After decades of searching and historical research, the grave of Rabbi Yehuda Bibas has been located in the ancient cemetery in Hebron.
Rabbi Bibas, born in 1789, is considered one of the founders of Zionism, and he even conceived the idea that the Jewish people should establish an army and liberate the Land of Israel from the Turks.
Rabbi Yehuda Bibas, whose family originates from Morocco, was born in Gibraltar and wandered among Jewish communities in Europe. He served as a rabbi on the island of Corfu, and his influence was particularly evident on his student, Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai, one of the heralds of Zionism, who later influenced Benjamin Zeev Herzl.
In 1852, Rabbi Bibas immigrated to the Land of Israel and settled in Hebron, where he passed away and was buried in the "Rabbis' Plot" in the ancient cemetery.
Following the destruction of the cemetery by the Jordanians, some traditions regarding the graves were lost. Efforts to locate the grave continued for years, and in recent months, these efforts have been renewed.
Through ground and aerial photographs, as well as an investigation of historical testimonies, researchers were able to determine that Rabbi Bibas's tombstone is located between the gravestones of Rabbi Eliyahu Meni and his son Rabbi Saliman Meni, and the tombstone of Rabbi Chizkiyahu Medini.
A significant contribution to locating the grave is credited to Yosef Ezra, born in Hebron in 1932, a member of the Ezra-Bibas family. Ezra remembered from his childhood the location of the grave, according to the tradition he received from his father, and the knowledge he imparted helped to fill in the historical gaps.
The site is expected to become a pilgrimage destination for those wishing to learn about the character and vision of the rabbi, which had a significant impact on Zionism and the Jewish people in recent generations.