The Historama
Alex Ben-Arieh
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The History News Page

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First Female Pilot Dies
Tel Aviv is Already 100






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The local press here in Israel is filled with articles and curiosity stories on Israeli history, personalities, military units and collectible objects. Unfortunately since these stories are usually in Hebrew only - and on the surface, of local interest only - the English-speaking collecting (or history) community rarely hears about these events. So in addition to translating the periodic article and posting it on the site I will also translate some of the smaller news stories that have a relevance to our interests here, in the attempt to disseminate greater awareness and interest in Israeli and world history and collectibles. Happy reading!

Yael Rom, the First Female Pilot of the IAF Passes Away
1st Lieutenant Yael Rom (73) Flew the Paratroopers to Mitla in the Sinai campaign
Source: Yediot Achronot, by Lior El-Chai, 26 May 2006, p. 7

First Lieutenant Yael Rom, the first female pilot in the [Israeli] Air Force died yesterday, aged 73. Lieut. Rom completed the fifth flight course in the Air Force, in 1951. She was certified to fly seven types of airplanes and served as a transport pilot for ten years, including time in the standing army as well as in the reserves. Until she became a mother she served as the captain of a Dakota plane.

In October 1956, in Operation "Kadesh", Rom was one of two Dakota pilots who transported the paratrooper force, under the command of Rafael ('Raful') Eitan, to the historic jump at Mitla, behind enemy lines.

After her discharge from the IDF, Rom became a pilot for the Arkia flying company many years before Western flying companies began to employ female pilots. But she didn't work just in flying. In 1983 Rom ran in the municipal elections for the mayorship of Haifa, against Aryeh Gur'el, but lost. Today at 11 she will be laid to rest at the cemetary in the kibbutz Neve Yam.


Study: Tel Aviv is Already 100 Years Old
Source: Maariv, by Michal Shapira, 19 June 2006, p. 23

In Tel Aviv they're just starting to prepare for the 100-year celebrations which will begin in another three years, but a new study claims that this is a mistake - that the centennary of the city without end technically began this year.

It's already been years that mayors of Tel Aviv have been convinced that she arose in April 1909, but a study that was prepared by Bar-Ilan University determined that the first Hebrew city was founded three years before then. The study that Prof. Yosi Katz, head of the Chair of Studies of the history of the Jewish National Fund and its Achievements, prepared claims that Tel Aviv was founded exactly 100 years ago insofar that that at that time were laid the foundations that technically enabled the start of the construction. In 1906 the company "Akhuzat Bayit" ['House Holdings'] was founded, which established the city. "It's clear to me that even if in the end they're convinced by my study, the centennary won't be commemorated this year because heads of the city for sure aren't prepared organizationally for it. But perhaps the 110th and 200th year anniversaries will be marked on their correct dates", said Prof. Katz.