Subbotnik Jews visit Hebron
Chol Ha-Moed Pesach (the intermediate festival days of the Passover) is a perfect time for traveling across Israel and seeing beautiful places. The Subbotnik Jewish community of Beit Shemesh, formerly of Vysoki, enjoyed their visit to Hebron that became one of the main highlights of this Passover holiday. For the whole group this was the first visit ever to the city, and the participants were glad to see its major sights and study its history together with Rabbi Shlomo Zelig Avrasin of Shavei Israel.
“The program of the tour was very rich,” Rabbi Avrasin recalls. “First, we visited Tel Rumeida and the observation platform on the Jewish building, where I told about Abraham’s purchase of the Machpela cave. We examined the excavations of ancient Hebron and learned about the history of the modern settlement of Rumeida. Then we visited an ancient cemetery, talked about Professor Tavger, who took care of it, about the daughter of Tsemah Tzedek who lived in Hebron. Then we visited Beit Hadassah, walked by Beit Schneerson, Beit Romano, entered Abraham Avinu’s quarter and finally visited Maarat haMachpela itself. Then we drove back, stopped in Kiryat Arba. At the end, we made a stop by the old oak tree near Alon Shvut, and I told the group about the history of the settlement of Gush Etzion”.
The participants of the trip shared with us a lot of beautiful pictures and positive feedback. More tours like this are planned for this summer, among them Western Wall tunnels tour and a trip to the mount Meron and the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
