40 years after his death, teenagers still draw inspiration from Migal Oak

The memorial ceremony for the Palmach commander and Labor party member, always within reach of state leadership, came from hundreds of boys born more than a generation after he passed away. Despite the gap in time, Oak has become more relevant than before, perhaps because he is not affiliated with the noise politics and masks that govern today.

40 years after his death, teenagers still draw inspiration from Migal Oak

Gen. (res.) Amos Horev sat on the bench at the entrance to Kibbutz Ginosar's cemetery. Soon, the memorial service will commemorate 40 years since the death of Yigal Alon, his best friend.

Horev, 96, a senior in security, academia and military industry in Israel, spoke of the brave friendship with who was the commander of the Palmach, a compass of values ​​and political leader. He spoke of the shortage and lack of other members from those days when they established a state and military.

Such memorial ceremonies, in memory of the founding generation, are waning. The work of the first ones fades, forgotten over the years and pushed to shelving bookshelves. Close family members and friends of arms or leadership are dead and there is no one to remember and mention.

While Horeb talks about the exemplary figure a questionnaire posed for him, hundreds of boys, pre-military preparatory students, on their way to Oak's grave enter the cemetery to attend the annual memorial service.

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Yigal Alon's grave in Kibbutz Ginosar cemetery (Photo: Beit Yigal Alon)

40th anniversary of Yigal Alon's death (Photo: Beit Yigal Alon, official website)

It turns out that 40 years after he passed away, Alon is an exemplary figure and a source of inspiration and leadership values ​​not only for the Palmach generation and his sons, but also for boys born more than 20 years after the questionnaire was no longer alive.

Yigal Alon, a native of Palestine, commander of the Palmach, IDF champion in the 1990s, Labor and senior minister, passed away and is only 62. He was a symbol of a generation that many had hoped would reach the country's leadership, but he always remained A touch away from the top, except for 20 days when he served as acting prime minister after the death of Levi Eshkol.

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"A special character who represents a significant worldview." The ceremony in memory of Yigal Alon (Photo: Beit Yigal Alon)

40th Anniversary of Yigal Alon's Death, Kibbutz Ginosar, February 20, 2020 (Photo: Beit Yigal Alon, official website)

Still, despite not being prime minister and despite the distance, he remains relevant, and perhaps more so today than before. "He had a very special personality that Ghost has been able to hold up to now," explains Eran Schwartz, CEO of Beit Yigal Alon. It is a place and an educational center that took on the inheritance of Yigal Alon's legacy. Alon's personal commemoration in the place is very modest Smallest of the structure.

Schwartz emphasizes that "Yigal Alon is a means of influencing Israeli society. We are not concerned with nostalgia, but with the question of what it signified, what values ​​have guided it to this day? It is such a special figure that for many people represents a clear, meaningful and pluralistic worldview."

Messages from the past

For example, Schwartz brings Alon's worldview to the importance of integrating Arab citizens into Israeli society. Alon, a native of Israel, was born and raised in Mascha (Kfar Tavor) alongside the Arab neighbors. He spoke Arabic and knew the neighbors' customs. Schwartz explains that "his approach to the Arab population has been a breakthrough with important democratic values."

Alon, for example, said: "If I was asked how, in my opinion, the Arab minority should be treated, my answer is: as I would like to treat every Jewish minority in the people's diaspora." On another occasion, he said: "Jews, Muslims, Druze and Christians will always live as equal rights in the State of Israel. And for all of us, citizens of the state - to enjoy a life of taste, economic prosperity, social and cultural, we must learn to live in peace, mutual understanding and creative cooperation."

This is an example of a clear, coherent and valued worldview that the Yigal Alon educational team, according to Schwartz, "can through it bring messages from the past that meet contemporary reality and serve us in the educational act."

"Pure leadership, without expecting a return." Yigal Alon (Photo: Wikipedia)

Yigal Alon (Photo: Wikipedia, official website)

The same is true of Alon's worldviews on issues such as the character of the commander, the leader, or the importance of the education system and its centrality.

The educational activities of Beit Yigal Alon encompass many circles, including pre-military preparations, which teach a leadership-educational program that they run in the spirit of Alon's perception that "as the depth of a person's involvement in the act - the depth of the meaning of the act in his eyes".

Prior to the memorial ceremony yesterday, Yigal Alon held an "Oak Day" entitled "A Worthy Leadership Conference". Thousands of students from dozens of pre-military preparations came to the conference.

Teens and adults in 40th anniversary of Yigal Alon's death (Photo: Beit Yigal Alon)

40th anniversary of Yigal Alon's death (Photo: Beit Yigal Alon, official website)

Raanan Halabi, al-Carmel medalist, reserve armor officer, is a graduate of the al-Carmel Institute in his community and is currently an instructor in the preparations. This prepares her to study Druze boys and Jews together. "In the image of Yigal Alon I find a special interest in his perception of leadership. It is leadership that has something that can be defined as 'purity of giving' or 'pure leadership', that is - leadership with a clear thought on how to contribute to society and lead it, without expecting any consideration. Different and unique thought. "

Halabi also noted that he had found interest in Elon as a commander and a leader and it was important for him that his disciples should know him. Hussein Sa'ed, a resident of Yanuah Jat and an apprentice at the al-Carmel Preparatory, said that "Alon does serve as an example of a humble, charismatic leader with a vision and goals he aspired to. Peace was between those goals."

His figure, too, as a military commander "who looks at his soldiers at eye level, leads and is an example," impressed Saad. He said he did not know Alon until he came to the preparatory and today "his character is of great interest to me. Every boy in Israel should know him."

To fill the void

Erel Ben-Dor, a trainee and resident of Kibbutz Revadim, said that "it would be difficult to know what would have happened if Alon had been the leader of the day. It is hard to take anyone to think how he would behave at another time. But I believe he would adhere to his values ​​and strive to fulfill them."

If you still try to imagine the politician's oak in today's reality, Ben-Dor says that "he might have disappeared and disappeared into the noise, tweets and masks that characterize politics today. Today a leader is a brand and so he behaves, but maybe he would learn to get used to the world. It's in its own special way, quietly and correctly. "

Saad believes that Alon was able to integrate into the leadership today and would certainly contribute: "Despite his modesty and simplicity, he had charisma and he was able to set a goal and aim for it. A big advantage he has over what is happening today is the originality of his thought. Today there is a tendency to paint everything in black or white and not To see intermediate shades and walk with the herd. His lack of an original and independent mindset is lacking in leading and not leading. "

"I didn't know a good person from him." Gen. (res.) Amos Horev at the memorial service (Photo: Beit Yigal Alon)

Maj. Gen. Amos Horev Beit Yigal Alon at 40th Anniversary of Yigal Alon's Death (Photo: Beit Yigal Alon, Official Website)

Muki Tzur kind of back, historian, educator and writer who also teaches in several preparations, explained the young connection to Alon's character by saying that "Alon took youth seriously. What Ginosar sees today is an effort made for years to believe in youth and evil as a pathway of leadership People, a democratic leadership that does not believe in the ability to do things on its own, but a leadership that has to do its acts of growth, power and empowerment for young people. And that was Yigal. "

Horeb got up from the bench and joined the group of boys who were moving toward Oak's grave, an oak that, according to Horeb, "I didn't know a man better than him."

The relationship with those boys is no stranger to him and despite his 96 years he meets with them when asked. Just a week ago, I answered a request to join preparatory students for a tour of the battles he participated in as commander of the Palmach during the War of Independence. Rat, Latrun, Burma - concepts for which history books were taken and for which they are a part of his life. He understands their interest in Bigal Alon. He speaks to them, "Horev said." They need him. There is a space that needs to be filled today and they want to get an answer to the question 'What am I doing here?' "