I Love Hevron Felfael on Rye

Abraham’s Legacy Still without Boundaries in Hebron Tens of thousands of Jews will be spending Shabbat Chayei Sarah in Hebron in honor of our Matriarch Sarah

Abraham’s legacy, still alive and well, is the crux of our existence, not only in Hebron, but as a people, in Israel and around the world.

A few years ago, following one of his last visits to Me’arat Hamachpela, the Cave of the Patriarchs, as Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu entered his car, the other door opened and two people literally pushed their way into the vehicle, one civilian, the other in uniform.

The civilian, a senior employee at the holy site, said, “Rabbi, I’m sorry to do this, but this man, a border police officer, works here very hard and greatly helps the Jewish people. He has a problem. He and his wife have been married many years and have yet to be blessed with children.”

Rabbi Eliyahu looked at the man and responded, “He should continue to help the Jewish people and next year he will be witness to salvation.”

A year later his daughter Miriam was born. The border police officer’s name is Shuchralla Morav.

Much has been written about Hebron’s relationship with security forces, be it police or IDF. As much as we say about our good, positive relationships with them, we are unfortunately generally not believed.

The roots of our national essence, in Hebron, begins with Abraham and Sarah. They were known as people of chesed, that is, overwhelming loving-kindness and generosity. Our sages have taught that we must express the attributes of our Creator: as He is kind, so too we must be kind. The primary examples of kindness are Abraham and Sarah.

Abraham’s compassion was not limited to “his own.” Numerous stories are told of his assistance to strangers, many of whom worshiped idols, the very antithesis of his life and ideology. Yet this did not prevent him from offering them food, drink and a place to sleep.

The present Jewish community of Hebron tries to continue walking in the footsteps of our illustrious Forefathers, learning from their deeds, and acting accordingly. Therefore, when Rabbi Shalom Alkobi, then director of the Machpela authority, realized he had an opportunity to seek a blessing from one of our generation’s most righteous people, he did so, without thinking twice.

And the rabbi’s blessing was received and came to pass.

Morav, as he is called, served at Me’arat Hamachpela for 17 years. Living in the north, several hours from Hebron, he wasn’t able to spend enough time with his wife and young daughter. Recently he was transferred to a position much closer to his home, allowing him to enjoy his blessings.

But, after 17 years of service, we couldn’t allow him to leave without a proper parting. So a few days ago, a large group from Hebron, as well as a few of his former commanders, surprised Morav at his home for a farewell party. All facets of Hebron’s community were represented: Rabbi Hillel Horowitz and Noam Arnon, Baruch Marzel, Rabbi Shalom Alkobi, and others.

The celebration began with a number of speeches recognizing Morav’s contribution to dozens of Hebron events, including mass gatherings of tens of thousands of visitors. Everyone present articulated words of gratitude, which was expressed also in several gifts presented to him: an original painting of Me’arat Hamachpela by Hebron artist Shmuel Mushnik, and a certificate of appreciation, signed by all present as well as Hebron’s mayor, Avraham Ben-Yosef, Hebron’s director-general Uri Karzen, and the director of the regional religious council, Yosef Dayan.

How did Morav relate to his years in Hebron? In his words, “It was an honor… the sanctity of the site was above any and all other considerations.”

Shuchralla Morav is not the first and only officer honored by Hebron’s Jewish community. A long list of police , IDF soldiers and officers and commanders are among those who are tangibly appreciated as a result of their tireless efforts to maintain a safe and secure Hebron, allowing hundreds of thousands of people, of all races and religions, to visit Israel’s first Jewish city and holy sites.

Surely, we do not always see eye to eye, but then again, neither do husband and wife always agree. You learn to agree to disagree. However that doesn’t prevent mutual care, respect and love. So too with the courageous men and women whose presence, hard work and shared esteem lead to positive, fruitful relationships which can last for many years.

For example, Colonel Guy Hazut, speaking recently after having concluded two years as commander of the Judea-Hebron brigade, said, “Many people think that people in the Jewish community of Hebron have horns and tails. These are amazing people. There is a tiny, negligible group which give them a bad name.”

Abraham’s legacy is a lesson well learned, and still practiced. That legacy, still alive and well, is the crux of our existence, not only in Hebron, but as a people, in Israel and around the world.

This coming Shabbat, Chayei Sarah, we read of Abraham’s initial transaction, purchase of the Caves of Machpela in Hebron, as a final resting place for Sarah, and later himself, Isaac and Rebeccah, and Jacob and Leah. Together with tens of thousands in Hebron, and multitudes elsewhere, we continue, as best we can, the heritage bequeathed to us, some four thousand years ago.

The writer is spokesman for the Jewish Community of Hebron.

Hakafot Shniot - Hebron - Ohel Yitzhak 2012- הקפות שניות - חברון, אוהל יצחק

Simchat Torah Dancing at Cave of the Patriarchs Main Hall. For the first time in many years the Yitzchak Hall in Hebron was open for Jews on the night after Simchat Torah. Watch the 2nd Night Hakafot. Jews rejoiced with the Torah in Isaac's Hall (Ulam Yizchak) in Hevron on Monday night for a second round of Hakafot, an Israeli tradition that combines identifying with the Diaspora's Simchat Torah night and the added festive atmosphere of live bands and sound systems at the dancing, forbidden on the holiday itself. The celebration was the first of its kind at the site in many years. Ulam Yitzchak is the main hall of the Cave of the Patriarchs (Me'arat Hamachpela) and it has been closed to Jews since 1994, Dr. Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Muslim worshippers in the hall, killing 29,before he was killed by Arabs present in the hall. Although an investigation proved that Goldstein acted alone, ever since the incident, the hall is opened for Jews only on specific dates in the Jewish calender. For the first time, the 2nd Night Hakafot was added to these designated days.

The Fallen Sword of the Sultan ( a story )

The Fallen Sword of the Sultan

In the early 1640s, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire made a journey from his  seat of government in far-off Turkey to places of importance in his domains. He made his way to the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron. He entered, adorned in his traditional ruling garb, including the golden sword, studded with diamonds and precious stones, which hung at his side. The Sultan wandered from room to room, finally entering the huge hall named after the Patriarch Yitzchak. The center of attraction in the Yitzchak Hall is a small circular hole in the floor, near the wall shared with the smaller Avraham Hall. The hole is perhaps the most sacred spot in the entire illustrious structure above the burial caves of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, for it leads down into the caves themselves. Pilgrims from all over the world journey for weeks and months just to have the opportunity to stand by this small, dark, circular opening, leading into the cave, which according to tradition was excavated by Adam, the first man.

The Sultan leaned over the revered aperture, peering down into it. As he bent over, his precious sword fell from his side, down into the cavity in the ground. Hearing the clang of metal hitting the ground, the sultan realized that his sword lay in the caves underneath. The sultan called the officer of the guard and ordered him to lower a soldier through the hole into the caves below, to retrieve his sword. Quick to respond to the sultan’s order, the officer selected a soldier nearby. Another soldier wrapped a rope around his waist and lowered the soldier into the underground cavern. No sooner had they done so when, without warning, piercing screams penetrated from inside the hole below. Quickly they pulled up the soldier, but he was dead. The sultan ordered that another soldier be lowered into the caves. So it was, and his fate was precisely as his predecessor’s.

The sultan continued to send soldiers into the caves, until it became apparent that all who enter the caves do not exit alive. The sultan turned to his hosts and exclaimed, “Who will return to me my sword?” The Arabs, looking at one another, answered without hesitating. “Why not send down a Jew? If he dies, none of us would care, and if not, you will have your precious saber back.” So the Jews were ordered, on pain of death, to supply a volunteer to be lowered into the caves to return the sultan’s sword to him. 

The Jews of Hebron had heard what happened to the sultan’s soldiers. How could they send one of their own to his death? They prayed and fasted, hoping to avert the decree. Realizing that they had no choice, they looked at one another. Who would dare to enter the sacred caves of the Patriarchs? The elderly rabbi of the community, the Kabbalist and sage Rabbi Avraham Azulai, author of Chesed L’Avraham, solved the dilemma. “I will enter the holy caves. Have no fear.” And so it was. After praying and pleading before the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, Rabbi Avraham Azulai immersed himself in the mikvah and dressed in white garments, the traditional dress of the dead. He set forth to the Cave of Machpelah. With a rope tied around his waist, Rabbi Azulai was lowered into the cave. When his feet hit the ground, Rabbi Azulai looked around him and found, standing by his side, three bearded men. “We are your forefathers,” they told him, “Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.” Rabbi Azulai was dumbfounded. Finally he said to them, “Why should I leave here and go back above? I am elderly, and here I have found my forefathers. I desire only to stay here with you.”

The Patriarchs insisted, “You must return the sword to the sultan. If not, the entire Jewish community of Hebron is liable to be wiped out. But have no fear. In another seven days you will return here, to be with us.” So the saintly rabbi returned to the Yitzchak Hall, above the cave of the Patriarchs, and with him was the sultan’s sword. The sultan was pleased. Upon seeing their beloved rabbi return alive, the Jews of Hebron declared the day a holiday. Rabbi Avraham Azulai spent the next week with his students, teaching them all the esoteric teachings of Torah. Day and night he learned with them, instructing them, imparting to them all that he knew.

Seven days after being lowered into the Cave of Machpelah, Rabbi Avraham Azulai returned his soul to his Maker, dying peacefully in his home. He was brought to rest in the ancient Jewish cemetery in Hebron, overlooking the final resting place of his beloved forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.

Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from hebron.co.il

Rabbi Avraham Azulai (1570–1643) authored the well-known Kabbalistic work Chesed L’Avraham. He is the ancestor of one of the most famous Sephardic sages, Chida (Rabbi Chaim Yosef DavidAzulai, 1724–1806)..

Hevron, a Jewish City From Time Immemorial - and Forever In honor of "Shabbat Hevron", when the purchase of Mearat Hamachpela is in the Torah reading, A7 brings you the holy city's history.

In honor of "Shabbat Hevron", when Abrahams's purchase of Mearat Hamachpela [Tomb of the Patriarchs] is in the Torah reading, thousands will make their way to the second holiest city in Judaism to spend an uplifting and spiritual Shabbat praying at the Meara and learning about the city. Arutz Sheva brings you the city's history, written by the tireless spokesman of the Jewish Community of Hevron.

Hevron is the first Jewish city in theland of Israel , home of our patriarchs and matriarchs — Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Sarah, Rebecca and Leah.

King David ruled from Hevron for more than seven years before moving the capital toJerusalem .

Jews have lived in Hevron almost continuously for thousands of years. At Tel Hevron, commonly known as "Tel Rumeida," artifacts were discovered dating to the era of the Patriarch Abraham. "L'Melech" (King) seals, 2,700 years old, inscribed with the word "Hevron" in ancient Hebrew were uncovered there by archeologists.

Our community offices are in a neighborhood founded in 1540 by Jews exiled from Spain in 1492.

When returned to Hebron in 1967, Jews did not occupy a foreign city; rather, they came back home.
Jewish presence in Hevron came to an abrupt end only in August 1929, when Arab riots led to the murder of 67 Jews and the wounding of 70. All survivors were exiled from the city by the ruling British.

Following the riots, massacre and exile in 1929, a small group of Jews returned to Hevron in 1931. About thirty families lived in the city until just after Passover, 1936, when they were expelled by the British.

Following the 1967 Six-Day War, Jews again had access to the first Jewish city in . It must be clearly understood: when returned to Hevron in 1967, Jews did not occupy a foreign city; rather, they came back home.

In 1968 Jews officially came back to Hevron . The day before Passover in April, 1968 a group of families arrived at the Park Hotel in Hevron . The proprietor rented them half of the kitchen, which they promptly koshered. The women and children slept in the rooms; the men and boys slept in the lobby and on the floor. It was the first Jewish Pesach in Hevron in decades.

Moshe Dayan, then Minister of Defense, arrived in Hevron shortly after Passover. Following several weeks of discussions he offered the group two choices: either be forcibly removed from the city, or go live in the Hevron military compound, several kilometers outside the center of the city. This building, originally a British police station, had been transformed into the Israeli military Headquarters of Judea. It was not overly conducive to a civilian lifestyle.

Dayan must have expected that the young families, including women and babies, would soon throw up their arms in frustration at the poor living conditions and leave of their own accord.

Dayan was partially correct. The group did eventually leave. But first they lived in themilitary headquarters for two and half years, until the first neighborhood of the newly founded Hevron suburb, Kiryat Arba, was completed.

There was, however, a yearning to return to Hevron , to Beit Hadassah, to the 450 year old Jewish Quarter, home of the ancient Avraham Avinu Shul, to reside adjacent to Ma'arat HaMachpela. Attempts were made, again and again, all leading to failure.

Only in 1979, when Menachem Begin was Prime Minister, did a group of 10 women and 40 children succeed in setting up house in the basement of the old medical center, Beit Hadassah, in the middle of the city. Living in adverse conditions for close to a year, these women and childen became the nucleus of Hevron 's renewed Jewish community.

In 1980, following the murder of six young men outside Beit Hadassah, the Israeligovernment finally gave official recognition and authorization of Hebron 's Jewish Community.

The present Jewish Community of Hevron numbers more than 1,000 people, including almost 100 families, hundreds of children, and some 250 post-high school yeshiva students studying at Yeshivat Shavei Hevron in Beit Romano. The reason there aren't more people living in Hevron is simply because of lack of space. There are not any apartments available.

That is, perhaps, a misnomer. There are apartments available that we are presently unable to utilize. We have been unjustifiably expelled from 12 apartments that we lived in. Clearly, were there more room in Hevron , there would be many more Jews living in the city.

However, in spite of the small size of the community, according to the statistics received from the IDF and Civil Administration, hundreds of thousands of people visitHevron annually. Worldwide support, including Jews and gentiles, is overwhelming. Groups from Europe,  Scandinavia and even the Far East tour Hevron .

Why do we choose to live in Hevron ? Again, the answer is quite simple. A few years ago, a group of people associated with the New Israel Fund visited Hevron .

Following a short visit on the Jewish side of the city, they crossed the 'border' and met with Hevron 's Arab mayor, Mustepha Natsche. They asked him whether Jews were allowed to pray at Ma'arat HaMachpela, the second holiest site to the Jewish people in the world. His answer greatly surprised them. He said no. "Ma'arat HaMachpela is a mosque, and only Moslems can pray in a Mosque," said Arab Mayor Mustepha Natsche.

This was reiterated by Natsche's deputy, Kamal Dweck.  In an interview he also stated that Jews and Christians may not pray in the Tomb of the Patriarchs 'because it is not a church or a synagogue; it is a mosque and only Moslems can worship in a mosque.'

This lie was raised again by the Arab world when Israel put Hevron on its list of Heritage Sites.

The Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs was off-limits to Jews for 700 years.During that time Jews, (as well as Christians), were not allowed inside the 2,000 year old Herodian structure atop the Caves of Machpela. Today we are told by Hevron's Arab Mayor and deputy mayor that should the Palestinian Authority ever regain control all of Hevron , again this holy site will be closed to anyone not Moslem.

There are those who are skeptical. How then, can one explain what happened to Joseph's Tomb in Shechem.  According to the Olso Accords this holy site was to remain accessible to Jews. However, following the killing of an Israeli soldier at the tomb, was forced to abandon it. The result was the total destruction of the building which was burned to the ground. And if the Arabs had their way, Kever Rachel would have long ago been turned over to the Palestinian Authority. They claim that her tomb, too, is only a Muslim site.

The only reason that Ma'arat HaMachpela is still accessible to Jews is because there is a permanent Jewish presence in the city. The disappearance of the Jewish Community of Hevron would be tantamount to abandoning our Patriarchs and Matriarchs.

Could any Jew, be they religious or secular, dream of abandoning the Fathers and Mothers of our people?

What is our goal, living in Hevron ? Despite media reports, the goal of Hevron 's Jewish community is not to expel the Arabs living here. Anyone of any race or religion should be able to live in Hevron .

However, we demand that our Arab neighbors accept the fact that the Jews have an eternal, legitimate right to live in the first Jewish city in the land of Israel . This is our goal: living normal lives, just as anyone else, anywhere in .

Our goal is to ensure that our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be able to live in Hevron.

Our goal is to make sure that all Jews will have access to Ma'arat HaMachpela, that Jews will never again be told that this holy site is 'off-limits' because 'you are Jews.'

Others ask: how can you stay in Hevron ? It is so dangerous. How can you risk the lives of your families and children in such a place?

It was May 2001, about eight months after the Oslo War — otherwise known as the second intifada — began. Daily, Hevron 's residents were attacked by terrorist gunmen from the surrounding hills transferred to the control of the Palestinian Authority several years earlier.

At 11 one night I was still in the office, five minutes from our home. Again, the sound of gunfire could be heard from the Abu Sneneh and Harat al-Shech hills The phone on my desk rang. It was one of my daughters, Aderet, then 16. Breathless, she exclaimed, "Dad, they're shooting again." I answered lackadaisically, "Yeah, I hear it." In other words, "What's new — it's the same, every day."

"But they shot into our apartment. And I was standing there," my daughter cried.

Arriving home, I discovered five holes in a wall opposite the window in the children's room. Aderet and Ruti had been standing not more than three feet from where the bullets hit. Miraculously, they weren't injured.

Today, Aderet is married with two children of her own. And she too lives here in Hevron . Another of my married daughters, with three children, also continues to live in the city. Why not leave, due to the danger? 

Jews in Hevron are willing to risk present dangers because acquiescence can only be defined as a reward for terrorism. Arab terror seeks to expel us from our homes, using murder as a means to an end. However, "our homes" include not only those inHevron but also in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa . New Palestinian textbooks contain maps of "Palestine" that include the entire state of Israel .

Eviction from Hevron, the first Jewish city in Eretz Yisrael, would be tantamount to the removal of Americans from Boston or Philadelphia upon terrorist demands.Except, of course, that American history is less than 250 years old; Jewish history inHevron is more than 3,700 years old.

Hevron, home of Abraham, is not just the place where Judaism got its start. It is the source of monotheism for all peoples of the world.

Jewish people in and around the world support a strong, vibrant Jewish presence inHevron . We do not expect any Israeli government to attempt to follow in the footsteps of Arab Nazi Mufti Amin el-Husseini and the British and expel Jews from the city. In any case, we would never abandon our homes.

Besides which, why should the state of be forced to chop off its roots to appease Arab terror? We know the result of eradicating the roots of a tree. God forbid that should happen!

Present Defense Minister and Former Prime Minister Barak once blessed Hevron as follows: "The test of the renewed Hevron Jewish community, which is the same test of the Arab majority, is the ability to develop good neighborly relationships. Mutual honor and a joint effort are necessary to overcome the scars, the pain and the difficult reminders left from the despicable carnage which desecrated this holy city."

Hevron 's Jewish Community could not agree more with this statement. The time has come for our Arab neighbors to stop shooting at us, to stop trying to kill us for no other reason than because we are Jews living in Hevron . Perhaps they believe that by killing us, or by attempting to murder us, they will scare us away. They cannot be further from the truth, because Hevron is the heart of the Jewish people, the life-blood from which the Jewish people derives its sanctity.

This is a simple truth that everyone should not only understand, but also agree with. We truly hope and pray for the day when true peace will prevail, both in Hevron, throughout the land of Israel and all over the entire world.

Final note from our archives: "On the occasion of the thirty second anniversary of the renewal of the Jewish Community of Hevron, I am happy to convey to the entire community blessings of success and shalom. The right of Jews to live tranquilly in the city of the Forefathers securely, protected from all danger, is not disputed." So began Defense Minister and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak's letter of good wishes to The Jewish Community of Hebron on Jerusalem Day 1999. (Ehud Barak is not a part of the Israeli right.)

David Wilder is spokesman for the Jewish community of Hevron. This article appears on the Jewish community's website.