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.


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 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."


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.


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.

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 -
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!
Stunning, cheers!!!
Mr. Ron Reot, Chief of the Haifa Police District Motka Ron Zell, remembered as a worthy commander, remembered well,