Amid the sorrow engulfing the Ramon family, the staff of the Ramon Foundation and the Israeli public, the central element that can be distilled is a desire to say thank you. Thank you to Rona Ramon for the way she told the Israeli story through her deeds, a story that even if it contains bereavement also contains a great deal of hope, and not just promises, but also actual work to benefit Israeli society.
I am grateful to you, Rona, for the unique opportunity you have given all of us at the Ramon Foundation to be part of your work, part of the light and optimism you spread to the young generation, and a small part of your great contribution to the advancement of Israeli children and youth. For you, this was a way of expanding your family, as you put it, and for us it was a chance to fulfill ourselves as educators.
We had the privilege of working alongside a woman who was larger than life. When we called her "boss," that always made her laugh. For us, she was much more than the chairwoman of the Ramon Foundation – she was a beacon, a friend, and an inspiration for good work.
Rona, sometimes it seemed as if the people of Israel knew almost everything about you. But I'm not sure we knew how much you loved our country, its trails and its people. You were queen of the desert and the Israel Trail, an ambassador for the Israeli space program, an educator, holder of an honorary doctorate and, most of all, a family woman who loved her children dearly. You earned these titles through your great spirit and your choice to do good and not give up. Even the announcement that you had been selected to light a torch at the Independence Day ceremony on Mount Herzl reached you while you were hiking in Mitzpe Ramon. You told me that after the phone call, you waved your hiking stick in the air and shouted, "For the glory of the State of Israel!" at the great crater.
Rona, the people of Israel thank you. In your last few months, since being diagnosed, you insisted that we keep sending you pictures – from Yeroham, Nahariya, Migdal Ha'emek, and everywhere else in Israel. We felt that the Ramon Foundation, which you built to give back to the people of this nation, was giving you moments of joy and strength. Until the very last, you filled all of us with optimism and wanted to focus your strength on educational activity. I have no way of expressing in words the pain we all feel.
Yours, with great love and appreciation,
The entire Ramon Foundation family.
