Who was Ilan Ramon and why was he so important?
• Was Ilan Ramon a hero even before he became an astronaut? • Ilan Ramon was a very proud Jew. In addition to taking the little Torah scroll into outer space with him, he also took other important items relating to his Jewish identity. What were they? • What kind of food did Ilan Ramon eat when he was in outer space? Suggested Classroom Activities • Let your students pretend they are Torah scribes. Buy onion paper, quill pens and ink. Hand them out and let your students copy the first paragraph of Genesis. • Space Shuttle “Show & Tell”: Ilan Ramon took the little Torah scroll and other Judaica objects into outer space with him and showed them off to the world. Have your students pretend they are astronauts. Tell them to bring 2-3 Judaica objects from home and explain why these items are so important. • Turn the book “Keeping the Promise” into a class play. You’ll find that you can use several students as narrators, plus there’s lots of dialog. Other students can make the background pro
