HEBRON, THE FIRST JEWISH CITY by Steve Kramer

HEBRON, THE FIRST JEWISH CITY by Steve Kramer For many people, Jews included, the name Hebron sticks in their throats. They question accusingly, “Why are Jews living in an Arab city, where there are 163,000 Arabs and only 800 Jews?” David Wilder, a prominent spokesperson for Hebron, explains: “Hebron is the first Jewish city in the land of Israel, home of our patriarchs and matriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Sarah, Rebecca and Leah. King David ruled from Hebron for more than seven years before moving the capital to Jerusalem.

Jews have lived in Hebron almost continuously for thousands of years.

At Tel Hebron, 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. Jewish presence in Hebron 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 Hebron 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. It must be clearly understood: when returned to Hebron in 1967, Jews did not occupy a foreign city; rather, they came back home.” (www.hebron.com) Twenty years ago, Raanana (Israel) resident Ilan Hirschfeld was urged by a Member of Knesset (MK) and others to find some way to show solid support for communities in Judea and Samaria. Ilan began organizing monthly trips to Hebron, on the eve of every new (Hebrew) month. The buses arrived every month, regardless of rain, cold, or heat. They never failed to appear, not even during the "Oslo War", when there were many shooting attacks on the community. Recently, Ilan and Raanana celebrated the 200th trip to Hebron. The celebration included a guided bus tour through the Jewish community, chanting the scroll of Ruth at the Tomb of Jesse and Ruth (King David’s father and great-grandmother), and a festive meal outside the Tomb of the Patriarchs, with speakers and many members of the Hebron community. I was happy to be on one of the buses marking the occasion, along with my wife Michal and friends. As we drove south and then east to Hebron, we passed glorious fields of golden grain, some with bales ready to be collected, some still green, and many forests. As our guide explained, until the Jewish National Fund - KKL began reforesting the land, these forests didn’t exist!

We approached Hebron via Kiryat Arba, one of the first towns to be built in the Judean Mountains (West Bank), soon after the Six Day War of 1967. Built on the site of an abandoned military base on the eastern side of Hebron, Kiryat Arba - which means Town of the Four - has a population of 7,500 and resembles other typical Israeli towns. As we drove into the Jewish sector of Hebron, we noticed many soldiers. We also saw many small, rugged, watch towers. We were reminded that our younger son, Shaul, spent many months perched in one of these towers, overlooking the surroundings. We were soon met by our guide to the city, David Wilder, who is a community leader and the spokesman for The Committee of The Jewish Community of Hebron. He took us on a whirlwind tour of the community and pointed out the most significant sites. Exiting the bus, we stood in front of an apartment building, under which are ancient steps dating back to the time of Abraham, nearly 4,000 years ago. Next to the steps was a wall that David estimated went back even further, to the time of Noah! Wilder told us that the first City of David, built after King Saul’s death, is suspected to be under this area.

We spent a few minutes in the Hadassah House museum and then walked to the Tombs of the Patriarchs, which is a shrine complex built mainly by King Herod (1st century BCE), with additions by the Muslims and Crusaders. The site is the second holiest in Judaism after the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and has been a Jewish pilgrimage destination from earliest times until today. The site is the burial place of three Biblical couples: Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebekah; Jacob and Leah. It is also sacred to Muslims and to Christians. Herod built the shrine in the same style as he used at the renovated (Second) Temple in Jerusalem. Its centerpiece is the ancient Cave of Machpelah. Nothing is known of the configuration of the burial cave, as entrance to it is forbidden. It has been suggested that it may originally have been a rock-cut shaft tomb, of the type common around 2,000 BCE. Likewise, there is no knowledge of the mode of burial practiced by the patriarchs, except for the obvious fact that the cave was reused over several generations for successive burials. The massive Herodian walls that enclosed a large, rectangular open area have remained intact. The open rectangle, however, was built up in later periods with a succession of churches and mosques, which produced the rather confusing structure now standing on the site. ... Under the present arrangements, Jews are restricted to entering by the southwestern side, and limited to the southwestern corridor and the corridors which run between the cenotaphs [monument erected in honor of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere], while Muslims may only enter by the northeastern side, and are restricted to the remainder of the enclosure.” (www.answers.com)

Abraham, the first Jew, came into the Land of Israel leading a great host of family, servants, and flocks. He was well-respected by the various Canaanite tribes there, who considered him an “elect of God.” When Abraham’s wife Sarah died, she was in “Kiryat Arba, that is, Hebron.” Abraham went there to purchase a burial cave from Ephron the Hittite. Genesis 23/17-20: “So Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre - both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field - was deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.” It’s interesting that Abraham insisted on buying the land despite being offered it as a gift. Abraham thus ensured that the land surrounding the cave would belong to the Israelites forever. David Wilder told us that most Jewish dwellings in Hebron are community owned. He explained that Arab Hebron is growing while Jews can't get permits to build, due to the Israeli government’s lack of conviction to allow more Jews to populate Hebron. We noted the deserted streets and empty shops in the Jewish sector.

At the dinner we shared with Jewish residents of Hebron, we were told that they are like pioneers of old who don't concern themselves with what will be in a year or two. They have faith that God will bless their presence in Hebron and that all will turn out okay. The two residents sharing our table love living there, especially membership in the warm community and the shared purpose that it gives.  They say that if they weren't living in Hebron, it wouldn't be possible for Jews to visit the graves. (The decrepit state of both Joseph’s Tomb and Rachel’s Tomb, and the limited access allowed to Jews, are examples of the problems Israelis face when the Palestinian Authority is in charge.)  The Hebron residents say, take risks and believe in God. We are here to take care of "mother and father" and we can't depend on our government to do it for us. That sentiment appears to be true and applies to all Israel.