OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY
THE BOARD OF
American Friends of Magen David Adom AS WELL AS THE ORGANIZATION’S STAFF MOURN THE PASSING OF
Marcia Applebaum AMERICAN FRIENDS
caring philanthropist and dear friend of Magen David Adom, Israel’s national EMS and blood-services organization. We offer our condolences to the entire Applebaum family. We hope they will be comforted by her memory and by the knowledge of her lasting legacy — the thousands of lives in Israel saved by her thoughtful generosity.
Mark D. Lebow National Chairman Catherine Reed Chief Executive Officer Richard Zelin Director of Strategic Philanthropy Midwest Region Wendy Strip Development Executive Greater Detroit Area
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JULY 1 • 2021
SIGAL BEN DAVID JERUSALEM POST
‘H
ero of Israel,” a “oneman space agency” and “huge loss for the defense establishment” are just some of the descriptions of Israel Defense Prize laureate and rocket scientist Aby Har-Even, who was injured during riots in Acre last month and died June 6 at age 84. Aby His contribution to Har-Even space exploration and Israel’s national security is unknown to most Israelis, and much of his activity will remain a mystery. Har-Even was born in Romania and made aliyah with his parents in 1950. He studied mechanical engineering at the Technion, and then later, during his military service, did a degree in electrical engineering. He was involved in procuring advanced weaponry for the IDF’s arsenal: defensive weapons and anti-aircraft guns. Later, he commanded the Hawk missile battery, which was deployed to protect the Nuclear Research Campus, served in the R&D department and headed the team that reviewed lessons learned from the Yom Kippur War. In 1977, he was awarded the Defense Ministry Prize for a secret project still prohibited from being publicized to this day. As a civilian, Har-Even filled a number of positions at Israel Aerospace Industries, was the fifth director of Israel’s Space Agency and led a team that developed Israel’s Shavit satellite rocket launcher. In recent years, he spent time working on R&D at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. TIMES OF ISRAEL
Saving lives. It’s in our blood.
Israel’s Space Pioneer Due to the confidential nature of much of his work, however, we are unlikely to ever understand the scope of his contributions to Israel’s security. “After completing the development of the Shavit satellite launcher, Aby began offering consulting services to American technology companies,” said space analyst Tal Inbar. “Later on, he began working with Israel’s civilian space agency. Among other projects he was involved in was the mission with Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first astronaut to go to space.” On the night of May 11, while staying at the Efendi Hotel in Acre, Har-Even was injured when Arab rioters set fire to the building. He was brought unconscious to Haifa’s Rambam Hospital, suffering from serious burns and smoke inhalation. On June 6, he passed away with his family at his side. “His greatest contribution was his work with Israel’s Space Agency, where he focused on Israel’s ability to launch satellites,” notes Dr. Igal Patel, former chairman of the Israeli Astronomical Association. “Aby helped Israel join the international space community. “His second greatest contribution was to Israel’s security, since he was responsible for the development of the Shavit launcher, as well as all of the reconnaissance satellites.” In recent years, Har-Even and Patel worked together to establish a space center in Israel, which Har-Even had agreed to chair.
