Elon Moreh Yeshiva Head Rabbi Elyakim Levanon decided to resign as rabbi of the Elon Moreh community and will continue serving as Shomron Regional Council Rabbi.
Last night a farewell event was held in Rabbi Levanon's town attended by Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Tzfat Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Yitzhar Rabbi David Dudkevitch, rabbis of Samaria, family members, and Elon Moreh residents.
"It's a great privilege for us to be here at Elon Moreh, there's no better place for me to choose to live in and serve as a rabbi.
"Thanks to the residents of Elon Moreh, here we grew up. All we have given is nothing compared to what we have received here. Thanks to the organizers of the exciting evening. Elon Moreh needs a young rabbi and I'll help him with whatever he needs," the rabbi added.
Shomron Council head Yossi Dagan said at the farewell ceremony "this isn't the end of a road, it's only the beginning," and that Levanon is one of the greatest Torah leaders and a leader on a national scale. Beyond that, Rabbi Levanon with his Torah, wisdom, and personality is the top leader of the renewed Jewish settlement in Samaria.
"We thank Rabbi Levanon for all the tremendous investment in each and every one of the residents of Samaria, especially in Elon Moreh. To my delight, Rabbi Levanon will continue to lead Samaria, and I thank him on behalf of the residents of Samaria for this," Dagan added.
Tzfat Rabbi Eliyahu congratulated Rabbi Levanon and said, "We love Rabbi Elyakim very much, and such love is precisely the Torah of the Land of Israel. Officially the job is over, but as I know Rabbi Elyakim, your work will only continue to grow. We're not letting you go anywhere," he said.
Yitzhar Rabbi Dudkevitch blessed Rabbi Levanon and the community of Elon Moreh, "The best rabbi and rabbis in the world, like you have here in Elon Moreh, could not succeed without a community like you. You saw the Shomron in its desolation and you get to see Shomron in its construction."
Community Secretary Shariya Demsky said "The rabbi emphasized many things, but mainly the importance of living here, on this good mountain, as a beacon that illuminates all aspects of Israeli life. In our 40s, this light only grows and illuminates more."