New research presented at the first Hevron Conference reveals that the since the early 20th century, secular youth movements such as Hashomer Hatzair and Working and Studying Youth included the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hevron as part of their hiking trips in the Judean Desert.
The study, conducted by Yoram Ben-Shahar and Niva Almachias of Midreshet Hevron, revealed that hundreds of young people would arrive on a regular basis at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hevron. During these trips the youngsters mostly walked the Judean Desert and the northern Negev, but also visited other sites in the area, such as Bethlehem, Beit Tzur, and Hevron, among others.
The study is based on archival evidence as well as newspaper clippings from that time period, which indicate a unique phenomenon of multiple trips that included Hevron.