebellion in power sought to influence the way the new state would march through the law book and gain broad public legitimacy for their struggles."

The Speaker of the Knesset concluded his remarks by raising the memory of the IDF martyrs who fell in the past year in the just war for Israel's security and freedom and for the release of our brothers and sisters kidnapped by Hamas. "May their comrades in arms return home and restore security to all our borders and our abductees to their families and we say Amen."

The Speaker of the Knesset, MK Amir Ohana, at a ceremony honoring the Lezion Underground in November 29, this week in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
The Speaker of the Knesset, MK Amir Ohana, at a ceremony honoring the Lezion Underground in November 29, this week in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
A member of the Hagana organization from Haifa, Eliezer Amir, at an appreciation ceremony for the underground, this week in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
A member of the Hagana organization from Haifa, Eliezer Amir, at an appreciation ceremony for the underground, this week in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)

next speaker, Shlomo Goldhor, the chairman of the Hatzal Soldiers' Alliance, spoke about the deep mark that the gallows immigrants and the underground people left on Israeli society, who fought the foreign enslaver, made him leave our country and led to the uprising of the country. "We enlisted out of personal recognition and loyalty to a brotherhood of fighters," he said. "We had faith in our righteousness, in the purity of our flag and in the chances of our war."

Later, he spoke Gil Samsonov, Chairman of the Association of Advertising Companies, about his book: "The Beginins - The Seeds of the Tear: From Altlana to Today", and shared some of his father's memories from those days.

Shlomo Goldhour, Chairman of the Hatzal Soldiers' Alliance, at a ceremony honoring the underground this week in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
Shlomo Goldhour, Chairman of the Hatzal Soldiers' Alliance, at a ceremony honoring the underground this week in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
Gil Samsonov, Chairman of the Association of Advertising Companies, at a ceremony honoring the Lezion Underground in November 29, this week in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)
Gil Samsonov, Chairman of the Association of Advertising Companies, at a ceremony honoring the Lezion Underground in November 29, this week in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)

From a girl in an ultra-orthodox seminary for girls to a fighter in the "Hagana" organization

Ayala Ron, 95 years and two months old, fighter of the "Hagana" organization, was educated at the ultra-orthodox seminary for girls "Beit Ya'akov" in Haifa. When she was 14, she heard from her secular friends about the "Hagana" organization and decided to enlist in its ranks. As part of the organization, Ayala performed a series of tasks including guarding, command, errands, weapons training and assistance to immigrants from Eastern Europe.

95-year-old Ayala Ron was chosen to represent the Hagana organization at this week's underground honoring ceremony in the Knesset (Photo: Yael Horowitz)

In her story about her experiences and her insights into her way of defending and building the country, Ayala fascinated the conference participants by emphasizing the importance of passing on the legacy of the organization. Ayala concluded her words with the following words:

I lived a full and meaningful life, me and my family. But without a doubt, the service in the "Haganah" organization in the second decade of my life shaped my character: values, motivation, determination and sacrifice. This is how I continued to contribute all my life for the existence of the State of Israel.

The "Hagana" heritage organization, which I represent today, worked for the inheritance of our heritage, the legacy of the hundreds of thousands of "Hagana" activists who contributed voluntarily, to the security effort, to the success of immigration and to the establishment of settlements all over the country. It is very important to continue to support this heritage enterprise. Because what we learn from our past is the basis for our future.

Watch Ayala Ron's speech at the underground conference in the Knesset, 16.11.24/XNUMX/XNUMX -

contact: At watsapBy email

Yael Horowitz
Yael Horowitz
Yael Horowitz, records life stories and commemorations of the older generation, produces historical books and exhibitions for families, organizations and companies. Photography and documentation. Consulting and workshops for writing life stories in small groups. To contact Yael Horowitz, "Mash'oli Haim": 050-3266760 | [email protected] For all articles by Yael Horowitz

Articles related to this topic

3 תגובות

  1. Kudos to Ayala Ron, the faithful custodian of the Haganah organization's legacy, as well as to Yael Horowitz who assists her.
    Special thanks to Mayra, Ayala's daughter, who published the book "Haifa of my childhood days" written by her father Mordechai Ron.
    This is a fascinating book that describes in a picturesque way with nostalgia and humor the places and characters of Haifa - the multicultural city in the 20s-30s of the last century. Recommended for all Haifa lovers!

  2. Mr. Ron Reot, Chief of the Haifa Police District Motka Ron Zell, remembered as a worthy commander, remembered well,

Leave a comment

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

All the articles are alive

Justice Minister Yariv Levin's boycott of the Supreme Court President: A crisis in public trust and the law • Commentary

Justice Minister Yariv Levin's boycott of the swearing-in ceremony of Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit symbolizes a breaking point in the relationship between the executive branch and the legal system. The act...

500th day of the massacre – a human chain in Haifa with photos of the kidnapped and the slogan "Don't leave me behind"

(Live here) – A march and rally was held today (17/2/25) at Dado Beach in Haifa to mark 500 days of captivity of those kidnapped by Hamas. Today, the 500th day of the October 7 massacre...

Almost 700 people were injured in traffic accidents in Haifa in 2024

The Or Yarok Association told the Israel News Corporation: 439 people were killed in road accidents in 2024, according to CBS data. The data shows that compared to the previous year...

The new medical school in collaboration with Carmel Medical Center, Clalit and the University of Haifa is launched

In good news, the establishment of the new Herta and Paul Amir School of Medicine has been approved, which will open in the academic year 2016 in a few months at the University of Haifa. The school is headed by...

Groundbreaking innovation in the Carmel Medical Center genetics laboratory

Carmel Medical Center is introducing new and advanced services in the genetics laboratory, with the addition of a professional oncogenetic unit that enables personalized medicine at the highest level. Dr. Jumana Haddad...