By Hagit Rotenberg
B'Sheva Newspaper
A year has gone by since the murder of the Horowitz’s from Kiryat Arba – Rav Elnatan and Dina. Rabbi Horowitz, lovingly known as Rav Eli, regularly took part in dialogue meetings with members of the left-of-center ‘Dor Shalom’ (Generation of Peace) group. Speaking with members of the group offers one a glimpse of the special openness and generosity exhibited by the late rabbi and his wife. Despite the ideological differences that the Horowitz’s had with the members of ‘Dor Shalom,’ they openly mourn the loss and exhibit the pain they feel to this day caused by the murder of the rabbi and his wife.
The Horowitz’s were both educators with radiant personalities full of love for one another and their many students. It comes as no great surprise that countless students still weep over the tragic murder.
But it is not only yeshiva students who mourn the loss of Rav Eli and Dina. Members of ‘Dor Shalom’ – a group whose members reside on the opposite end of the ideological/political spectrum – also mourn their loss. Rav Eli and Dina had an ongoing dialogue over the course of two years with the members of Dor Shalom.
I met with two members of ‘Dor Shalom’ to hear from them who Rav Horowitz was and how it was that two ardently self identified ‘left-wingers’ who fought passionately against the ‘destructive occupation’ so valued their relationship with this ‘radical settler’ from Kiryat Arba.
Tami Molad-Hayo, 36, is married with two children and lives in Jerusalem. Her rich activist record includes a history of activities on behalf of the Meretz Youth group, along with many non-governmental organizations dedicated to increasing social justice and dialogue within Israeli society.
Accompanying her at the meetings with Rav Horowitz was Oren Yehi-Shalom, a graduate of the ‘HaShomer HaTzair’ socialist youth movement who grew up in Kibbutz Shamir. Yehi-Shalom works for an Israeli NGO called ‘Israeli Education,’ and lives now in the Israeli Arab village of Abu-Ghosh. Yehi-Shalom also worked as a broadcaster on Arutz-7 for three years, presenting the left-wing perspective for the station’s listeners.
After the murder of Yitzchak Rabin, ‘Dor Shalom’ was founded. One of its aims was to increase dialogue between the political camps in Israel, which had grown increasingly isolated from one another. Contact was made between ‘Dor Shalom’ members and Rabbi Chaim Ganz, head of the Grand Yeshiva (Talmudic academy) of Tel Aviv, which was founded as an extension of the ‘Shavei Hevron’ Yeshiva. Meetings were arranged and dialogues began to take place once a month, eventually increasing to every two weeks.
Over two years, members of ‘Dor Shalom’ met regularly with yeshiva students at dialogues organized by Rabbis Ganz and Horowitz. To maintain balance, the meetings took place alternately at the Yeshiva and ‘Dor Shalom’s headquarters, on the roof of the Dizengoff mall in downtown Tel Aviv. For each meeting, one of the groups would prepare a specific topic for dialogue, bringing sources to discuss. The conversations often lasted into the wee hours of the morning.
Tami: “I specifically remember one early discussion which centered on plastic art. We felt like we introduced some very novel ideas to the religious group, with the exception of Rav Eli who stood out in that he knew exactly what we were talking about. He had such a rich background in so many disciplines, including modern art. He was the easiest person for us to speak to, his language was closest to ours.”
Oren: “Rav Eli was also familiar with contemporary philosophy. He experienced many things in the world and brought them with him in his capacity as a Rabbi to our meetings. We sat captivated when he told stories of his childhood in America. He challenged us in a different manner than we were accustomed to, unique in its intellectual veracity. We learned from him that certain stigmas are rubbish – arguments with him were of great breadth and complexity. It went beyond the texts, searching together for common ground which didn’t always exist.”
When the discussions continued into the night, Tami recalls how they worried about Rav Eli, knowing he would be traveling back to Kiryat Arba at such a late hour – worrying something would happen to him on the way. They never imagined that they themselves would eventually make the journey out to Kiryat Arba of their own volition. But after a long series of encounters, Rav Horowitz invited the group for a friendly visit to his home.
Tami: “The decision to come was very difficult. We traveled the entire way in abject fear. When we arrived in Kiryat Arba, Rav Eli took us on a tour of the place. The tour certainly shook off some of our preconceived notions about settlements. What we saw was a neighborhood that looked just like any other neighborhood in every way – apartment buildings, public utilities, and schools. The feeling of normality there stunned us. It’s the kind of thing you don’t fully comprehend if you don’t actually go there yourself. At the same time, we were alarmed at the close proximity of the town’s buildings to the houses of Hevron’s Arabs – both in terms of danger and in terms of our definite position regarding the need for us to be in such places.”
Tami stressed that the decision to visit Rav Eli and his family was a very big deal for her. “As someone who struggles against the settlement enterprise, I don’t ever travel to these places as a sign of my opposition, but here we were talking about a personal invitation from a man whom I respected and valued – one does not say not to such a man. I greatly appreciated the fact that he agreed to meet and speak with us – to open up and hear some very harsh criticism from us – it was never simple.”
The visit to the Rabbi’s house was a special experience for the ‘Dor Shalom’ group. They described it as a warm personal meeting – a truly heartfelt welcome. Even the neighbors came over to say hello and meet Rav Eli’s guests. “They prepared a real party for us,” they recall. Oren recounts how impressed he was with the way Rav Eli related to his wife Dina. “It was plain to see how proud Rav Eli was of his family and his home,” says Oren. “Until this day I think of what Rav Eli said while we were guests in his home. He said, ‘My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world.’ With those words, Rav Eli taught me what real beauty is. I take this lesson with me through life now – it left a very deep impression on me with regard to the true nature of relationships and marriage. When I tell friends that I learned something from a Rabbi they say ‘You? No way!’ and then when I tell them he is from Kiryat Arba they think I’ve gone completely mad.”
Tami recalls that she first became a mother during the time period in which the dialogue group took place. Tami said that with motherhood she became more sensitive to the ideas of communication, family, and marriage that Rav Eli so often spoke of.
Oren and Tami both marvel at the genuine desire Rav Eli had to speak to them, not merely to change their minds – but to engage in a true conversation rather than petty argument. At the same time, such dialogue was not a simple matter for Rabbi Horowitz or for Rabbi Ganz and his students. “There was a certain risk in it, but Rav Eli came with the intention of opening up and that is what he did,” they recall. “Conversation with him often led to voices being raised because of the seriousness of the topics. He was extreme in his opinions, but at the same time absorbing and listening to others. His universal language enabled us to engage in penetrating and fruitful dialogue.”
Tami explains that the dialogue group, as opposed to others she had been a part of in the past, stayed away from issues dealing with Jewish law and the concept of redemption. The aim was to find a way to converse that would enable a continued discussion over time.
B’Sheva: “Were you affected in any way by these meetings?”
Tami: “We didn’t adopt any of the opinions that were presented to us, but that was not the aim of the dialogue group. We gained much familiarity with religious texts, which in my view are extremely relevant to me, as a secular women, as well.”
Oren: “Rav Eli was chozer b’teshuva [one who was not always observant, but chose to embrace a religious lifestyle]. He was born to a religious family but left that world at one point and spent many years on a secular kibbutz, so he was well acquainted with a secular lifestyle. He intuited all of our possible arguments and was also fully aware of his inability to change our beliefs. Sometime when we got excited and our voices became shrill, he would give us a sideways look, smiling slightly, and say, ‘I know exactly what you are about to say.’ Arguing with him was challenging because we were usually unable to say anything which surprised him.”
B’Sheva: What were your impressions of Rabbi Horowitz from your meetings with him?
Tami: “He was a rationalist with extraordinary depth of thought. A man with an inner fire who always had a bright countenance. Singularly strong ideologically, while at the same time having an air of relaxed serenity. He was sure of himself and his way, and so was not hesitant to give his full attention to opposing viewpoints.”
Oren: “Usually jokes and laughter are rare in such situations, but with Rav Eli, laughter and jokes were abundant – he kept us laughing and laughed at our jokes as well – it was all very enjoyable. He was also unpredictable – he had few inhibitions. Sometimes he would speak rhetorically and pretend to take our viewpoint in a humorous manner –which drove us wild.”
When I brought up the murder of Rabbi Eli and Dina and its aftermath, pain filled the faces of my two interviewees. The last time the two had seen each other had been at the Horowitz’s funeral. They told me how they had heard about the murder, and later found out that it was the Horowitz’s.
Tami: “It shocked us, shook us to the core. When people are killed in such a brutal manner it makes you tremble – detached from any political agenda. And here it was especially difficult. They were murdered in their own home – the home where we visited. We heard how he tried to defend his wife from the terrorist. It was a tremendous tragedy.”
Oren had mixed feelings. “The anger and pain filled me. Anger that he lived in Kiryat Arba – which seemingly caused him to die in such a brutal manner. On the other hand, I felt such great pain. In the end he was someone I loved despite the fact that he lived in Kiryat Arba. To me he presented a completely different impression of that place, a source of light that was taken from me. Even more difficult was the fact that he was murdered because of nationalistic reasons. On account of the exact same issues we argued about all the time.”
Oren feels there was a great loss. “In my opinion, this man could have had an enormous effect on his community. It was just a matter of time until he rose to a position of great influence in the religious world.”
Oren, Tami and the rest of the members of ‘Dor Shalom’ attended the Horowitz’s funeral. They stood out in terms of their appearance amongst the rest of the mourners, but say they did not feel like outsiders. “We felt an understanding amongst the others at the funeral. People looked at us with surprise and appreciation. We were moved by the wide diversity of those attending the funeral and the silence and inner pain of all the friends and students there – uninterrupted by loud outbursts. The fact that we all came from Tel Aviv perpetuated Rav Eli’s legacy. We had such conflicting emotions – deep pain for the man who was no longer with us, and a feeling of such enormous futility – how much could he have done had he not been murdered? In our eyes – it was a pity chose to live in Kiryat Arba.”
B’Sheva: If the memorial service this year was in Kiryat Arba, would you attend?
“We will not go to Kiryat Arba, because it is a political statement that goes against our principles. But if a memorial service for the Horowitz’s would take place within the green line – there is no doubt that we would be there.”
The weekly B'Sheva newspaper is Israel's third largest circulation publication (home delivered to 130,000 families), and rated the largest circulation newspaper to Israel's religious public
B'Sheva Newspaper
A year has gone by since the murder of the Horowitz’s from Kiryat Arba – Rav Elnatan and Dina. Rabbi Horowitz, lovingly known as Rav Eli, regularly took part in dialogue meetings with members of the left-of-center ‘Dor Shalom’ (Generation of Peace) group. Speaking with members of the group offers one a glimpse of the special openness and generosity exhibited by the late rabbi and his wife. Despite the ideological differences that the Horowitz’s had with the members of ‘Dor Shalom,’ they openly mourn the loss and exhibit the pain they feel to this day caused by the murder of the rabbi and his wife.
The Horowitz’s were both educators with radiant personalities full of love for one another and their many students. It comes as no great surprise that countless students still weep over the tragic murder.
But it is not only yeshiva students who mourn the loss of Rav Eli and Dina. Members of ‘Dor Shalom’ – a group whose members reside on the opposite end of the ideological/political spectrum – also mourn their loss. Rav Eli and Dina had an ongoing dialogue over the course of two years with the members of Dor Shalom.
I met with two members of ‘Dor Shalom’ to hear from them who Rav Horowitz was and how it was that two ardently self identified ‘left-wingers’ who fought passionately against the ‘destructive occupation’ so valued their relationship with this ‘radical settler’ from Kiryat Arba.
Tami Molad-Hayo, 36, is married with two children and lives in Jerusalem. Her rich activist record includes a history of activities on behalf of the Meretz Youth group, along with many non-governmental organizations dedicated to increasing social justice and dialogue within Israeli society.
Accompanying her at the meetings with Rav Horowitz was Oren Yehi-Shalom, a graduate of the ‘HaShomer HaTzair’ socialist youth movement who grew up in Kibbutz Shamir. Yehi-Shalom works for an Israeli NGO called ‘Israeli Education,’ and lives now in the Israeli Arab village of Abu-Ghosh. Yehi-Shalom also worked as a broadcaster on Arutz-7 for three years, presenting the left-wing perspective for the station’s listeners.
After the murder of Yitzchak Rabin, ‘Dor Shalom’ was founded. One of its aims was to increase dialogue between the political camps in Israel, which had grown increasingly isolated from one another. Contact was made between ‘Dor Shalom’ members and Rabbi Chaim Ganz, head of the Grand Yeshiva (Talmudic academy) of Tel Aviv, which was founded as an extension of the ‘Shavei Hevron’ Yeshiva. Meetings were arranged and dialogues began to take place once a month, eventually increasing to every two weeks.
Over two years, members of ‘Dor Shalom’ met regularly with yeshiva students at dialogues organized by Rabbis Ganz and Horowitz. To maintain balance, the meetings took place alternately at the Yeshiva and ‘Dor Shalom’s headquarters, on the roof of the Dizengoff mall in downtown Tel Aviv. For each meeting, one of the groups would prepare a specific topic for dialogue, bringing sources to discuss. The conversations often lasted into the wee hours of the morning.
Tami: “I specifically remember one early discussion which centered on plastic art. We felt like we introduced some very novel ideas to the religious group, with the exception of Rav Eli who stood out in that he knew exactly what we were talking about. He had such a rich background in so many disciplines, including modern art. He was the easiest person for us to speak to, his language was closest to ours.”
Oren: “Rav Eli was also familiar with contemporary philosophy. He experienced many things in the world and brought them with him in his capacity as a Rabbi to our meetings. We sat captivated when he told stories of his childhood in America. He challenged us in a different manner than we were accustomed to, unique in its intellectual veracity. We learned from him that certain stigmas are rubbish – arguments with him were of great breadth and complexity. It went beyond the texts, searching together for common ground which didn’t always exist.”
When the discussions continued into the night, Tami recalls how they worried about Rav Eli, knowing he would be traveling back to Kiryat Arba at such a late hour – worrying something would happen to him on the way. They never imagined that they themselves would eventually make the journey out to Kiryat Arba of their own volition. But after a long series of encounters, Rav Horowitz invited the group for a friendly visit to his home.
Tami: “The decision to come was very difficult. We traveled the entire way in abject fear. When we arrived in Kiryat Arba, Rav Eli took us on a tour of the place. The tour certainly shook off some of our preconceived notions about settlements. What we saw was a neighborhood that looked just like any other neighborhood in every way – apartment buildings, public utilities, and schools. The feeling of normality there stunned us. It’s the kind of thing you don’t fully comprehend if you don’t actually go there yourself. At the same time, we were alarmed at the close proximity of the town’s buildings to the houses of Hevron’s Arabs – both in terms of danger and in terms of our definite position regarding the need for us to be in such places.”
Tami stressed that the decision to visit Rav Eli and his family was a very big deal for her. “As someone who struggles against the settlement enterprise, I don’t ever travel to these places as a sign of my opposition, but here we were talking about a personal invitation from a man whom I respected and valued – one does not say not to such a man. I greatly appreciated the fact that he agreed to meet and speak with us – to open up and hear some very harsh criticism from us – it was never simple.”
The visit to the Rabbi’s house was a special experience for the ‘Dor Shalom’ group. They described it as a warm personal meeting – a truly heartfelt welcome. Even the neighbors came over to say hello and meet Rav Eli’s guests. “They prepared a real party for us,” they recall. Oren recounts how impressed he was with the way Rav Eli related to his wife Dina. “It was plain to see how proud Rav Eli was of his family and his home,” says Oren. “Until this day I think of what Rav Eli said while we were guests in his home. He said, ‘My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world.’ With those words, Rav Eli taught me what real beauty is. I take this lesson with me through life now – it left a very deep impression on me with regard to the true nature of relationships and marriage. When I tell friends that I learned something from a Rabbi they say ‘You? No way!’ and then when I tell them he is from Kiryat Arba they think I’ve gone completely mad.”
Tami recalls that she first became a mother during the time period in which the dialogue group took place. Tami said that with motherhood she became more sensitive to the ideas of communication, family, and marriage that Rav Eli so often spoke of.
Oren and Tami both marvel at the genuine desire Rav Eli had to speak to them, not merely to change their minds – but to engage in a true conversation rather than petty argument. At the same time, such dialogue was not a simple matter for Rabbi Horowitz or for Rabbi Ganz and his students. “There was a certain risk in it, but Rav Eli came with the intention of opening up and that is what he did,” they recall. “Conversation with him often led to voices being raised because of the seriousness of the topics. He was extreme in his opinions, but at the same time absorbing and listening to others. His universal language enabled us to engage in penetrating and fruitful dialogue.”
Tami explains that the dialogue group, as opposed to others she had been a part of in the past, stayed away from issues dealing with Jewish law and the concept of redemption. The aim was to find a way to converse that would enable a continued discussion over time.
B’Sheva: “Were you affected in any way by these meetings?”
Tami: “We didn’t adopt any of the opinions that were presented to us, but that was not the aim of the dialogue group. We gained much familiarity with religious texts, which in my view are extremely relevant to me, as a secular women, as well.”
Oren: “Rav Eli was chozer b’teshuva [one who was not always observant, but chose to embrace a religious lifestyle]. He was born to a religious family but left that world at one point and spent many years on a secular kibbutz, so he was well acquainted with a secular lifestyle. He intuited all of our possible arguments and was also fully aware of his inability to change our beliefs. Sometime when we got excited and our voices became shrill, he would give us a sideways look, smiling slightly, and say, ‘I know exactly what you are about to say.’ Arguing with him was challenging because we were usually unable to say anything which surprised him.”
B’Sheva: What were your impressions of Rabbi Horowitz from your meetings with him?
Tami: “He was a rationalist with extraordinary depth of thought. A man with an inner fire who always had a bright countenance. Singularly strong ideologically, while at the same time having an air of relaxed serenity. He was sure of himself and his way, and so was not hesitant to give his full attention to opposing viewpoints.”
Oren: “Usually jokes and laughter are rare in such situations, but with Rav Eli, laughter and jokes were abundant – he kept us laughing and laughed at our jokes as well – it was all very enjoyable. He was also unpredictable – he had few inhibitions. Sometimes he would speak rhetorically and pretend to take our viewpoint in a humorous manner –which drove us wild.”
When I brought up the murder of Rabbi Eli and Dina and its aftermath, pain filled the faces of my two interviewees. The last time the two had seen each other had been at the Horowitz’s funeral. They told me how they had heard about the murder, and later found out that it was the Horowitz’s.
Tami: “It shocked us, shook us to the core. When people are killed in such a brutal manner it makes you tremble – detached from any political agenda. And here it was especially difficult. They were murdered in their own home – the home where we visited. We heard how he tried to defend his wife from the terrorist. It was a tremendous tragedy.”
Oren had mixed feelings. “The anger and pain filled me. Anger that he lived in Kiryat Arba – which seemingly caused him to die in such a brutal manner. On the other hand, I felt such great pain. In the end he was someone I loved despite the fact that he lived in Kiryat Arba. To me he presented a completely different impression of that place, a source of light that was taken from me. Even more difficult was the fact that he was murdered because of nationalistic reasons. On account of the exact same issues we argued about all the time.”
Oren feels there was a great loss. “In my opinion, this man could have had an enormous effect on his community. It was just a matter of time until he rose to a position of great influence in the religious world.”
Oren, Tami and the rest of the members of ‘Dor Shalom’ attended the Horowitz’s funeral. They stood out in terms of their appearance amongst the rest of the mourners, but say they did not feel like outsiders. “We felt an understanding amongst the others at the funeral. People looked at us with surprise and appreciation. We were moved by the wide diversity of those attending the funeral and the silence and inner pain of all the friends and students there – uninterrupted by loud outbursts. The fact that we all came from Tel Aviv perpetuated Rav Eli’s legacy. We had such conflicting emotions – deep pain for the man who was no longer with us, and a feeling of such enormous futility – how much could he have done had he not been murdered? In our eyes – it was a pity chose to live in Kiryat Arba.”
B’Sheva: If the memorial service this year was in Kiryat Arba, would you attend?
“We will not go to Kiryat Arba, because it is a political statement that goes against our principles. But if a memorial service for the Horowitz’s would take place within the green line – there is no doubt that we would be there.”
The weekly B'Sheva newspaper is Israel's third largest circulation publication (home delivered to 130,000 families), and rated the largest circulation newspaper to Israel's religious public