Hebron - Holy Sites - Ma´arat HaMachpela, etc. - Cave of the Patriarchs
Holy Sites
The Cave of Machpela was the first land purchase by a Jew in Eretz Yisrael. For this reason it is a unique site in the annals of Jewish history. The great sages of the Jewish People teach that Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpela for the full market price rather than receive it as a gift, so that the nations of that world would never be able to dispute the eternal ownership by the People of Israel. Later, for the very same reason, Jacob and King David purchased the city of Shechem and the city of Jerusalem respectively. This idea is expressed in the following Midrash (Biblical commentary). (Gen./Beresheet Rabba 79:7):
Said Rabbi Yuden the son of Simon: ” This is one of the three places that the nations (of the world) can never castigate the Jewish people and say “you are occupying stolen territory”. These are the three places: The Cave of the Machpela, the Holy Temple Mount and Joseph’s burial site. The Cave of the Machpela because it is said: ”And Abraham counted out to Ephron the money he had spoken of to the sons of Het--four hundred shekels of valid currency” (Gen. 23:16).
The three places: The Cave of Machpela-the earliest land purchase site, together with Shechem and Jerusalem, are the genuine of continued Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel. These are the very locations where the nations of the world have attempted to claim: ”You are occupying stolen property.” A special significance is attributed by Jewish scholars, to the purchase of the Cave of the Machpela as they compare it to the Ten Commandments:
“Said Rabbi Eliezer: How much ink is spilled and how many quills are worn out in the writing of the words: ‘The sons of Het’, (who sold the site to Abraham) [for these words, ‘the sons of Het’ are mentioned] ten times-corresponding to the same number of the Ten Commandments”. (Gen. Rabba 58:8).
The very detailed description of the purchase of the Cave of the Machpela by Abraham, the cornerstone of the Jewish People’s affiliation to Eretz Yisrael, is equated to the Ten Commandments - the very basis of the Torah given to the people of Israel. The purchase of the Cave of the Machpela prior to any other place in the Land of Israel--even before Jerusalem-the site of the Holy Temple--is not perceived by our sages as a mere coincidence. On the contrary, they tell us that Abraham, knowingly and willingly relinquished his right to conquer or purchase Jerusalem as a condition to buying the Cave of the Machpela. This action postponed the acquisition of Jerusalem by more than eight centuries. The following Midrashic illustration from “Pirkei Derabi Eliezer”(Chap. 36) serves as a basis for this teaching:
Abraham advised the Jebusites of his wish to buy the Cave of the Machpela, at a good price, for gold and a legal deed to the place that would be a burial site.
Were they Jebusites? Weren’t they Hittites?--but they were named Jebusites because of their proximity to Jebusite city.
They did not agree. He (Abraham) began kneeling and bowing to them, as it is said: ”And Abraham bowed in front of the people of the land”. They said to him: We know that the All-Mighty will give all of these lands to you and your descendants; enter into an oath with us that the sons of Israel will inherit the city of Jebus only with the consent of the Jebusite people.
Later he purchased the Cave of the Machpela with gold and an everlasting deed. When the people of Israel came into the Land of Israel, they wanted to enter into the Jebusite city. However, they were unable to do so because of Abraham’s oath and covenant with the Jebusites, as it is said: ”And the Jebusite-the settlers of Jerusalem, they (The people of Israel) did not inherit it. (Judges 1:21)
This Midrash comes to teach us, not that Avraham really relinquished Jerusalem, but that he saw Hebron as the foundation of the Jewish People in Israel, without which, we would never reach the holiness of Jerusalem.
The year was 1979. Ten women and forty children had recently moved into the basement floor of Beit Hadassah in Hebron, and set up house, as best as possible. Sort of like an urban kibbutz. A large eating area and several rooms for the mothers and their children. Swings hanging between tree branches and makeshift see-saws comprised the playground. Showers were a bucket of water poured over the head outside, blocked off from the others by a flimsy curtain. Running water was a luxury not yet available.
One morning Miriam Levinger, waking up her six-year old son, suddenly opened her eyes in shock. A registered nurse, Miriam's own eyes darkened as she looked into her son's eyes. What she saw was yellow. Literally. The child wasn't scared. He was sick. Without any running water, without normal sanitary facilities, living in a filthy building vacant for years, jaundice was a real possibility. Seeing her son's yellow eyes, Miriam Levinger knew that the disease had arrived. She also knew that jaundice is very contagious and would likely spread quickly from child to child.
As she describes it, Miriam was certain that the Beit Hadassah venture would soon be over. She was sure that as soon as the other women heard that her son was infected with jaundice, they would all leave, immediately. Girding her strength, and ready for the worst, she started making the rounds. "My son has jaundice." "Oh, really. What else is new this morning?" And that's the way is was, from one to the other. "O.K. -- it will pass -- he'll be healthy soon." Not one woman left.
One of the women was pregnant, and of course, jaundice and pregnancy are not overly compatible. "Shoshana, you can't stay here and risk infection." Shoshana's reply: If I leave, I won't be able to return. I'm staying." (Beit Hadassah was then under siege -- anyone who left couldn't go back, and no one else was allowed in.) "But Shoshana?". "No buts -- I'm not leaving. Miriam will take care of me."
Shoshana, after receiving special permission to leave Beit Hadassah and return, later gave birth to a little girl, named her Hadassah, and returned to Beit Hadassah.
The Beit Hadassah women and children all survived one of the first tests of their will and determination: jaundice.
Almost exactly eleven years ago the Ze'ev family was enjoying their Passover holiday meal at the new home they had just finished building in Shilo, in the Shomron. As is customary, during the meal the younger Ze'ev children 'stole' a piece of Matza, needed to later complete the traditional ceremonies. As the time approached to conclude the meal, their father Yisrael, and mother, Miriam, looked at the eight kids and asked them to return the Matza. "What will you give us if we give it back," they asked. "Well, what do you want?" What do children usually ask for - a basketball, a doll, a book, or maybe a bicycle. But this time the kids had a different idea in mind. Glancing at their sister, Isca, then 18 years old, they took a deep breath and answered.
Watching them closely, Isca smiled to herself. A first-class instigator, Isca had coached her younger siblings well, one by one.
"We want to go live in Hebron. If we can go live in Hebron, we'll give you the Matza back. Otherwise?"
Yisrael and Miriam looked at each other and shrugged. "O.K.," Yisrael answered, "if that's what you want, that's what you'll get. Now, go get the Matza."
And that's how the Ze'ev family decided to move to Hebron.
Almost exactly a year later, troublemaker Isca received her own personal reward. Isca had already been living and working in Kiryat Arba for a year, performing her national volunteer service at Midreshet Hevron. Now, living in Hebron, not far from Rabbi Moshe and Rebbetzin Miriam Levinger, Isca's sparkling personality drew the attention of one of the Levinger daughters. She decided to play matchmaker and arranged a meeting between Isca and one of her brothers. Soon after there was an engagement party and then a wedding. Isca Ze'ev married the little boy who came down with jaundice in Beit Hadassah, sixteen years earlier, Shlomo Levinger.
For most of their married life the young Levingers, today parents of four, lived in the same building where Shlomo spent a year of his early childhood. But this time, rather than live in the basement, Shlomo and his family lived on the top floor of Beit Hadassah. I have a personal affinity to the Shlomo, Isca and their children, as we have been neighbors for almost seven years, living across the hall from each other. But a few days ago, on Friday, we bid them farewell.
Early Friday morning the movers arrived, packed up their truck, and chugged up a very steep hill, about 3 minutes away. No, they aren't leaving Hebron. Rather, the Levingers became the first family to move into Hebron's newest building in the Admot Ishai (Tel Rumeida) neighborhood. The new building, called "Beit Menachem" in honor of the Lubavitcher Rebbi, Rabbi Menachem M. Shneerson, will house seven families and a Torah study hall. The site's official dedication will take place during Hebron's upcoming Passover festivities.
I think it very auspicious that the Levinger family initiate this new apartment building. Directly under their apartment is the Hebron Archaeological Park, which contains artifacts from 4,500 to 1,500 years old, including a wall from the days of Abraham and a house from the era of King Hezekiah, some 2,700 years ago.
What could be more fitting than to have a representative of Hebron's 'first family,' a son of Rabbi Moshe and Rebbetzin Miriam Levinger, known as the 'father and mother' of Hebron's modern Jewish community, be the first to move into this new edifice?
To me, this site could be called Tel Aviv. Why? Today's Israeli metropolis is named after Theodore Herzl's book, Altneuland, which literally means 'old -- new land,' with 'Tel' [the name for a hill containing the remains of an ancient city-ed] representing the old and 'Aviv' (which means spring in Hebrew), representing the new. However, the authentic 'old' is here in Hebron, the roots of our existence, at the site called Tel Hebron. And the new is directly above the old -- a beautiful new apartment complex, the buds of the rebirth of the Jewish People in the City of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs.
It won't be long before "Beit Menachem" will be full of families with many children running around. These families and children are the blossoms on the trees planted by Abraham and Sarah, almost 4,000 years ago, at this very site. We thank G-d for the privilege to follow in the footsteps of such esteemed ancestors, being able to rebuild and live in the real Tel Aviv.
The Abraham Avinu Synagogue (Hebrew: בית הכנסת על שם אברהם אבינו) was built by Hakham Malkiel Ashkenazi in the Jewish Quarter of Hebron in 1540. The domed structure represented the physical center of the Jewish Quarter of Hebron, and became the spiritual center of the Jewish Community there and a major center for the study of Kabalah. It was restored in 1738 and enlarged in 1864.
In 1929, residents of the Jewish Quarter of Hebron were murdered and raped and their homes destroyed by Arab rioters during the 1929 Hebron massacre after incitement by Muslim clerics.
Jordan took control of the area in 1948, and after this time a wholesale market, trash dump and public toilet were placed on the site of the Jewish Quarter. A goat and donkey pen was placed on the ruins of the Synagogue.
When Israel won control over the West Bank after the Six Day War in 1967, a gradual return of Jews took place to the Jewish Quarter in Hebron. In 1976 the Israeli Government ordered evacuation of the animal pen, enabling the remnants of the synagogue to be uncovered, and the Synagogue was rebuilt.
Today, the rebuilt synagogue is used each Friday night by the Jewish residents of Hebron to hold prayer services. The synagogue is also open to visitors each day of the week so they can learn about the history of the synagogue, and hold private services.
Pesach 1968 - Jews return to Hebron to celebrate Pesach.
Erev Rosh HaShana 1971 - Jews move from the Hebron Military Compound to the newly founded Kiryat Arba
Erev Rosh Hodesh Iyar 1979 - Jews Return to the city of Hebron
A week and a half after Pesach a group of 10 women and 40 children left Kiryat Arba in the middle of the night, driven in a truck through the deserted streets of Hebron. They made their way to the abandoned Beit Hadassah building, originally built in the 1870s as a medical clinic for Jews and Arabs in Hebron, abandoned since the 1929 riots.
The women and children, assisted by men, climb into Beit Hadassah through a back window, bringing with them only minimal supplies. They swept some of the decades-old dust from the floor, spread out some mattresses, and went to sleep.
When they awoke in the morning the children began singing: v'shavu banim l'gvulam - the children have returned home. Soldiers guarding on the roof of the building, coming down to investigate, were astounded at the sight of the women and children. Quickly they reported to their superiors, and soon the "Beit Hadassah women" were a national issue.
Prime Minister Menachem Begin was not in favor of Jewish settlement in the heart of the city, but opposed physically expelling the group. He ordered the building surrounded by police and soldiers, and decreed that nothing, including food and water, be allowed into the building. Begin was soon visited by Rabbi Moshe Levinger, whose wife Miriam and many of his children were among those inside Beit Hadassah.
"When the Israeli army surrounded the Egyptian third army in Sinai during the Yom Kippur War, we gave the enemy soldiers food, water and medical supplies. If this is what we supplied Egyptian soldiers who had attacked and killed our soldiers, at the very least allow the women and children in Hebron the same."
Begin had no choice but to agree. The women and children lived like this, under siege, for two months. No one was allowed in and anyone leaving would not be allowed to return.
One day a little boy in Beit Hadassah had a tooth-ache and left for a dentist in Kiryat Arba. When he arrived back at Beit Hadassah the soldier guarding at the entrance refused to allow him back in. The little boy started crying, saying, "I want my Ema (mother)." At that time the Israeli cabinet was in session, and a note was relayed to the Prime Minister that a little boy was crying outside Beit Hadassah because he wasn’t allowed back in. Following a discussion by the cabinet, the little boy was permitted to return to his mother in Beit Hadassah.
After over two months the women and children were allowed to leave and return, but no one else was allowed in. They lived this way for a year.
After over two months the women and children were allowed to leave and return, but no one else was allowed in. They lived this way for a year.
On Friday nights, following Shabbat prayers at Ma'arat HaMachpela, the worshipers, including students from the Kiryat Arba Nir Yeshiva, would dance to Beit Hadassah, sing and dance in front of the building, recite Kiddush for the women, and then return to Kiryat Arba. In early May of 1980, a year after the women first arrived at Beit Hadassah, the group of men was attacked by terrorists stationed on the roof of a building across from Beit Hadassah. The Arab terrorists, shooting and throwing hand grenades killed six men and wounded twenty. Later that week the Israeli government finally issued official authorization for the renewal of a Jewish community in Hebron.
On June 11 of this year, exactly twenty years after the murder at Beit Hadassah, a new building in memory of those men killed was dedicated in Hebron. Beit HaShisha, the House of the Six, will house six new families. This beautiful structure will eternalize the names of six young men who gave their lives in Hebron, and who deaths led to the return of Jews to the heart of the city. Hebron's Jewish community had to wait twenty years to memorialize these men, but that dream is now a reality.
Menucha
The Cave of Othniel Ben Knaz - First Judge of Israel
This ancient burial cave has been the site of prayers for generations.
Otniel ben Knaz Gallery
Tucked away in what is today a residential street in Hebron is a burial cave which for generations has been venerated as the Tomb of Othniel, the first judge of Israel. Othniel, (also pronounced Otniel or Osniel), was considered a heroic Jewish leader who brought the Jewish people back to their roots after the death of Joshua. Referred to as Othniel Ben Knaz, he is mentioned both in the Book of Joshua and Judges.
It states in Judges 1:12-13, "And Caleb said, "He that shall smite Kiriat-Sepher and capture it; to him will I give Achsah my daughter for a wife. And Othniel the son of Knaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife."
This story is also mentioned in Joshua 15:17.
The text continues in Judges 3:9-11, "And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a savior (champion) to the children of Israel who saved them; Othniel the son of Knaz, Caleb's brother, who was younger than he. And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the Lord delivered into his hands Cushan-rishathaim the king of Aram; and his hand prevailed upon Cushan-rishathaim. And the land had rest forty years; then Othniel the son of Kenaz died."
Othniel is also mentioned in I Chronicles 4:13 and in the Talmud in Sotah 11b.
Othniel is also mentioned in I Chronicles 4:13 and in the Talmud in Sotah 11b.
Caleb
There is a strong connection with Hebron to the story of Caleb. He, along with Joshua, was one of the twelve scouts to investigate the land of Israel during the wandering in the desert. Hebron was one of the main sites where the scouts arrived. They later brought back ill reports of the land, however Joshua and Caleb, disagreed and spoke positively of the land despite the perceived struggles. (Numbers 13:22)
A Midrash says that during this visit, Caleb visited the Cave of Machpela, burial site of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs.
Later, in the Book of Joshua, Caleb is blessed with Hebron as an inheritance, as it states, "And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. Hebron, therefore, became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he fulfilled the will of the Lord God of Israel. And the name of Hebron before was Kiriat-Arba... And the land had rest from war." (Joshua 14: 13-15).
The Tomb of Othniel
(Photo: "Tomb of Avner Ben Ner, Commander of the Army of Israel.")
(Photo: Outside of the Tomb of Abner. Source: Shavei Hebron)
(Photo: Courtyard of the Tomb of Abner Ben Ner complex. Source: Shavei Hebron)
(Photo: A woman prays in the Tomb of Abner Ben Ner. Photo by David Wilder)
(Photo: Courtyard of the Tomb of Abner Ben Ner complex. Source: Shavei Hebron)
(Photo: Cover of the reprint of Rabbi Moses Basola's historic travelogue. Source:Amazon)
(Photo: Front page of Sefer Yihus ha-Tzaddiqim, reprinted by Abraham Lunz. Source: Penn Library)
About 200 meters west of Beit Hadassah, at the top of a rocky incline, is a burial cave. In what is known toward as Policeman's Square in a busy residential street, is a site revered for generations as a burial cave. The site corresponds with how the Mishna, in Bava Batra 101 describes the traditional burial practices of the Jewish people of that time period.
Throughout the generations, it has been revered as the tomb of Othniel Ben Knaz, brother (kinsman) of Caleb. The site has been mentioned by many travelers over the generations.
One such traveler was Menachem Mendel of Kamenitz, who ended up remaining in Israel and becoming the first hotelier in the Land of Israel. He wrote about his travels in his 1839 book entitled Sefer Korot Ha-Itim, later translated into English as Book of the Occurrences of the Times to Jeshurun in the Land of Israel. Menehem Mendel wrote, "outside of the city [of Hebron] I went to the grave of Othniel ben Kenaz and, next to him, are laid to rest 9 students in niches in the wall of a shelter standing in a vineyard. I gave 20 pa’res to the owner of the vineyard."
Another author and traveler who reports visiting the tomb was J. J. Benjamin, also known as Benjamin II, a reference to the famous Benjamin of Tudela, the writer and traveler who visited Israel circa 1165. Benjamin writes in his book Eight Years in Asia and Africa (Hanover, 1858), "Likewise outside the city, towards the south, in a vineyard, which was purchased by the Jews, are the graves of the father of King David and of the first Judge, Othniel, the son of Kinah."
Visiting the Tomb Today
Popular times for pilgrimages to the site include Tisha B'Av and Lag Ba'Omer. Since 1997, the site has been designated in the H1 territory. Numerous legal battles have taken place in recent years over prayer rights. However despite the tension, visitors still come to pay their respects to the leader of the Jewish people in from ancient times.
Tomb of Abner Ben Ner
King Saul's top fighter Abner Ben Ner was part of the tumultuous history of the Jewish kingdom. His final resting place is in Hebron, the capital city under King David.
The Tomb of Abner Ben Ner is one of the many gravesites of Biblical figures located in Hebron as described in II Samuel 3:32. "And they buried Abner in Hebron, and the king raised his voice and wept on Abner's grave, and all the people wept." According to a medieval Jewish tradition, he was buried near the Tomb of Machpela, which corresponds to the present-day location of the site.
The story of Abner Ben Ner is fraught with intrigue during the trying times of King David, as described in Samuel, Books I and II. Abner ben Ner was King Saul's cousin and commander-in-chief of his army. After King Saul died in battle, Abner appointed his son, Ishbosheth, as king, leading to rival factions being created. The text described a dramatic battle of self-defense between Abner and Asahel. Abner later met his death at the hands of Yoav, the brother of Asahel at the Battle of Gibeon.
According to tradition, the head of Saul's son Ishboshet, was buried by Avner's grave, as described in the Bible, "And David commanded the young men, and they slew them... and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But the head of Ishbosheth they took and buried in the grave of Abner in Hebron." - II Samuel - Chapter 4:12.
Today, the picturesque Tomb of Abner is a stone structure with several rooms arranged around a courtyard with a Mameluke-style gate, near the Tomb of the Patriarchs. For generations Jewish people have paid their respects to the Patriachs and Matriarchs at the ancient Tomb of Machpela. The nearby Tomb of Abner receives its share of visitors as well.
The building where the tomb was housed fell into disrepair over the years due to neglect. It was refurbished in the mid-1990s. In 1997, the Hebron Redeployment Agreement divided the city into H1, controlled by the PA and H2, controlled by Israel. Since then the Tomb of Abner is technically under Israeli jurisdiction but is accessible to Jewish residents and visitors only 10 times a year. These ten times include Rosh Hashannah, one day during the Ten Days of Repentance, Yom Kippur, certain days during chol hamoed Sukkot, Shabbat Parshat Chaya Sarah, certain days during chol hamoed Passover, and on Rosh Chodesh Elul, for the annual Hilulat Avot, the celebration commemorating the Patriarchs. On these days, the Isaac Hall in the Tomb of Machpela is also open. These prayer rights came after many petitions and official requests to the government.
Avner ben Ner's grave is chronicled in various accounts of travelers who visited Hebron throughout history. Rabbi Moses Basola visited Hebron in the year 1522. He stated, "Abner's grave is in the middle of Hebron; the Muslims built a mosque above it." His travelogue has been reprinted in the book In Zion and Jerusalem: The Itinerary of Rabbi Moses Basola (1521 - 1523).
In Sefer Yihus ha-Tzaddiqim (Book of Genealogy of the Righteous) a Jewish visitor writes, "At the entrance to the market in Hebron, at the top of the hill against the wall, Abner ben Ner is buried, in a church, in a cave." The book is a collection of Jewish pilgrimage literature first printed by Gershom ben Asher of Scarmela in Mantua, Italy in 1561. The book was reprinted by Abraham Moshe Lunz in Jerusalem, 1896.
The Tomb of Avner is referenced by Menahem Mendel of Kamenitz, owner of one of the first hotels in the Land of Israel. Before making Israel his permenant home, he wrote of his visits to the land in a book entitled Sefer Korot Ha-Itim, published in 1839. He writes:
"Here I write of the graves of the righteous to which I paid my respects. Hebron – Described above is the character and order of behavior of those coming to pray at the Cave of ha-Machpelah. I went there, between the stores, over the grave of Avner ben Ner and was required to pay a Yishmaeli – the grave was in his courtyard – to allow me to enter." For the full text in its English translation see, Book of the Occurrences of the Times to Jeshurun in the Land of Israel.
Another author and traveler who reports visiting the tomb was J. J. Benjamin, also known as Benjamin II, a reference to the famous Benjamin of Tudela, the writer and traveler who visited Israel circa 1165. Benjamin writes in his book Eight Years in Asia and Africa (Hanover, 1858):
"On leaving the Sepulchre of the Patriarchs, and proceeding on the road leading to the Jewish quarter, to the left of the courtyard, is seen a Turkish dwelling house, by the side of which is a small grotto, to which there is a descent of several steps. This is the tomb of Abner, captain of King Saul. It is held in much esteem by the Arabs, and the proprietor of it takes care that it is always kept in the best order. He requires from those who visit it a small gratuity."
In 1912, the famous British-born Jewish scholar Israel Abrahams wrote:
"Hebron was the seat of David’s rule over Judea. Abner was slain here by Joab, and was buried here – they still show Abner’s tomb in the garden of a large house within the city. By the pool at Hebron were slain the murderers of Ishbosheth..." The report comes from his travel writings entitled The Book of Delight and Other Papers.
In modern times, Abner Ben Ner has sparkled the imagination of the creators of popular culture as well. In the 1960 film David and Goliath, Abner is performed by Italian actor Massimo Serato with King Saul played by veteran director Orson Welles. He is portrayed in the 1961 British-Israeli drama A Story of David by Welsh actor David Davies. In the 1976 television miniseries, The Story of David, the younger Abner is performed by Israeli actor Yehuda Efroni and the older Abner is portrayed by British actor Brian Blessed. In the 1985 American drama King David he is played by English actor John Castle with the King David role played by Richard Gere. In the 1997 musical King David, written by Tim Rice and Alan Menken, Abner is played by American actor Timothy Shew. In the 1997 TV movie David, he is played by Richard Ashcroft. In the Brazilian television series Rei Davi (King David) created in 2012, Abner is portrayed by actor Iran Malfitano.
Sources:
* Holy Tombs by Michael Ish Shalom (Jerusalem, Rabbi Kook Foundation Publishing House, 1948)
* Sacred Tombs (Sepulchral Monuments in Palestine) (Hebrew) by Zeev Vilnay. (Jerusalem, Rabbi Kook Foundation Publishing House 1951)
* Tombs of the Righteous in the Land of Israel (Hebrew) by Dr. Zvi Ilan, (Jerusalem: Kanah, 1997)
* Sites in Hebron (United With Hebron Book 4) by David Wilder, (Amazon Digital Services, Inc., 2012)
In 1925, the largest and most important Yeshiva in Kovna, Lithuania moved to Eretz Yisrael. Following a short stay in Jaffa, the Yeshiva settled in Hebron. The Rosh Yeshiva was Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein. Rav Natan Tzvi Finkle, one of the most important leaders of the Musar movement, was Mashgiach, the spiritual director.
In Hebron the Yeshiva originally numbered about 120 students. By 1929 there were close to 200 students. Yeshivat Knesset Yisrael turned out to be the largest Yeshiva in Israel. Men from Europe, America and Israel studied here. They excelled in Torah study and were famous for their modern, fashionable dress. Many of the Yeshiva's students were later recognized as major Torah scholars.
For the short time that the Yeshiva, and other accompanying institutions were in Hebron, they brought about a notable spiritual and economic renewal to the city, which had suffered greatly following the first World War.
THE SIX MURDERED OUTSIDE BEIT HADASSAH17 IYAR 5740
May 2 1980
May 2 1980
Zvi Menachem ben Shmuel Chaim - Zvi (Howie) Glatt, Gershon Klein, Ya'akov Zimmerman, Hanan Krauthammer, Eli HaZe'ev, and Shmuel Mermelstein were murdered in front of the Beit Hadassah in Hebron on Friday evening, May 2, 1980. They were there to make Kiddush and give strength to the women and children who moved into Beit Hadassah to re-establish the Jewish Community in Hebron. ?
Today there are Jewish families living not only in Beit Hadassah but also in Beit Hashishah (named after the '6' boys hy"d). They are also remembered in the new Hebron Museum which has opened several exhibits including an interactive film.
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