80 Years After

The Massacre,
American Jews
Experience The
Resettlement Of
Hevron
BY SAMUEL SOKOL

On August 24, 1929, the Arabs of

Hevron rioted and the British mandatory
authorities expelled the Jews, effectively
handing over all Jewish property to the
Arabs. It was in the Bet Romano building,
owned by Chabad and used by the British
as a police station, that the surviving
inhabitants of Hevron came for shelter
before being evicted from their city.
Today, Bet Romano is the home of
Yeshiva Shavei Hevron and plays host to
Jews who have come to visit, rather than
to flee.
According to Dovi Weiss, the director
of Shavei Hevron Institutions, “About
300 students, 60 of whom are married
students (avrechim) learn today on a
daily basis in Hevron with exemplary
self-sacrifice. Another 150 students are
presently fulfilling their obligation to do
army service.”
Shavei Hevron Institutions is a major
player in efforts to maintain a Jewish
presence in the city. As part of its reclama-
tion project, the yeshiva has recently
begun planning the reconstruction of the
house of Rav Haim Hizkiyahu Medini,
located adjacent to Bet Romano. Rav
Medini was the author of the Talmudic
encyclopedia Sde Hemed and served as
the chief rabbi of Hevron.
Over the Shabbat of parashat Chayei
Sarah, as thousands of Jews from all over
Israel came to celebrate the lives of the
patriarchs, Jews from all over the
Diaspora also arrived, to strengthen the
connection between the Jewish people
and this very special city.
Judy and Shimon Kalatzky of
Lawrence were among those who shed
the material comforts of life in America
to spend a Shabbos in a dorm room at Bet
Romano in the heart of Hevron. The
yeshiva hosted many such couples, from
New York, Chicago, Australia, and
London, showcasing for them the
mesirut nefesh of the Torah pioneers of
Hevron. “The people were just so happy
to be there,” said Mrs. Kalatzky, “People
were really carried away with it.”
One participant e-mailed the yeshiva
thanking them for such a unique experi-
ence. “I wanted to thank you for the won-
derful hospitality and warmth we have
received from you and the whole yeshiva.
I was very touched by the whole Shabbos
and wanted to thank you for making our
stay so elevated.”
One of the reasons for the high level
of excitement was the opening of the
section of Maarat Hamachpelah in
which Yitzchak Avinu is buried. The site
is usually reserved exclusively for

Continued on Page 45
5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES November 27, 2009 43
Resettlement Of Hevron
Continued from Page 43
Muslim worshippers. The reason behind
barring Jews from their holy site while
allowing Muslims access is unclear.
Israel is quick to claim that all religions
have equal access to holy sites under its
administration.
On Shabbos, Colonel Udi, the
Commanding General in Hevron, came
to the yeshiva and addressed the guests
and the yeshiva boys during seudah
shlishit. He referred to the teachings of
the Or HaChaim HaKadosh with regards
to the words of Avraham Avinu, “Geir
v’toshav Anochi imachem” The inhabi-
tants responded, “Nasi Elokim atah
b’tocheinu.” Avraham Avinu is really like a
president, as only a person who is totally
convinced in the correctness of his path
can make such a declaration, as he does
not feel threatened.
Colonel Udi also spoke about the
yeshiva and the fact that its students
serve in the army and make a worthy con-
tribution by serving in select units and
also in various high offices. He further
emphasized that the Israel Defense
Forces as well as the State of Israel view
the yeshiva in a positive light.
Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman, who
was present during the Colonel’s speech,
commented that he could be one of the
rabbis at the yeshiva.
Hevron was in the news recently in
the United States when anti-Zionist
groups called on the New York Mets to
ban a Hevron organization from using
the team’s facilities for their annual
fundraising dinner at Citi Field. In a
reversal of history, the anti-Zionists
claimed that the settlers of Hevron,
including the student body of Shavei
Hevron are “taking over Hevron’s Old
City in violation of international law,
and driving out the Palestinian resi-
dents.” Among the organizations
protesting the Jewish presence in
Hevron was the American branch of the
Israeli-Arab Adalah organization, which
called on the Mets to “say no to settler
terror.” Despite Arab protests, American
Jews have not been deterred from their
support of the renewed Jewish commu-
nity of Hevron or of Shavei Hevron.
Judy Kalatzky was effusive in her
praise of the Hevron settlers. “They’re liv-
ing and breathing and protecting Eretz
Yisrael so we could have Eretz Yisrael.
Here we are in America…and the least we
can do is support yeshivas in Hevron.
These boys, it is such mesirus nefesh.
They live with nothing, they sleep in
barely anything, and they’re happy. The
people who live there are honored and
they feel that it’s a privilege.” ❖

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES November 27, 2009 45