ELON MOREH - Shechem

Sefer Torah Dedication

A Sefer Torah was dedicated in the Central Synagogue - Rachamei Tirza. The Sefer was donated by the Suburban Orthodox Synagogue of Baltimore, Marykland, in memory of Rabbi Shlomo Preis, zt”l, former rabbi of the congregation. Rabbi Smmuel Silber, the new rabbi of the congregation, and Rabbanit Preis spoke. A group of over 50 members of the synagogue and several former Baltimorians now living in Israel jouned in the celebration.

Today we had a surprise visit of a group from "One Israel".

Even though we had no advance warning of our friends arrival, and so weren't able to prepare a suitable welcome, we were pleased to meet with members of the group and to see their great interest in the community and the area.

Every group visiting these days in Elon Moreh, strengthens us, and gives us a feeling that we are not alone in our struggle.

Sara Gelbard, who is used to emergency calls as an ambulance driver, arrived to receive the group, and she explained a little about life in the yishuv, and especially the great benefit we have from the ambulance, and the medical and defense equipment purchased with the aid of donations from "One Israel".

New Ambulance for Elon Moreh

This week Elon Moreh received a new ambulance. The ambulance, a donation from Mrs. Stephanie Backman, z"l, of Kew Gardens, New York, was received through the One Israel Fund office in New York, with the help of the Shomron Regional Council. The framework of the ambulance has been strengthened in order to hold added weight, if bullet-proof walls are added.

This is a welcome addition to the medical equipment for emergency needs of the residents, if Gd forbid it is needed.
The ambulance drivers in Elon Moreh have begun testing the new equipment.

GRADUATION, SUMMARY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR
NAHALAT ZVI BOYS SCHOOL - TALMUD TORAH
Nahalat Zvi School is a regional school, with students from Elon Moreh, Itamar, Brachah, and Yitzhar. There are 170 students classes from first to eighth grades.
Aside from the regular programs, there are special extracurricular activities - added courses in Bible study, advanced classes in general science. Those students who have been studying musical instrumensts gave a concert at the end of the year. The seventh and eight grade boys learn one day a week in the Bet Midrash with students of the Birkat Yosef Hesder Yeshivah.
The school has instituted a Student Council that, with the help of the faculty, has arranged several functions for the students themselves. In the Bible contest for children from all over the Shomron, one of the students from sixth grade came in in first place.
This year the school moved to a new building. In the course of the year the physical facilities took shape - the playground, the fence, the bus stop, and more.
All of this year's graduating class of 15 boys have been accepted to Yeshivah high schools around the country.

NAHALAT ZVI GIRLS SCHOOL
Nahalat Zvi Girls' School is a regional school, with students from Elon Moreh, Itamar, Brachah, and Yitzhar. There are students classes from first to eighth grades.
This year has had several special topics of study. Since this year (5761) is a Shmittah year, the girls learned about the special laws of agriculture connected to Eretz Yisroel.
As a reaction to the political and security situation, the school has put an added emphasis on our purpose for being here – the Mitzvah of living in and building up Eretz Yisroel.
When the Tomb of Joseph was abandoned, the importance of the city of Shechem and the person of Joseph were studied.
Over Channukah, a special program was organized to learn about the strength of the Maccabis, fighting against all odds for Eretz Yisroel and Torat Yisroel, and the importance of the Temple in Jerusalem.
All of this year's graduating class will be attending Ulpanot around the country.

EL ARTZI HIGH SCHOOL FOR RUSSIAN OLIM
El Artzi School has over 50 students, Russian immigrantrs form all over the country. The school gives these boys a chance to become integrated into Israeli society along with other students from similar backgrounds, while pursuing a full high school program, from seventh to twelfth grades.
A new program has been instituted to help non-Jewish immigrants interested in the program to receive courses to help them toward official recognized conversion.
A special emphasis has been placed on religious studies, combined with added apreciation of the Land of Israel and the Nation of Israel. This has been supported by several trips around the country. The school has made contact with olim in army units serving in the area. These soldiers have come to speak to the students about their experiences, adding to the identification of the students to their new country.
Of the 11 graduates, almost all have earned a full-matriculation degree. Four will attend Army prep schools and the others will go directly to the army. Over 30 new students are expected next year.

The first week of Adar we saw the dedication of a Sefer Torah written in the memory of Ariel Levanon, who died six years ago. The Torah was designated for the Mishkan Ariel Synagogue, named after Ariel, the son of Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, the rabbi of Elon Moreh. Many leaders and rabbis from the nearby communities participated in the celebration.

In a formal ceremony in the Yad Eliyahu convention hall, before 3000 representatives of communities from all over Samaria, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, rabbi of Elon Moreh, was awarded the title of "Honored Citizen of Samaria" for his continued work for the people of the area. The ceremony had been organized to celebrate 20 years since the founding of the Samaria Regional Council.

Between Purim and Pesah, seven boys were enlisted into the Israeli army, four in Hesder (combined army and yeshivah) programs and three for a regular three-year tour of duty.

Over Purim, the community of Elon Moreh distributed over 500 portions of Mishloah Manot presents to soldiers serving in the area. The recepients also included 27 soldiers and 15 girls in national service from Elon Moreh. This program is part of the ongoing relationship between the community and the soldiers in the area. The presents were funded by Project Kesher, a twinning program with the Young Israel of Lawrence- Cedarhurst, New York.

Soldier Killed Defending Elon Moreh Access Road

St.-Sgt. Yaakov Krenchel, the reserve soldier who was killed last night by a Palestinian terrorist sniper while performing guard duty, will be buried this afternoon in the military cemetery in Nahariya. Krenchel, 23, was at his guard post at the outskirts of the village of Salim - east of Shechem, between Itamar and Elon Moreh - when the terrorist's precisely aimed bullet hit him in the head.

Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, the rabbi of Elon Moreh, told Arutz-7 today the history of that particular guard post: "The village of Salim has long been very troublesome for us, the source of shooting attacks and the like against Jewish motorists. For a long time, we exerted moral pressure, the only kind we have, on the army to put up an outpost to protect us. Finally, two months ago, the army decided to do it, and took over a house on the outskirts of Salim. But it was in a very bad place - there was no way to get there by road, etc. Last night, a sniper shot one bullet and hit Yaakov Krenchel in the head... The army is of course combing the area and looking for the terrorist - but it's like searching for a needle in a haystack. In a war, you don't just look for the terrorist that shot; you must take the initiative… This is not the approach that we expected from Ariel Sharon. Almost everything is the same as it was before - maybe 1% has changed..."

The father of one of the soldiers serving at the outpost told Arutz-7 today that the soldiers had been asking for certain improvements in the outpost - "and one of them, a special camouflage netting, could have saved the soldier's life..." Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman reports, however, that such a claim cannot be determined absolutely. Another of the precautions that the soldiers at the Salim outpost had requested was a road, instead of the footpath they must use to reach the site. This morning, the IDF began paving a road to the outpost.

The new school year saw the opening of the new boys' school. Because of the growing needs, the Nahalat Zvi Primary School, serving the communities of Elon Moreh, Itamar, Brachah, and Yitzhar, split into two buildings, for boys and girls. Together the two schools have over 400 children from first to eighth grades.

A new secretary-treasurer has joined the staff of Elon Moreh. Eldad Halachmi, from Kochav Yair, comes with experience as a "shaliah" for Beitar in the US for 3 years, experience in the Jewish Agency, and administrative advisor to Yitzhak Shamir.

Shabbat Parshat "Lech Lechah" was the third annual Shabbat Elon Moreh. Close to 1000 people came to spend Shabbat in EM in the field school, in the Yeshiva, or as private guests of families. The show of support was so great that many people were turned away for lack of facilities. The program included a hike to the Mitzpeh Luntz Lookout Point and talks by Rabbi Emanuel Sternberg, Dr. Mordecai Nisan, Effi Fein, Benny Katzover, and Rabbi Elyakim Levanon.

With the help of the Jewish Agency and the Jewish National Fund, ground work has been started for a new neighborhood of houses.

Tu-Beshvat — Elon Moreh is Twenty-One
Tu-Beshvat is the "New Year of the Trees." Its main significance is the defining of the year for Maasrot taken from fruits grown in Eretz Yisroel. In Israel the day is also celebrated by tree-planting ceremonies. (Not this year — Shmitah). Outside Israel the day is commemorated by eating fruits grown in Israel. This is one of the ways Jews all over the world show their solidarity with the Land of Israel.

One reason for the date is that it is the middle of the winter season, when, on the surface, all growth seems to be at a standstill. Yet, under the ground, nature is preparing a new "rebirth" of the trees. After Tu-Beshvat most of the rain has fallen, preparing the land for its purpose of giving the fruit in the spring.

In the parshiot of the Torah, we read at this time of the year, about the birth of the Jewish Nation. Am Yisroel now emerges from slavery on its way to receiving the Torah and settling in Eretz Yisroel, a new life-style in a new holy country. Their purpose in Eretz Yisroel was, and still is today, to establish a state that encompasses all aspects of life — economic, social, political, etc., a special country governed by the rules of Torah and Mitzvot in the Land of Israel.

Tu-Beshvat, 5740 (Feb. 1980) Elon Moreh was the first settlement of Jews returning to the Shomron Hills, the heart of the Land of Israel, after the Six-Day war, the "rebirth" of the area left behind after the War of Independence. The community now is 250 families strong with 2 grammar schools, an infirmary, 6 synagogues, a kollel, a yeshivat hesder, a high school for Russian immigrants, a teachers college for women, and much more.

That is what we are doing today. For the first time in 2000 years Am Yisroel is able to work on that ideal — that can be accomplished only in Eretz Yisroel. Jews all over the world are connected to that ideal — by contacts, visits, and other means of support, all part of the grand plan of the Return of Am Yisroel to Eretz Yisroel.