No, this was not my first time in Chevron. In fact I’ve been there many, many times. I try to go at least once a year, and as Vice President of the National Council, I’ve ran missions to Chevron in non- difficult times as well as in difficult times.

Parshas Chayei Sarah in the deed the Jewish people have with Chevron and the Ma’arat Hamachpela. It’s important for the Jewish People as well as the world to know that the Jewish People have a claim to the Ma’arat Hampachpela and Chevron. I went there to re-affirm that claim.

I thought it was fantastic that so many people showed up. There were people from all walks of life: Ashkenaz, Sefard, religious, not religious, foreigners, and Israeli’s. There was a tremendous feeling of Achdus to re-affirm our claim of Chevron. In addition, on Shabbos Chevron, the government was deliberating to evict the people from Beit Hashalom, and defense Minister Barak said he would not do anything to interfere with the people going for Shabbat to Chevron because he respects the people.

Great! Ma’arat Hamachpela, the davening inside and outside on the lawn was very lively and invigorating. After the first minyan ended in the morning, a second person said to me, please take my chair and shtender so the 2^nd minyan can start. People felt kinship for one another.

1) Shabbos morning, davening and reading Kriat Hataroh how Avraham Avinu purchased Ma’arat Hamachpela not only for his generation but for future generations.

2) Friday night walking up to Beit Hashalom, visiting with the people, speaking with them and encouraging the families even though they were living in difficult situations.

If the Jewish people do not go and visit chevron or go for Shabbos Chayei Sarah, people will think Chevron is not important to us. It’s important that people know we are re-affirming our claim, and that Chevron should permanently be our home, we should have a right to live and visit there for eternity!

This year I was privileged to join the Hebron Fund program and spend Shabbat Chaye Sarah in Chevron. The entire experience was like no other visit to Chevron.

On Friday morning a group of us who had come for Shabbat left Jerusalem on a tour bus with Sarah Edri as our organizer and guide. We proceeded to Kever Rachel to visit with our Bubbe and offer our prayers.

We were joined by Yossi Baumol who offered his inimitable explanations and commentary on the places we were passing through and where we were going. We proceeded to Shdema. This is a large abandoned army base in “occupied territory” in the Jerusalem hills with a commanding view of the area. Various groups led by Nadia Matar of Women in Green are attempting to establish and maintain a Jewish presence here with the goal of establishing a Yishuv.

When we arrived there, Nadia met us at the bus and spoke about her mission to ensure and expand Jewish residence in security throughout Eretz Yisroel. This was the first time I saw Nadia Matar up close. She and her husband, a physician, have five children. Nadia could easily immerse herself (as most of us do) in a routine middle-class existence. Instead, she has become a firebrand activist and tireless leader of her cause for many years (and a bane to the leftists and government functionaries).

Nadia and others organize semi-weekly lectures and other activities at Shdema as a way to maintain and strengthen the Jewish presence there.

When we followed Nadia from the bus, we were met by a company of Chayalim assigned to keep agitators like Nadia (read that Jews) from “invading and occupying”. The officer-in-charge told Nadia we were prohibited from entering. She ignored him, walking quickly up the hill toward the abandoned buildings, and told us to follow. The Chayalim formed a line blocking the rest of us from walking. Nadia told us we had a right to be here and to follow her. We proceeded through the “police line” up the hill. We were met by Nadia and a university lecturer who spoke to us about the area.

We returned to the bus and proceeded to the outskirts of Chevron to (what is left of) the Federman Farm. One morning at 1:00 AM about a month before, Noam Federman, his wife Elisheva, and their nine children were rudely awakened by a posse of several hundred border police. It seems they had committed the “crime” of building and living in a shack and some sheds, stationing some farm animals, and growing some produce on vacant property. (Apparently the crime arises from the fact that they happen to be Jews rather than Arabs.)

Noam and one of his children met us there and told us how they had been rudely awakened by the police entering their home with no warning, he had been cuffed and hauled away, and his protesting wife and children were roughly removed from their home. We saw the wanton damage. The structures and all contents had been smashed to pieces. The animals had been chased off the property. All that was left were a small table, an opened jar of jam and a handful of miscellaneous items.

Because Shabbat was approaching, our itinerary was cut short and we proceeded to our lodging places. A group of us were staying at a school dormitory in Kiryat Arba. Others were staying in the community guest house in the Avraham Avinu neighborhood of Chevron. We barely had time to wash and get ready for the Shabbat festivities.

After candle-lighting we all proceeded to the Maarat Hamachpelah for Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat.

The scene was unbelievable. Hundreds of cars, trucks, campers and any other sorts of vehicles were parked all over Chevron. Several hundred tents were set up all around the Maarah. In addition to consigning every possible indoor area to dining, the community had set up several hundred tables and chairs and was providing meals in the Shuk area. This in addition to the immense catering and Hachnasat Orchim in Kiryat Arba, as well as the many who had brought their own.

Untold thousands of Jews of all uniforms, stripes, and colors converged as one upon the Maarah area for the Tefilot.

Minyanim comprising every Nusach and sect were located throughout the Maarah structure and on the flowing hill below.

We joined several hundred people on the hill at the base of the structure with the Minyan led by Noam Federman and Simcha Hochbaum.

The Spirit and Davening were out of this world! Kabbalat Shabbat followed Carlebach Nusach, with all joining in the singing, dancing and the experience. We all went on-and-on, afraid to let go of the moment.

After Maariv, we joined about two-hundred people for dinner organized by the Hebron Fund in the Gutnick Center, at the base of the Machpelah hill.

The group consisted of a mixed group of students, Fund organizers and supporters from Israel and abroad and other guests. We were joined at dinner and each of the subsequent Shabbat meals by some of the residents of Chevron and were addressed by personages including Yossi Baumol, Noam Arnon, Simcha Hochbaum, and David Wilder, as well as some of the guests.

After dinner we went to the Hochbaum dirah to join in the festivities with about a hundred of his students who were joining them for the meals. I can only explain how they all found room in the modest apartment and how the building supported the swaying and dancing of the multitudes by attributing it to one of the Miracles of Chevron. Here again, the spirit was contagious and uplifting.

Many of us then went to Beit HaSholom to visit the dedicated residents living there under what most of us would describe as intolerable conditions. There were about eighteen families resident there, many with several children, living in this unfinished structure in a neighborhood surrounded by mostly hostile Arabs and Border Police. Although there is ample evidence that the property was legally purchased from its Arab owner, the Israeli courts ruled that there could be no construction while its ownership is being litigated. Family quarters were separated by makeshift partitions. Laundry, lavatory and bathing facilities were shared. The unfinished roof leaked; heat in the winter was inadequate, air conditioning in the summer nonexistent. Just days before, the Israeli Supreme Court had ruled that the government could evict the residents (because they are Jewish!!) pending resolution of litigation. Yet here they were: enjoying the special Shabbat and even welcoming guests to their meals. Beit HaSholom’s residents considered themselves privileged.

My naivete as to Israeli politics and mindset was shattered during one of the meals when I opined that despite the court decision, the government would not expel the Beit HaSholom residents prior to the upcoming Israeli parliamentary election due to the possible fallout. I was told by the Israelis present that indeed the government specifically wished to expel the residents because the action would generate a positive electoral reaction among their supporters! Indeed, the residents of Beit HaSholom were evicted by the Israeli government a few days later.

On Shabbat morning we joined one of the large minyanim in Ohel Yitzchok. Although this spacious hall is generally closed to Jews, this day is one of the few when the entire Maarah structure is open to Jews. Despite the hordes of people streaming through the structure in every direction all day, somehow there was no pushing or arguing. And this in Israel! Another Miracle of Chevron! The hall was laid out with wall to wall chairs and lecterns. The Minyan immediately followed another one of equal size. It was comprised of at least a thousand Jews of all stripes and uniforms, every race and color, all sharing the same faith, spirit and unity.

After the Tefillot we were greeted at the bottom of the hill to a gala outdoor Kiddush. Somehow they managed to serve drinks, cake and delicious Yerushalmi kugel to the thousands who were there - all with a smile!

After Shabbat lunch at the Gutnick Center, we went on a fascinating tour led by Yossi Baumol and Simcha Hochbaum of the other Jewish neighborhoods and the older parts of Chevron. We covered some areas rarely if ever visited by the usual tours given by the community.

Mincha at the Maarah was followed by Seudah Shlishit at the Gutnick Center and then by Maariv.

After Maariv we were picked up at our lodgings by our bus and returned to Jerusalem. I left there looking forward to joining my old and new friends next year at Chaye Sarah in support of the Jewish Community of Chevron.

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Anyone who goes on our Chayei Sarah/Shabbat Hebron Mission is blown away by the experience - imagine how it was for me! After working in the Hebron Fund office for the last 3 years I was finally going to Israel and to Hebron! Straight from the airport I rushed to catch the regular Wednesday Hebron Fund tour with Simcha Hochbaum.

Although I was not fully awake and not totally aware of the fact that I had landed in Eretz Yisrael, davening at Kever Rachel really woke me up. The stories of the young women who stubbornly fought to go to Kever Rachel despite the shooting and bombs during the Second Intifada … of all those elderly women who pray there all day, just to ensure it stays in our hand, really got to me.

That’s the feeling you get ten-fold when entering Hebron. Not only surrounded by Arab hill tops all around, but the Jews living in Hebron are living amongst the Arabs. Their next door neighbors, walking down the path together, kids going to school, or just playing outside, they are constantly surrounded.

The Jews are not called heroes for nothing. Their whole life is filled with purpose. They are living on a higher plane. It seems as if they are above time and space. Living in such close proximity to the Ma’arat Hamachpela... it’s like those who are living right near the Kotel. What more can you ask for when raising a family and trying to instill the precious values of our way of life, of our Torah, to young children? The Jewish families living in Hebron truly “walk the walk” in every sense.

Even more unbelievable is that the children and adults alike don’t feel the sacrifice; they don’t feel that they are giving anything up living there. On the contrary, they live there with the feeling of how lucky they are to daven at the Ma’arat Hamachpela on a daily basis, to walk the paths that our Avot walked, to stand in the very spots that our ancestors, that David Hamelech himself walked. They truly feel privileged living in such a Holy place.

What are we to say to all this? We must be so thankful and grateful to our brothers and sisters living on the front line, enabling us to come and visit our Patriarchs and Matriarchs.

Every stop on the Wednesday tour with Simcha Hochbaum was very uplifting. From Tel Rumeida, the hill top where Avraham bought Ma’arat Hamachpela from Ephron, where today 18 families live next to the Kollel Ohr Shlomo dedicated the memory of the martyred Rabbi Shlomo Raanan, to the cemetery and the stories of Tzadikkim then and now, including Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel Slonim; to historic Beit Hadassah and on to the Avraham Avinu Shul and it’s amazing story of restoration and renewal. After lunch and a shopping spree at the Gutnick Center Gift Shop we went up to the Ma’arat Hamachpela – the building standing in its glory for over 2,000 years, welcoming us all back to our heritage.

On Thursday I found myself back in Hebron, davening and saying Tehillim in the Ma’arah. In preparation for Shabbat, Yossi Baumol, director of the Hebron Fund and I reviewed all the arrangements and accommodations in Kiryat Arba and Hebron. It was great to finally meet Noam Arnon, David Wilder, Simcha Hochbaum and all the others on their home turf.

In recent years on Friday mornings before Shabbat Chayei Sarah, Yossi Baumol has been finding new and interesting ways to get from Jerusalem to Hebron. After stopping again at Kever Rachel we headed out on the new road from Har Choma towards Tekoa and Eastern Gush Etzion.

Our next stop was more than we expected. We came to Shdema and were told that we will be part of a demonstration! I always wished I can be part of one to be able to show my support for our land, but unfortunately due distance, that’s kind of hard to do!

The famous Nadia Matar really gave a soul-warming and inspirational description of the ironical situation taking place on this hilltop. Originally an army base, it was abandoned just as the new road opened up and Arabs were looking to take over this strategic hilltop. Nadia and others organized a presence at the spot, hosting lectures and events every Friday on this hill top.

Why are we so easy to give our land to Arabs, sacrificing our own security? Why does the government allow the Arabs to continuously build and expand on any hilltop and land they wish and at the same time expel Jews from their own homes? We must stand up and protest and not allow this to continue!

Our next stop was Tekoa. Holding on for dear life, we drove the long winding road at the edge of the hilltop from Tekoa A, to Tekoa B, C, and D with Shani Simkowitz, director of the Etzion Fund. The drive was truly fascinating! We thrilled to hear the story of Tekoa, how it all began as just a few families coming to settle and what it has grown to today. For some reason the leaders of the community had the foresight to organize building permits for the entire area while the government was still being cooperative. Therefore, today, they are allowed to continue building and expanding even though in other places this is forbidden.

Jews can’t go too long without food. Thanks to Yossi for arranging with the Efrat Pizza store to have enough Pizza ready for all of us at lunchtime!

From Efrat, we went to Kiryat Arba and made a solemn visit to the Federman farm destroyed by our own government because of a technicality. Seeing all the ruins spread out all over, all their possessions, their animals loose and running around in the ruins, was really heart wrenching.

Even in such a situation, the beauty of our youth shines through. Even as we were standing there and listening to Noam’s story, two of his sons and their friend were there gathering parts of the destroyed home and building it again – we don’t give up!

Arriving in Hebron, the feeling of unity of all Am Yisroel was very palpable with over 20,000 Jews from all backgrounds uniting for the sole purpose – to show support to the Jews living in Hebron and to show the Israeli government that we all care that Hebron remains ours.

The rest of Shabbat was a dream – the Carlebach style Maariv on the Machpela lawn, the beautiful and delicious meals in the Gutnik Center catered by Ofer, the thousands walking together, Hebron filled with Jews and Divrei Torah during our meals from Yossi Baumol, Simcha Hochbaum, Noam Arnon and Leibel Zisman just to name a few.

It was really nice spending Shabbat together with some of our Board Members: Myrna and Leible Zisman, Alvin Segal, Shlomie Ross; with others who come every year again and again: Rabbi Goldscheider and members of his congregation the Mount Kisco Hebrew Congregation, Barry Picker, Arthur Poleyoff and his group of 30 TABC graduates, Phil Rosenblatt, Paul and Lorrie Fein, Yanky Deutsch, Jay Buchbaum, as well as two 2008 Dinner honorees: Myrna Zisman and Myriam and Cheskie Stern – it was really a pleasure!

The Farbrengens and singing heard and seen all over on Friday night, amidst the thousands of tents pitched all over Hebron, some even sleeping in cars - you have to see it to believe it!

Each experience on its own was truly amazing. However, of all those experiences what was truly amazing to me was the davening of thousands together Shabbat morning in the Ma’arah in Ohel Yitzchok (which is usually closed), the singing all together of “Ein K’Elokeinu” sung so loud and straight from the heart was so moving, saying “the G-d of Avraham, G-d of Yitzchak and G-d of Yaakov” and standing right there… reading in the Torah how Avraham bought the land from Ephron and standing in that very place! There are truly no words to describe the spiritual feelings and emotions that one experiences.

The words that were formerly words of a prayer we say by rote, now became part and parcel of me. They are not the dusty words of ancient history but rather words of the present - from the heart, begging Hashem to return us in peace to our land.

Shabbat ended with Seudah Shlishit in the Gutnik Center, Havdallah, and then the mad rush to leave, though I’m still not sure why! It’s hard to say good-bye to Shabbat in general, and especially one spent in Hebron… just to linger a few more minutes, to breathe in that special air, to live that life of self sacrifice for a higher purpose and truth, to stand united and show courage to those living there on a daily basis!

My only comfort was thinking if we won’t merit “Next year in Jerusalem”, at least we can say “Next year in Hebron”! Hope to see you there!

P.S. Although I came alone leaving at home my husband to watch my 3 small children, it was an experience well worth it! I truly encourage everyone to make the effort!

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My married son and I went to Israel from the USA for three days in order to join the pilgrimage to Hebron for the Yahrzeit of Sara, our mother. The weekly reading of the Torah for this Shabbat was "Chayai Sara", or "The life of Sara".

After the first sentence telling us how long Sara lived, it indicates that she died in Kiryat Arba, which is Hebron. Abraham, the first Jew, needed a place to bury his wife Sara. The story then tells of his negotiation with the owner of the Caves of Machpela and his purchase at a full (expensive) price. Accordingly, the fathers and mothers of the Jewish people are buried there - Abraham, Sara and Isaac, Rebecca and Jacob, Leah. About 2,000 years ago, Herod the King built a humongous edifice over the caves. This awesome building, with several rooms or chambers is majestic.

For over a thousand years, the Arab rulers of Palestine prohibited Jews from entering the building. They were only allowed to ascend seven steps of the very many, outside the building for worship. In 1929 the Arabs conducted a pogrom killing most of the Jews of Hebron and exiling the others. No Jews lived in Hebron then until after the 1967 Israeli Arab six day war, when Israel recaptured the whole of Israel, including Hebron. Then a small group of Jews reclaimed several buildings so that today about 650 families live in the center of the town of Hebron of about 180,000 Arabs.

It has become a custom in the last number of years for a pilgrimage of Jews to spend Shabbat in Hebron for the Torah reading of "Chayai Sara". My son and I therefore went to Hebron which turned out to be a truly inspirational experience.

In excess of 20,000 Jews spent the Sabbath there. We slept in the Medreshet Kiryat Arba, a high school dorm. There were literally thousands of tents pitched in every open space in Hebron, with some just sleeping on portable mattresses or sleeping bags.

Friday evening for the welcoming of the Shabbat prayers, we walked the approximately mile from the high school to the Cave of Machpela. The entire road was a mass parade of thousands of people all walking quietly and peacefully together. All along the entire route, both side of the road were lined with hundreds, perhaps a thousand, armed soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces. Each building along the route had about half a dozen solders atop the flat roofs. From the windows were could see the Arab inhabitants quietly observing the procession. My son and I kept greeting each soldier with the greeting of the Sabbath - "Shabbat Shalom", and we thanked them for being there to ensure our safety. When we reached the Machpela we joined a warm singing service of prayers in the Chasidic style of melody known by the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlbach.

Shabbat morning we joined with thousands inside the Isaac hall of the Machpela for prayer services.

It was an inspiring and moving time for both my son and I. We appreciated all the sacrifice that the Jewish residents of Hebron endure daily in order to honor and keep the renewed Jewish presence in this most holy place.

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Shabbat Chayei Sarah in Chevron brings together Jews of all types from all over the world for an unbelievable Shabbat experience.

It is truly a Shabbat not to be missed especially if you are fortunate to spend the weekend with your family and friends.

You get to enjoy a united Shabbat together with the families who live in Chevron all year-round. Our going there expresses our Hakarat Hatov to the brave families who live in Chevron and ensure that we who don't, can visit Chevron and pray at the M'arat Hamachepela. One also gets to experience true Hachnasas Orchim as we are welcomed into their homes with true kindness. Each and every year is different and should not be missed.

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Shabbat Chevron Experiences