http://www.hebron.org.il
Like Jerusalem, Hevron is one of the four holy cities of Israel (The other cities are Tiberias and Tzfat). Even when Jews were not in charge of the Land of Israel, some Jews still lived in Hevron. Like Jerusalem, Hevron is also in a part of Israel called Judea. It is called “Judea,” because Jacob’s son Judah lived there.
Hevron was the first Jewish city. The Torah tells us that Avraham bought a cave, maarat hamachpelah, to bury his wife, Sarah. Later, Avraham, Yitzchak (Isaac) and Rivka (Rebecca), Yaakov (Jacob) and Leah were all buried there. Even though this is a very holy place for Jews, Jews were not allowed to go into the cave for over 700 years! The Moslem rulers said Jews could only go as far as the seventh step on the outside of the cave.
(outside Maarat haMachpela) (Leah's monument)
(in the hallway of Maarat haMachpela)
Hevron was one of the cities that Israel won back during the Six Day War. Now, there is a yeshiva and small Jewish neighborhoods in the city. Jews can now pray at the Maarat haMachpela (By the way, the "seventh step" was destroyed. However, you can see the darkened area toward the bottom center of the picture above (near where the men are standing).
Jews can once again come from all over the world to visit the place where so many special people are buried. Can you find Hevron on the map at the top of the page introducing The Land?
But Hebron is not just about the Jewish past. It's about the Jewish present and future! There is a Jewish community living in the old city of Hevron, as well as another in the near by community of Kiryat Arba. In Hevron itself, most of the Jews live in small apartments or caravans.
They are in their own sections of the
city, apart from the Arabs who live there (Many of the Arabs do not want
Jews to live in Hevron.).
If you visit, though, you will see that Hevron is not just a city with lots of
history. It is a city with lots of every day Jewish heroes who are trying to live
happy, safe and enjoyable Jewish lives in this holy city. Children
go to school and learn and play just like you do! On Purim, they have a
Purim parade and carnival (Fuchs Mizrachi School even sponsored the carnival in
2007/5767.).
a playground and a Jewish school in two different areas of
Jewish Hevron
Yeshiva
students learning Torah in Hevron. http://www.hebron.org.il/romano.htm
the Purim carnival in Hevron
http://www.hebron.com/english/gallery.php?id=189
Click HERE to hear a beautiful song, The Flame (Shalhevet's Song), from Lenny Solomon and Shlock Rock. The song talks of the heroes living in Hevron. It was written in memory of Shalhevet Pass, a baby who was killed by terrorists who shot her from a hill overlooking the city. (That hill now has an Israeli army base there, so that- G-d Willing- this will never happen again.)
