The Way of the Vulture in the Sky“" Lecture Day on the Heritage of the Israeli Air Force & other Birds

Monday, 29 April 2013Smolarz Hall, Tel Aviv University

Photos: Amir Ezer, Yossi Leshem

Thanks to:

Robert

Rubinoff

The stage is set for the beginning of the Lecture Day

The Program of the Lecture Day

More than 600 people participated in the Lecture Day

Dan Alon helping to set it up…

Einav & Reut (the Hoopoe Foundation), Nira & Sivan (Fisher Institute) ready for the public

Registering for the conference…

Then off to the coffee & cakes

Adi Bashan giving out the tickets.

Donations to the Hoopoe Foundation and sweets provided, every year, by Leiman Schlussel Ltd.

All of Muki Betzer’s cadets from Ma’agan Michael came to the conference (they are also the only pre-army cadets that took part in the Crane race!(

Amir Ezer, the wonderful photographer & birder, documented the event.

Orna Gemmer at the book selling station

Brig.Gen Assaf Agmon (Left), Head of the Fisher Institute, Muki Betzer, Director of the Preparatory Course at Ma’agan Michael & Pilot & Lawyer Eviatar Goshen who helped

establish the Hoopoe Foundation

Yossi Leshem & Dan Alon with Prof. Amnon Ginati (Left), who came to Israel especially to lecture on the activities of the European Space Agency.

Brig.Gen Baruch Spiegel, a leader of the ” Nature Protection Army”, at the exhibition commemorating 30 years of cooperation with the Israeli Air Force,

funded by the Ayit Company.

Maj.Gen Herzel Bodinger, President of the Air Force Association & Chairman of the Fisher Institute, attends all events.

And Maj.Gen. Amos Lapidot (Right) former IAF Association President and IAF commander also attends all events.

Both Maj. Gen. enjoying the event

Soldiers serving in many different IAF units attended

Col. (Ret) Dror Ben David, an F-15 pilot, took part in the lecture day

Leon Recanati was one of our guests!

Dr. Leonid Dinevich who operates the

bird Radar at Latrun

The Ethiopian singer Hana Reuven & her mother were proud to take part in the event

Prof. Yigael Talmi , from the Weizmann Institute & his wife, Hana, never miss a birding event.

Uzi Dayan (Hayogev), Muki Betzer (Nahalal) & Prof. Yigael Talmi (Kfar Yehezkel) meet.

Col. (Ret.) Dror Ben David with Reuma Weizman, the former President’s wife

Head of the Birding Section of the Air Force welcoming the cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA)

Col. Ehud Biederman, an F-16 pilot & active birder, welcomes the former Minister of Science, Prof. Rabbi Daniel Hershkovitz and his wife

(Right) Maj. Gen Uzi Dayan, Chairman of Mifal Hapayis with the “Legendary” Reuma Weizman

Prof. Yossi Leshem & Brig.Gen Assaf Agmon initiated the Lecture Day

The Air Force Group performed popular songs

The singer, Hana Reuven & her accompanist, performed a moving song.

Three “guests of honor” on the stage: Maj.Gen Herzel Bodinger, the Government Secretary, Zvi Hauser & Maj. Gen Uzi Dayan.

Maj. Gen. Herzel Bodinger opened the proceedings.

The Government Secretary continued….

We heard the story about the CURTIS-C64 Commando plane that brought immigrants from Iraq and 2 planes in Hawaii that will be brought to the Air Force Museum and the Immigrant

Camp at Atlit.

And the audience was enthralled! In front is Abu Vilan, Director of the Agriculturalists Association

Maj.Gen. Uzi Dayan addressing the audience.

The “changing of the guard”: Maj. Gen. Prof. Itzik Ben Israel taking over for the first lecture session.

Maj. Gen. Itzik Ben Israel who has twice been awarded the Israel Security Prize!

Rabbi Prof. Daniel Hershkovitz, a mathematician from the Technion, enthralling the audience with the connection between the Torah &

Science, and the relationship between predator & prey.

Prof. Amnon Ginati of the European Space Agency deals with a huge research budgets

Danny Limor, formerly of the Mossad, who lead the immigration of Ethiopian Jews, thrilled the audience with his stories of the Solomon Campaign.

Yossi & Baruch Spiegel showing Brig. Gen. Eli Shermeister the “Nature Protection Army” project

The IDF Chief Education Officer with Brig.Gen. Boaz Peleg.

Rabbi Gedalia Savinor , a Zaka volunteer, a new guest at the Lecture Day.

Ofir Lotan, from Bet Hashita, a brilliant bird photographer, with the Air Force photographer.

There was much interest in the professional information on birding.

The White-throated Kingfisher’s beak was a point of joint interest to this couple!

Prof. Amnon Ginati with his son, David. A satellite was named after him.

Avry Horin, an EL AL captain and former Flight Safety Commander with Gidon Shamir.

Maj. Gen. Gidon Sheffer, former fighter pilot and Head of IDF Man

Power Directorate and Vice President of Elbit, leading the

second session.

Dr. Yossi Yovel, a leading bat & insect researcher, thrilled the audience with his research on the echolocation of bats.

Muki Betzer, Yoni Netanyahu’s deputy during the Entebbe Raid, recalling the incredible operation. He brought 50 cadets from the pre-army preparatory course to the Lecture Day.

Lieut. Col. Yuval Wagner, a Cobra pilot who was wounded on his qualifying flight and his squadron leader was killed. He moved the audience with the story of how he founded the

NGO NEGISHUT ISRAEL

Brig.Gen. Ephraim Segoli, (Right) who was another squadron leader at the time of the accident, then became Base Commander of Palmachim & was a close friend of

Lieut. Col. Zion Bar-Or.

Yuval Wagner, then 1st Lieut. in the squadron.

The late Col. Zion Bar-Or, Squadron Leader, was a brilliant photographer!

Col. Ehud Biederman, an F-16 pilot and birder, the “ultimate combination”.

The new project “Army For the Protection of Nature”

See you on the next

Lecture Day 2014!

Photo: Yossi Eshbol