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 fir