I have just received an email from Barry Munden, a talented artist who recently completed a painting in memory of Peter Ginz and Ilan Ramon:

On January 16, 2003, Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, left the Earth forever on his first space flight aboard the ill-fated space shuttle Columbia. With him, he carried icons of his culture, among them a fifty-nine year old pencil illustration drawn by the young Petr Ginz, a child of the holocaust. The illustration, "Moon Landscape", (shown below) is a fanciful one of the Earth as seen from the surface of the moon. The picture held special meaning for Ilan, whose own mother survived the same Nazi death camp that claimed the life of the 14-year-old Petr(and several members of Ilan's family).

Ilan, Peter and 'Moon drawing'

Speaking to the New York-based American Society for Yad Vashem from the Houston, Texas Space Centre where he was in training, Ilan Ramon said, "I feel that my journey fulfills the dream of Petr Ginz 58 years on. A dream that is ultimate proof of the greatness of the soul of a boy imprisoned within the ghetto walls, the walls of which could not conquer his spirit. Ginz's drawings, stored at Yad Vashem, are a testimony to the triumph of the spirit."

I wanted to commemorate the spirit of both these great souls, Ilan and Petr, by repainting young Petr's landscape in such a way as to show both of them, side by side, looking on the Earth from the vantage point of the dream they shared...as I like to think they now are. You can see the results of my efforts below.

The next time you look at the stars, think of them. They died so that one day, our children may turn to look at the distant Earth and see the pain and strife of this life in it's proper perspective. --- Barry Munden, Feb.1, 2003

"Petr and Ilan", by Barry Munden

For a printable version of the picture click here (this is a 1.2 Mb, 150dpi, 2550x3300 JPG image - it should print out great in most inkjet color printers). The creator of the image, Barry Munden, says: "You are welcome to use this picture for any non-commercial purpose, or for any non-profit fund-raising effort that benefits any surviving family of Ilan or Petr."

You may see Barry's original page, here. Thank you Barry - your art brings us a bit of comfort and one more way to remember Peter and Ilan.

For more information on Ilan Ramon, Peter and the 'Moon Drawing' see:

NASA sends first Israeli astronaut into space

Israeli Astronaut takes with him into space a small
pencil drawing made by a 14-year-old
boy who was killed in Auschwitz

Tragedy over Texas skies: seven astronauts killed
in explosion of space shuttle Columbia

Posted by David Melle
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