Thousands of visitors arrived in Hevron today, and even more are expected tomorrow, as the Hevron Jewish Community holds its semi-annual "open house." The entire Machpelah Cave is open to Jewish worshipers today and tomorrow, including the large Isaac Hall, which is generally open only to Moslems. Tomorrow's events, in addition to guided tours to the Machpelah Cave, Admot Yeshai and Avraham Avinu neighborhoods, ancient Jewish cemetery, and more, will also feature a Chassidic and Jewish music festival.
Approximately 1,000 people stopped by the destroyed Hazon David synagogue-outpost between Kiryat Arba and Hevron today, and each "contributed" a stone to its rebuilding. At approximately 4:30 this morning, Israeli security forces swooped down on the site, and, for the fourth time in the past week, destroyed the tent used as a synagogue and the terrace on which it was built. Yaakov Eichenstein, the gabbai [synagogue beadle] of Hazon David, told Arutz-7's Yosef Meiri that the police "do not let us alone; we build, and they keep taking it down. But we're not giving up." Some 100 people participated in yesterday's holiday prayers at the synagogue, which was constructed where David Cohen and Yechezkel Muallem were killed in two separate terrorist attacks over the past three years.
Dozens of Norwegian citizens opposed to the Oslo process spent the first day of Passover in Kiryat Arba, taking part in the traditional Passover seder meal on Monday night. The visitors, who wished to show solidarity with the Hevron Jewish Community, also plan to visit the threatened Gush Katif communities in Jewish Gaza during the course of the weeklong holiday.
All was not so bright for Noam Federman, however;
see separate article.
Approximately 1,000 people stopped by the destroyed Hazon David synagogue-outpost between Kiryat Arba and Hevron today, and each "contributed" a stone to its rebuilding. At approximately 4:30 this morning, Israeli security forces swooped down on the site, and, for the fourth time in the past week, destroyed the tent used as a synagogue and the terrace on which it was built. Yaakov Eichenstein, the gabbai [synagogue beadle] of Hazon David, told Arutz-7's Yosef Meiri that the police "do not let us alone; we build, and they keep taking it down. But we're not giving up." Some 100 people participated in yesterday's holiday prayers at the synagogue, which was constructed where David Cohen and Yechezkel Muallem were killed in two separate terrorist attacks over the past three years.
Dozens of Norwegian citizens opposed to the Oslo process spent the first day of Passover in Kiryat Arba, taking part in the traditional Passover seder meal on Monday night. The visitors, who wished to show solidarity with the Hevron Jewish Community, also plan to visit the threatened Gush Katif communities in Jewish Gaza during the course of the weeklong holiday.
All was not so bright for Noam Federman, however;
see separate article.