Bet El. The place where it all happened. No, seriously. This really is where Jewish history transpired. From the Divine promise to Yaakov Avinu ושמרתיך בכל אשר תלך"" (I will guard you wherever you go) and then fast forward a few thousand years to "והשיבותיך אל האדמה הזאת"(you will return to this land). This is the closing of that circle. The fulfillment of the promise. Now what does that look like? How does this Biblical prophecy appear before our eyes? Well, let's go nearly 60 years back in time to The Six-Day War. Through miraculous and courageous battles, the Jewish people finally returned to the heart of their homeland, Judea and Samaria.
Huge transitions, especially national ones, take time to get used to and it was only after more than a decade that the Jewish settlement movement began. Bet El, one of the first Jewish communities, was founded by two groups of brave pioneers, with one of the groups being a few Yeshiva students from Merkaz HaRav, the leading Torah institution in the Religious Zionist world. This group, led by Moreinu Harav Zalmen Melamed, together with Ketzale (Yaakov) Katz, set out to establish the first place of Torah in Judea and Samaria.
Of course, all this wouldn’t be possible without the tremendously generous support of American Friends of Bet El, spearheaded by Eugen and Jean Gluck Z"l.
Rav Melamed, one of Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook's closest Talmidim, having spent 25 years in close proximity to him, besides being a Torah giant is also a visionary. His seemingly unrealistic dream is unfolding before our eyes. Just like Yaakov Avinu who dreamt in Bet El, so too Rav Melamed keeps on dreaming.
The establishment of highly successful institutions in almost every possible field of education has made Yeshivat Bet El to what it is today. An empire of Torah, of education and of true connection to Klal Yisrael. An IDF Preparatory Academy for disadvantaged youth - serving in Elite Combat units, Arutz Sheva Radio (later transforming into a newspaper and website) , Girls High School and Midrasha, Boys High School, and at the core of it all - The Yeshiva. What's amazing about the Bet El institutions, is that they are all top-class in their respective fields. No mediocrity. The schools, Yeshiva, media platforms all excel and are considered amongst Israel's greatest.
Like I mentioned before, the core of all this incredible activity and influence is the Yeshiva. The Yeshiva which is constantly growing and producing more and more of the finest Talmidei Chachamim, benefiting the entirety of Klal Yisrael.
The Yeshiva is now holding a mega fundraiser until Thursday in order to launch vital construction projects - join with us in order to continue disseminating Torat Eretz Yisrael and building Yehuda V'Shomron.
To learn more about Bet El Institutions, visit: BetElMovement.org