
Hevron Tour: 25 Iyar (Wednesday, May 30) "Hevron Forever!" bumper sticker The Jewish community of Hevron offers a daylong tour of their city every Monday and Wednesday. I really wanted to visit Hevron so I signed up for the tour. A van picked us up from the Sheraton Plaza Hotel on King George Street at 9 am. There were five tour-goers: Terry and Alex Simon from West Hempstead, NY; Mr. and Mrs. Starr who currently live in Ma'ale Adumim; and me. The van took us to Kiryat Arba where our tour guide Rabbi Simcha Hochbaum joined us. First we had a quick drive-through of Kiryat Arba, accompanied by an explanation of why we shouldn't be content to live in Kiryat Arba (it's not the "real thing"). Next we drove into Hevron, to the top of the mountain where Avraham's tent stood. We saw some recent excavations and the unbelievable pioneers of Admot Yishai (Tel Rumeida) who are living in double-decker caravans on a tiny plot of land there. This is where Rabbi Shlomo Ra'anan was stabbed to death in his home. We visited: The old cemetery of Hevron Beit Hadassah: Here we heard the story of how Rabbanit Levenger and a group of brave women and children re-inhabited the building in 1979. In the basement of Beit Hadassah is a little museum dedicated to the history of Jewish Hevron. The Avraham Avinu neighborhood: Which reminded me a lot of Jerusalem's Old City. Inside the Avraham Avinu shul we heard the story of how the neighborhood got its name: In the early 1500's, due to starvation and disease, the Jewish community in Hevron had shrunk to the point that only nine men showed up in shul on Kol Nidrei night. Suddenly a tenth, old man - a stranger - entered. After davening, he refused to go to anybody's home to sleep. Instead, he stayed up all night learning in the shul. The next morning he was there to complete the minyan again. After the fast as he was walking home with a Hevron resident for the break-the-fast meal, he vanished. That night the resident had a dream in which the old man appeared and said he was their grandfather Avraham Avinu. He couldn't let Yom Kippur pass in his city without a minyan. David Wilder, Hevron spokesman, spoke with us in the shul for twenty minutes. I asked, isn't it frustrating to keep explaining and fighting with so few results? His answer struck me, basically he said that Hevron has been around forever and will remain forever - and that is the reason they're there. Gutnick Center: For lunch Ma'aras Hamachpelah: Before entering, Simcha reminded us where we were and repeated the words of the shemoneh esrei: "...Elokei Avraham... Yitzchak... Yaakov... v'zocher chasdei avos..." In Ohel Avraham we met an incredible man with curly white hair, a trim beard and glowing face. His name was Yitzchak. He learns there every day. He gave me a beautiful bracha that all my requests should be fulfilled. The van drove back to Kiryat Arba where Simcha left us. Then it took us to Kever Rachel - which has been entirely enclosed and turned into a fortress - and then back to Yerushalayim. It was an incredible day, and I was left with the very strong belief that you need enormous zechus to earn the privilege of living in Hevron. Want to learn more? The Hevron community maintains a thorough web site at http://www.hebron.org.il. I especially recommend their page dedicated to Sites in Hevron. [Table of Contents] \| [Previous Page] \| [Next Page]

Hevron Tour: 25 Iyar (Wednesday, May 30)

"Hevron Forever!" bumper sticker

The Jewish community of Hevron offers a daylong tour of their city every Monday and Wednesday. I really wanted to visit Hevron so I signed up for the tour. A van picked us up from the Sheraton Plaza Hotel on King George Street at 9 am. There were five tour-goers: Terry and Alex Simon from West Hempstead, NY; Mr. and Mrs. Starr who currently live in Ma'ale Adumim; and me. The van took us to Kiryat Arba where our tour guide Rabbi Simcha Hochbaum joined us. First we had a quick drive-through of Kiryat Arba, accompanied by an explanation of why we shouldn't be content to live in Kiryat Arba (it's not the "real thing").

Next we drove into Hevron, to the top of the mountain where Avraham's tent stood. We saw some recent excavations and the unbelievable pioneers of Admot Yishai (Tel Rumeida) who are living in double-decker caravans on a tiny plot of land there. This is where Rabbi Shlomo Ra'anan was stabbed to death in his home.

We visited:

The old cemetery

Beit Hadassah: Here we heard the story of how Rabbanit Levenger and a group of brave women and children re-inhabited the building in 1979. In the basement of Beit Hadassah is a little museum dedicated to the history of Jewish Hevron.

The Avraham Avinu neighborhood: Which reminded me a lot of Jerusalem's Old City. Inside the Avraham Avinu shul we heard the story of how the neighborhood got its name:

In the early 1500's, due to starvation and disease, the Jewish community in Hevron had shrunk to the point that only nine men showed up in shul on Kol Nidrei night. Suddenly a tenth, old man - a stranger - entered. After davening, he refused to go to anybody's home to sleep. Instead, he stayed up all night learning in the shul. The next morning he was there to complete the minyan again. After the fast as he was walking home with a Hevron resident for the break-the-fast meal, he vanished. That night the resident had a dream in which the old man appeared and said he was their grandfather Avraham Avinu. He couldn't let Yom Kippur pass in his city without a minyan.

David Wilder, Hevron spokesman, spoke with us in the shul for twenty minutes. I asked, isn't it frustrating to keep explaining and fighting with so few results? His answer struck me, basically he said that Hevron has been around forever and will remain forever - and that is the reason they're there.

Gutnick Center: For lunch

Ma'aras Hamachpelah: Before entering, Simcha reminded us where we were and repeated the words of the shemoneh esrei: "...Elokei Avraham... Yitzchak... Yaakov... v'zocher chasdei avos..." In Ohel Avraham we met an incredible man with curly white hair, a trim beard and glowing face. His name was Yitzchak. He learns there every day. He gave me a beautiful bracha that all my requests should be fulfilled.

The van drove back to Kiryat Arba where Simcha left us. Then it took us to Kever Rachel - which has been entirely enclosed and turned into a fortress - and then back to Yerushalayim. It was an incredible day, and I was left with the very strong belief that you need enormous zechus to earn the privilege of living in Hevron.

Want to learn more?

The Hevron community maintains a thorough web site at http://www.hebron.org.il. I especially recommend their page dedicated to Sites in Hevron.

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