Space Coast Welcomes Mayor

The Space Coast Jewish Community was honored to host the Mayor and other representatives from Beit Shemesh, Israel, while they visited the Space Coast on Wednesday, October 21 and Thursday, October 22.

Beit Shemesh officials came to visit their sister city of Cocoa, Florida at a special City Hall event.

On Wednesday afternoon a special luncheon took place at the Chabad Jewish Community Center of the Space and Treasure Coasts with local Jewish Community representatives and the visiting Beit Shemesh officials.

Later that evening the kitchen of the historic “Porcher House” in Cocoa, Florida was koshered by Rabbi Zvi Konikov in preparation for a special dinner with Cocoa Community Council officials honoring the visiting Beit Shemesh delegation.

On Thursday morning Rabbi Konikov led a delegation with Mayor Moshe Abutbul to the Kennedy Space Center, along with NASA personnel.

The highlight of the tour was a special Shloshim memorial and Keil Molei Rachamim for Asaf Ramon, son of astronaut Ilan Ramon.

The memorial was conducted and led by Beit Shemesh Mayor Moshe Abutbul in front of the Space Mirror Memorial, which is dedicated to the lives of the men and women who have died in the various space programs of the United States – including Asaf’s father, the late Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon.

The tour also featured a first time look at the new Ares launch vehicle currently on Launch Pad 39B in KSC and set to test launch on October 27. The Ares is set to replace the current Space Shuttle program.