Students of the Shavei Hebron Yeshiva marked a historic moment this week as they returned to the "Valero" house in the Kasbah of Hebron, nearly a century after Jews were expelled from the site during the 1929 massacre.
After 96 years, the yeshiva succeeded in redeeming the building, which had been part of the city’s Jewish heritage prior to the massacre. The students expressed excitement at the opportunity to restore the home, describing the return as part of a broader effort to strengthen Jewish presence in Hebron.
“The entire place is burned and lacking basic infrastructure,” the yeshiva said in a statement. “But we will move forward and prepare it for living.” Today, the Shavei Hebron Yeshiva has grown into a central institution with 450 students in the heart of Hebron, known in Jewish tradition as the City of the Patriarchs. The house, the yeshiva emphasized, will now be restored as part of the national story of the Jewish people.
Rabbi Hananel Etrog, head of Shavei Hebron Yeshiva, expressed gratitude following the return to the Valero house. “We are happy and thankful to God for the privilege of being emissaries of the people of Israel and the State of Israel in carrying out historical justice, by restoring Jewish property that was seized after the massacre of 1929,” he said.