EL AL | Atmosphere

See the Sights I Remembrance Trails

Trekking through memory There are beautiful memorial and commemorative sites across Israel that honor the fallen and keep their memory alive. Here are five remembrance trails to explore, steeped in history, beauty, and meaning \ By Ariela Aflalo

The Eitan Observation Deck Ramot Naftali Eitan Belhasan, one of the most admired commanders of the Paratroopers Brigade, was killed in February 1999 in the South Lebanon conflict. Belhasan was born and raised in Ramot Naftali, and his family requested he be commemorated in the place he loved the most, the observation point in front of their home that overlooks the Hula Valley. The Belhasan family have also built an impressive birdwatching deck nearby with a beautiful olive tree crowning it at the front. When the skies are clear, it’s possible to see the mountains of the Golan Heights, the tip of mount Hermon, and even the Lebanese hill on which Eitan was killed. This special memorial site, surrounded by a botanical garden, has become one of the most visited remembrance sites in Israel, by simple trekkers, schoolchildren, and groups of soldiers alike. The Nimrod Observation Deck Rosh Pina Nimrod Segev, fourth generation to a family that founded Rosh Pina, was killed in the second Lebanese war. His father Hezi erected an observation deck to honor his memory as well as that of the other soldiers that died with him in the same tank. He built it beside the fig tree Nimrod used to play and rest under and from where the view of the Golan Heights is breathtaking. The memorial also harbors a big

The Helicopters Disaster Memorial I Photo: Smadar Seri

out against the sky where the accident occurred, placed around a basalt pool, shaped in such a way as to symbolize the circle of life, and containing stones engraved with the names of all the soldiers. Water flows directly from the pool through a canal, across bushes and greenery, before reaching the river Dan. The area is full of trek trails and nature reserves to discover, such as Tel Dan, the Ayun stream and the Hermon stream.

The Helicopters Disaster Memorial She’ar Yeshuv

On February 4 th 1997, two Israeli Air Force helicopters collided midair over a moshav in the Upper Galilee, killing everyone on board. The memorial commemorating the terrible disaster is one of the most impressive memorial sites in the country. Seventy-three rocks representing the 73 victims stand

22 ATMOSPHERE APRIL 2023