On This Day: Tragedy at Ma'agan Remembered
Today marks 65 years since a light plane crashed into a crowd at a memorial ceremony in Ma'agan, leaving a lasting memory of tragedy.
(Illustrative Photo: Shutterstock)On the 28th of Tammuz, 5714, a memorial event took place at Kibbutz Ma'agan to inaugurate a monument in memory of Parachutist Peretz Goldstein, one of the founders of the kibbutz, who was among those sent to Europe during World War II.
During the event, which was attended by prominent figures such as then Prime Minister Moshe Sharett, Yigal Allon, Teddy Kollek, and others, two light aircraft of the Piper Cub type appeared over the kibbutz. One of them was supposed to drop a message to the ceremony; however, the message got caught in the plane's wheel, leading to a chain of events that caused the plane to crash into the crowd.
Seventeen people were killed in the event, and another 25 were injured, including the pilot and one passenger. Among the casualties were also four parachutists from the community who had been sent to Europe and returned safely.
