As in past years, this year Elon Moreh had a special Shabbat for the Shabbat of the Torah reading Parshat Lech-Lechah. Hundreds of guests joined us from all over the country. The main topic of the lectures was Teshuvah (returning to Mitzvot) and the organizations that are involved in Jewish outreach programs. The guests stayed by Elon Moreh residents, the Helkat HaSadeh Field School, the kolel, and the schools.

Welcome to Elon Moreh Shabbat Lech Lechah 5767

Amongst the guest speakers were:
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Rabbi of the city of Tzafet
Rabbanit Tova, one of the founders of the Tzviah High School for Girls and a teacher in the Meron High School for Girls
Rabbi Yehoshuah Shapira, Head of the Ramat Gan Yeshivah
Rabbanit Naomi Shapira, teacher in the Midrahset Aviv, Mayaneu Hayeshuah, an organization for outreach to teenagers
Rabbi Menahem Brode, spokesman for Habad in Israel
Harel Hetzroni, head of the “Zulat” school in Yerushaleam
Ezra Yachin, author of several books about his experiences during the War of Independence

After the rain that fell this past week, we were blessed with clear weather and the guests were able to enjoy a hike to the Mt. Kabir lookout with Benny Katzover, one of the founders of Elon Moreh and of the Gush Emunim movement, and Gilad Shani, a professional guide who specializes in the area of Samaria.

As the summer drew to an end the community center coordinators of the communities of the Samaria Regional Council held a general meeting in the Hatzar Hagefen in Elon Moreh. The group numbered over 30 women.

The women were greeted with a drink of organic tea from Tsel Harim Tea of Elon Moreh. They then split up into groups in separate rooms where workshops in various treatments were held. General explanations were given and the women were given sample treatments to give them a feel for the actual treatments. Afterward the participants joined together and were able to tell each other about their experiences and to ask questions about the treatments.

The day was concluded with a meal of healthful puddings and salads prepared by one of the residents of Elon Moreh.

WEEK AT THE MACHON HELKAT HASADEH FIELD SCHOOL

Between the dates 20-24 Menahem Av (Aug 14 -18) the Machon Helkat Hasadeh Field School ran a special week of recreation and study. The program included lectures on Jewish Halachah and topics connected to the Land of Israel. There were field trips to the Mt. Kabir Lookout Point, Itamar, the natural springs near Eli, the site of the Tabernacle in Shiloh, the Samaritan village on Mt. Grizzim, and the Skali Farm.

The participants enjoyed the uses of the swimming pool. The women were able to take advantage of the services of the “Vineyard” Center for Health and Nature, a group of women who deal with alternative medicine.

This week was a trial to organize activities not through an organized group (school or group of families from a certain area), but through advertising on the radio and several leaflets that are distributed throughout synagogues all over the country.

Over fifty people, less than anticipated, joined the project and afterward thanked the Machon staff for a very fulfilling experience. Based on this experience, the field school hopes to be able to plan other events in the future.

First Day of School - Year 5767

FAMILIES FROM NORTHERN ISRAEL IN ELON MOREH

As a result of the terror attacks in the north one third of the country is under siege. From the very beginning it was clear that there would be many families that would need help. Thank G-d, the Jewish People has shown its chesed through volunteers who have gone to the northern cities to help. At the same time many of the citizens have sought refuge out of the range of the missiles falling on their homes. The people of Israel opened their hearts and homes to these refugees.

Elon Moreh has tried to do its share in this important mitzvah. During the days of fighting Elon Moreh hosted 30 families. Some families came for a few days, some for two weeks or more.

The families received full room and board – rooms in the Machon Helkat Hasadeh Field School and food prepared in the dining room. The swimming pool and library facilities were free. The children were kept occupied by all sorts of activities, organized by the youth of EM. Families of the community invited guests for Shabbat meals and helped out with other personal needs.

The praise for the people of Elon Moreh was overwhelming. There were many guests that formed close personal ties with Elon Moreh families. The lesson learned by all was that Am Yisroel is one family. If one group is in trouble, whether from Gush Katif, the Shomron, or the north, all of us must do our part to help out.

Redemption of the Fruits of the Fourth Year – Almond Grove

Three years have passed since Tzur Ben-Ami and Yitzhak Lasser started planting the almond grove on a hill outside Elon Moreh – three years of hard work and much help from many people in the community. And so the grove was ready for a big occasion – the redemption of the fruit of the fourth year.

The trees – full of fruit ready to be picked – were ready for the special blessings of the occasion. Tens of Elon Moreh residents and family members gathered around in an area cleared for the ceremony.

Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Rabbi of Elon Moreh, blessed the participants and explained the halachah (Jewish religious law) behind the redemption. The fruit of the first three years of a fruit tree are forbidden to be eaten. The fruit of the fourth year is also holy and, when the Holy Temple is built, should be eaten only in Jerusalem. Instead the fruit can be redeemed outside the city.

With a look of pride on his face, Tzur held up a basket of almonds, the first to be picked this year, and made the blessing “Blessed are you Gd --- who commanded us to redeem the fruit of the fourth year.” Yitzhak told the story of the many difficulties of how the grove came into being.

The guests were then able to taste the newly picked almonds. Afterwards a presentation of the stages of growth was shown in the Gavish Center.

Rabbi Achituv, from the Institute of Torah and the Land from Kfar Darom, then gave a lecture about the laws and customs relative to the redemption of the fruits of the fourth year.

Now the rest of the fruit will be picked and redeemed, accompanied by prayers that the redemption can be done in the proper fashion in the rebuilt city of Jerusalem, Gd willing.

Day in Memory of Avner Hezi, HY”D

A day of learning was held in memory of Avner Hezi, HY”D, who was killed nine years ago in Lebanon where he served as an army medic.

The lectures included:
Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, who spoke about the need for Jews to help each other in time of need, especially in the midst of threats of war by an enemy to all of Am Yisroel

Ariel Lavi, who spoke about the Komemiot organization, a program of out-reach to Jews with the message of the People of Israel, the Land of Israel, and the Torah of Israel

Rabbi Ohad Tirosh, who spoke about the Prophet Eliyahu's counting the mitzvoth of the Jewish People

Rabbi Hanan Porat, who spoke about the pros and cons of zealousness and revenge

Rabbi Zalman Melamed, who spoke about the ability to look at incidents in Jewish history over the long-run for the good and for the bad.

Representatives of the Temple Institute conducted a program for school children. This included a slide show about the utensils used in the Beit Hamikdah (Holy Temple). Work shops included building models of the altar from clay, baking challahs, and grinding spices for the services.

LAND OF ISRAEL HIKE

On Sunday and Monday, Tamuz 6-7, a group of over 300 people (from school children to adults) participated in a hike from Elon Moreh to Shiloh. The purpose of the trip was to emphasize the connection with the Land of Israel, especially in places where we generally only keep to the main roads. The group was able to put into practice the command to our forefather Abraham “Go forth in the Land through its breadth and width.”

The group left Elon Moreh at 4:00 in the morning and reached Itamar by late afternoon. They were then bussed to Tapuach, where they had a barbeque. Early the next morning the participants continued in two groups, girls and boys from different starting points, to Shiloh to the Kol Zion neighborhood – an outpost near the main community, where there was a large 1000- strong rally.

The trip was organized by the “Youth for Eretz Yisrael” to prove that with the proper organization and cooperation, it is possible to arrange events outside the accepted norms of formal organizations like the Yesha Council. It also emphasized how important it is to materialize our G-d given right to the Land of Israel.

The participants themselves were very careful not to go outside the boundaries set up by the organizers, despite the possibility of entering into provocations with the Arab population. The success of the trip led the organizers to consider further trips with wider publicity to involve more participants.

New Sefer Torah for Chabad Synagogue in Elon Moreh

On the 3rd of Tammuz, July 29th (the yahrtzeit of the Lubavicher Rebbe), a new Sefer Torah was dedicated to the Elon Moreh Chabad House.

The ceremony of the finishing of the final letters was held in the Gavish Center, in memory of the Gavish family, HYD.

The procession was accompanied with music, singing, and dancing, led by the Chabad shaliach at Elon Moreh, Rabbi Yehuda Rubin. Guests included the Torah Scroll donater, Mrs. Miriam Leah Kaufman from Minnesota, Rabbi David Druckman, the chief rabbi of the city of Kiryat Motzkin, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, the Rabbi of Elon Moreh, and residents of Elon Moreh.

The procession concluded at the Chabad House where the sefer torah was entered into the ark.

VISIT – PROF. EUGENE NARRETT

During the Shavuot holiday Elon Moreh was host to a special guest, Prof. Eugene Narrett, who is a professor in Multidisciplinary Studies, Cambridge College, Massachusetts, USA. He received his PhD in Comparative Literature from Columbia University. Dr. Narrett was able to learn first hand about the community and the people that make up Elon Moreh.

He is the author of hundreds of articles on politics, American culture and the arts. He writes often on subjects relating to Israel and Judaism and is a strong supporter of the movement to settle all of Eretz Yisrael.

Prof. Narrett is a member of AFSI (Americans for a Safe Israel), one of the strongest ex-parliamentary lobbying organizations in America, that believes that the Jewish towns in Yesha are essential to Israeli and American security.

He is also a member of the Freeman Center, whose members are mostly professors in various colleges throughout the US who write extensively about the military and strategic issues related to Israel.

Professor Narret spent Shavuot and Shabbat with different families in Elon Moreh and before the start of the holiday was able to tour the town and see with his own eyes the strategic and historical significance of this area.

Absorption – Meeting with New Families

Over the last few months the community of Elon Moreh has been blessed with twenty new families, most of which are young couples that have decided to make Elon Moreh their new home. The members of the absorption committee invited those families that had joined Elon Moreh over the last six months to a joint meeting, in order to discuss ways of easing and improving the absorption of new families into Elon Moreh. The meeting was a success and many good ideas were raised.

Dov Hikind Visit

NY State Assemblyman Dov Hikind has been a strong supporter of Israel and has visited Israel many times. He was in Israel for a short visit to talk to leaders of the settlement movement about projects that he and others can take upon themselves to help thwart the plan for Israeli withdrawal from major parts of the Land of Israel. In Elon Moreh he met with Benny Katzover, one of the founders of the community and a long-time leader in the struggle for the Land of Israel. They discussed cooperation with other leaders in building an overall plan.

Completion of theVirtual Fence around Elon Moreh

We are happy to announce the completion of the virtual security perimeter around Elon Moreh by the Ministry of Defense. This includes the control room, 15 cameras and 40 automatic radar sensors. The control room will be operational 24/7 by citizens of Elon Moreh. We are forever grateful to the many friends that have made this project possible and have become true partners with the families of Elon Moreh.

computerized cameras control room

INDEPENDENCE DAY – 58 YEARS

This is part of an article written by Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Rabbi of Elon Moreh, before Independence Day:

"...The Master of the Universe has done us a great kindness, in taking us from Exile to Redemption, from subjugation to independence. We cannot give orders to G-d and tell Him that we accept this kindness only if it fits in with our desires and our standards. We thank G-d both in the morning [for the kindnesses that we recognize] and at night [for those we do not]. Israel's Independence Day was instituted as a day of thanksgiving for the long way that we have come before He brought us to this day. We will never cede the right and the obligation to thank G-d...

"Intellectually, it is easy to understand the need to be happy on this day - but emotionally, it is hard to rejoice as we did in previous years... Both of these approaches are correct. We must turn to G-d with a heart full of thanks and joy, on the one hand, and with great prayer, on the other hand. Synagogues and yeshiva study halls are proper places for gathering together [on this day] to learn and understand G-d's ways, and to pray for His nation...

"Let us study the past, face the present eye-to-eye, and believe in the future. We will thus be able to attain joy and thanksgiving on Independence Day this year, and with G-d's help, to increasing perfection in the coming days."

MISHLOAH MANOT – SHOHAM

The movement to settle the entire Land of Israel has come to a crossroads. Through its program of "disengagement" the government is threatening to destroy 25 communities (first stage) and turn over major areas to the arch enemy of the State of Israel, an enemy that has declared time and time again its plan to destroy the State of Israel.

Anyone who has had any connection with the development of these communities or has expressed openly his displeasure towards this plan has been branded as an outlaw and criminal.

Elon Moreh, whose very inception was a break-through toward the development of the Samarian hills, continues to work toward that goal. Through a program of "mishloah manot" residents of various communities have been bringing packages of products from Gush Katif to families all over the country and adding a few words of personal feelings about the present political situation. Elon Moreh residents have been visiting families in Shoham.

Comments of Tzvi Dror:
We went to Shoham with much uncertainty and "butterflies" when we knocked on a door of complete strangers. Just a minute. Strangers? These are our brothers!! So we knocked, the door opened and we were greeted by our brothers and sisters. No television – simply heart to heart. Unbelievable!! Face to face directly to the hearts of our brothers.

Celebration of Completion of Study "Babylonian Talmud"

In thousands of communities all over the world, Jews study the Oral Law, the tractates of the Law, by a regular schedule of one page a day. After a period of seven years the cycle is completed. This is a great celebration.  

In Elon Moreh there have been two groups studying regularly, in the community's main synagogue and in the Yeshivah. Saturday night, 17 Adar (Feb. 26), these groups celebrated the completion ceremony together.  

Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, rabbi of Elon Moreh and head of the Birkat Yosef Yeshivah opened the evening with a story of the sage Rabbi Eliezer ben Shimon, who called the residents of a town "ugly" because they had not set aside regular times for Torah study. He added a prayer that the month of Adar (this year 2 months) would be filled with joy and holidays.  

Rabbi David Romem, who leads the community study group, completed the last tractate and pronounced the prayers thanking G-d for the gift of the Torah and the wish to be able to continue study, returning to the finished portions over and over again.  

The special guest for the event was Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, the Chief Rabbi of Ramat Gan. He analyzed the final paragraph of the last tractate Nidah, which ends on a positive note with a message for all those who study. It was learned in the Yeshiva of Rabbi Eliyahu, "Anyone who learns laws everyday is promised a place in the World to Come, as it says in Habakuk (referring to the Righteous), 'The paths of the world are his.' A play on words replaces paths (halichot) with learning (halachot)."  

He connected the two meanings – paths – mundane, everyday activities and learning – spiritual activities. If one indulges in the Torah study, then even the mundane life is covered with a spiritual meaning connected with the World to Come.  

One who walks 4 cubits in the Land of Israel has performed a special mitzvah. This was the special property of Abraham, walking through the land. Moses, who never made it into the Land, was responsible for giving the Jewish People the Torah. We in Israel can combine the two. Here even the most physical acts, working the soil, are filled with commandments. Even afterward, before a fruit can be eaten, it is blessed with still more commandments of Terumah and Ma'aser. We have the special privilege to be able to combine the mitzvot of living in the Land of Israel with the commandments of the Torah.  

After the ceremony the public was invited to a "seudat mitzvah" together with the study groups.

VISIT - SUBURBAN ORTHODOX SYNAGOGUE

Before Tu BeShvat Rabbi Shmuel Silber, along with a busload of members of the Suburban Orthodox Synagogue of Baltimore, Maryland, visited Elon Moreh. This was the third visit to Elon Moreh of the yearly Suburban mission to Israel. (See article 29 Kislev, 5764.)

After lunch in the Machon Helkat Hasadeh Field School, they visited Hill 792, a Nature Preserve along the Mount Kabir ridge overlooking the strategic Tirzah Valley. There the group prayed Minchah in the new synagogue and planted over a dozen trees in honor of Tu BeShvat.

A major project for developing the hill includes courses for youth - 16-18 years old who have not been able to handle a regular high-school program - in various skills within a framework of Torah learning and working to build up the Land of Israel. The group felt that their shul could be a partner in this project.

The visit was topped off by a visit to the army unit responsible for guarding the area and patrolling the nearby roads. The soldiers exhibited some of the equipment they used.

LEARNING BANK CHAMPIONS

On Friday, 26 Tevet, 5765 (Jan 6, 05), the Nahalat Zvi School for Boys in Elon Moreh held a special assembly to honor eight students who have memorized complete tractates of Mishnaot.

This is part of a “Learning Bank” program recently established in the school. In this “bank” students learn by heart segments of Mishnaot from Brachot, Ethics of the Fathers, Yoma, Megilah, and Baba Metziah (tractates being studied in the regular programs).

The students have shown a special joy in their accomplishments which gives them the desire to do more. The program has set its goals according to the proverb of the sages, “Mitzvot, done not for their sake alone, but for a profit, will eventually be done just for their sake alone.” Accordingly the school has given out prizes of dozens of books – sifrei kodesh and books for general reading.

The joy of learning has spread throughout the school and over half of the students in the school now take part in the program.

A group of eight students and Adiel Sharabi, the sixth grade teacher, serve as judges to test the accomplishments of the students.

Financial support from parents and other friends has allowed the program to go on. Donations have been given for support of a full day's study or a full month.

Nurse with Emergency Pack

Life-saving equipment donated by Zaka, with the help of supporters from Holland.

SHABBAT PARSHAT LECH LECHAH

On the Shabbat of Parshat “Lech Lechah” we read about the promise to our forefather Abraham,” To your descendents I will give this Land.” This promise, which was given the first time in Elon Moreh, is the basis for the right to the Jewish People of the Land of Israel.  

Over the last seven years we have marked this Shabbat as a special Shabbat. Thousands of Jews from all over Israel each year have spent Shabbat in Elon Moreh in the place where the Almighty first gave the promise of the Land to the founder of our Nation.

This year, our twenty-fifth anniversary, we decided to widen the participation and give an opportunity to those, both in Israel and in the Diaspora, who could not be in Elon Moreh themselves physically, to be with us spiritually. Over 150 synagogues throughout the United States and Canada and dozens in Israel dedicated this Shabbat Lech Lechah as Shabbat Elon Moreh. In this way we were able to unite Jews all over in recognizing our G-d-given right to the Land of Israel.   

In Elon Moreh many guests stayed in the “Machon Chelkat Hasadeh” Field School, in classrooms in both schools, and in every corner possible. There was almost no home that did not have more guests than household members.   

In honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary the list of guests included some of the early leaders of the settlement movement.   

Yisrael Har-el, one of the founders of Ofra and the first chairman of the Council of Communities in Yesha declared that the goal ahead is ”primarily to open the nation's eyes so that it will abandon the well-tested path of despair and once again take the Zionist high road, the road of faith in the correctness of Zionism and in our ability to reach safe harbor at the end of the struggle.”   

Menachem Felix, one of the founders of the Jewish community in Kiryat Arbah and Elon Moreh said, “What is more important than listening to history is making history.”   

David Wilder from Hevron summarized his Shabbat with the following comment. The large number of youth that participated in the Shabbat is a sign of the faith of the founders of the community through the next generation, who are carrying the torch, sparks of light amongst many shadows. Such sparks are so important and necessary, especially today, with all that is happening.  This is the trail followed by Abraham, still traveled by his offspring, almost four thousand years later. From Elon Moreh to Hebron, from Hebron to Elon Moreh and from there throughout the rest of the Land of Israel – this is the heritage of our people; this is the eternity of our Land; this is the legacy of Elon Moreh.  

Visit - Rabbi Shmuel Silber

Elon Moreh was honored by a visit from Rabbi Shmuel Silber, his wife Aviva, and their children from Baltimore, Maryland. They were accompanied by Barry Nabozny, an active member of the Israel Committee, and his children.

Rabbi Silber is the Rabbi of Suburban Orthodox Synagogue in Baltimore, Maryland.
Last Hanukah over 50 synagogue members participated in a Hachnasat Sefer Torah in Elon Moreh. The Torah had been donated by the shul in the name of Rabbi Shlomo Preis, zt”l, who had served as the Rabbi of the community.

The main stops were the Konegsbetrg Klaf Factory and hill 792 where the Rabbi was shown the wonderful work done by a group of real pioneers. The Donated Sefer Torah is now serving the synagogue for the regular Torah readings.

During a meeting with Rabbi Levanon, the two rabbis agreed to exchange Devrei Torah as a way to keep in touch and help strengthen the ties between the two communities.

Dedication of the New Library Building

The ceremony for the dedication of the new library building took place in the open area between the new building and the Rahamei Tirzah Synagogue.

This building is the first stage of a major Culture Center which will include a Commercial Center and a major dining hall.

At the ceremony speakers represented the various organizations that were part of the project/ These included members of the Gavish family, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, rabbi of Elon Moreh, Rabbi Yosef Porat, member of Elon Moreh Central Committee and Friends of Elon Moreh, Bentzi Lieberman, Chairman of the Shomron Regional Council, Dina Gutman, Regional Librarian, and Michal Malihi, Elon Moreh Librarian.

David and Rachel Gavish were amongst the founders of Elon Moreh and had worked as teachers in the school and other educational institutions. They were murdered in their home on Pesah, 5762 ('02), along with their son Avraham, and Rachel's father Yitzhak Kanner.

Visit - Rabbi Elazar Meir Teitz

Elon Moreh was honored by a visit from Rabbi Elazar Meir Teitz and his wife Elisheva from Elizabeth, New Jersey. Rabbi Teitz is the Chief Rabbi of Elizabeth and the Dean of the Jewish Educational Center, an educational complex which includes the JEC yeshivah grammar school, the RTMA (Rabbi Teitz Mesivta Academy) high school-yeshivah, and the Bruriah High School for girls. The total enrollment of these schools, which serve the communities of central New Jersey, is almost 1000 students. The grammar school and the schools of Elon Moreh have begun a direct relationship of exchanging learning material and divrei Torah connected to upcoming holidays.

The connection between the community and its schools and Israel is very strong. Part of the official high school program for boys and girls is a year of study in Israel after graduation. In the last year eight families from the community made aliyah.

In Elon Moreh, the Rabbi visited the Kupat Cholim Clali Clinic, the school, the Beit HaMedrash, and the new library building. A tour of the lookout was conducted by Benny Katzover, one of the founders of Elon Moreh.

It was not by “accident” that the visit came out on the week of Parshat Reah where the commandment for the Blessing and Curse on Mt. Grizzim and Mt. Eval are mentioned. The importance of Elon Moreh, historically and today, was stressed in order to lead to strengthening the contacts between our respective communities, particularly through the schools.

Participation in the Israeli Human Chain

On Sunday, 7 Menahem Av, 5764 (July 25, '04) over 600 residents from Elon Moreh were amongst the almost 200,000 people in the Israeli Human Chain that stretched 90 km (55 miles) from Gush Katif to Jerusalem. The message: No to disengagement and expulsion; Yes to the Land of Israel, Gush Katif, and the unity and faith of the People of Israel. Tourists from the U.S.A. and other countries also participated in the Chain.

The unity of Jews from all over the country shows the strength of the people to rebuild the Land of Israel, despite the present political scene.

Simultaneously many chains were formed in many cities around the world, organized by organizations like Americans for a Safe Israel, Professors for a Safe Israel, Chabad, and others.

VISIT - AMERICANS FOR A SAFE ISRAEL

Americans for a Safe Israel was founded in 1971 by concerned Americans convinced that a peaceful settlement of the Arab-Israel conflict would only occur when the Arabs realized once and for all that Israel could not be defeated. The founders were convinced that Israel must retain possession and control of Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan. To abandon territory won in wars forced on it would make Israel vulnerable once again to renewed subversion and attack, not only by hostile Arabs in Judea and Samaria but also by unstable Arab regimes.

AFSI is unique in its proud and outspoken advocacy of Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan as integral parts of Israel. AFSI believes that a strong Israel is essential to U.S. security and that the Jewish towns in these areas are the best guarantee against strategic vulnerability. Most importantly, the pioneering efforts of the residents in these areas have the potential of rejuvenating a dormant Zionism and igniting a second Zionist revolution.

This week a group of twenty members of AFSI, coming from New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas, came to Israel on the AFSI Chizuk ( Solidarity) mission. Many of the participants have been part of missions in the past. Elon Moreh has always been a regular stop of these missions. This year the summation dinner at the end of the mission was held at the Chelkat HaSadeh Field School in Elon Moreh.

After speaking to Elon Moreh representatives, touring the yishuv, and seeing the short video presentation, the participants felt that they could be ambassadors to the outside world about the importance of Elon Moreh to Israel. Many agreed to keep in touch through American Friends of Elon Moreh and work with our supporters in the US.

VISIT - B'NAI ISRAEL CONGREGATION, NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

On the second annual B'nai Israel Mission, a group of members of the Bnai Israel Congregation of Norfolk, Virginia, led by Rabbi Yosef Friedman, visited Elon Moreh.
The tone of the visit was summarized by Rabbi Friedman, “It is a mitzvah to see Israel as well as to be seen in Israel.”

B'nai Israel Congregation is the oldest and largest Orthodox congregation in the Tidewater area. The membership numbers approximately 225 families, and includes people of all ages: singles, young families with children, "empty-nesters" - and everything in between.

The atmosphere in the shul is predicated on the Torah's charge: "Love Your Neighbor As Yourself". B'nai Israel is truly a family, built on the overriding principle not to judge each other. This has made it possible for Jews of differing levels of observance to all feel right at home.

The visit to Elon Moreh included a tour of the community with a view from the Mt. Kabir Outlook and meeting some of the founders of the community over refreshments served in the Helkat Hasadeh Field School.

Before leaving, Rabbi Friedman commented to the group that without Elon Moreh there would be no Tel Aviv and no Jerusalem.

ISRAEL'S 56TH INDEPENDENCE DAY

The Memorial Day for Soldiers and Terror Victims began as usual with a siren, marking one minute of silence, which brought the country to a standstill. In Elon Moreh the day was marked by a ceremony in memory of the members who had fallen serving in the armed forces or by the hands of Arab terror.

Rabbi Levanon, Rabbi of Elon Moreh, mentioned that those that fell did so honorably in the defense of the State of Israel and the People of Israel. We are in the center of a major struggle for the identity of our country. The feeling of Amalek, Israel's arch enemy, still exists in the form of hatred for each other, even to forcefully removing Jews from their homes and forgetting that "The People of Israel are all responsible for each other.” Jews from all over the world comprise ONE NATION, We must increase our belief that there is a Guiding Hand controlling us and that the 25th Anniversary of Elon Moreh should serve as a milestone in the rebuilding of the country. We will unfurl the flag of EMUNAH and so will continue to build and grow.

On the evening of Independence Day, families of the community ate together in a festive holiday meal. As in years past, the families competed in a quiz of questions on geography and history of the Land of Israel.

The next day seven bus-loads of people and many in private cars traveled to Gush Katif to join in the festivities there. They were part of what has been described as “the biggest traffic jam in the history of the country,” well over 100,000 people who participated in the main ceremony and tens of thousands who were turned back.  

Day in Memory of the Gavish family

On Thursday of Chol Hamoed Pesach, 17 Nisan, 5764 (April 8, '04) in the Neot Kedumim Biblical Landscape Reserve in the Judean Hills there was a special day in memory of the four members of the Gavish family who were murdered on Pesach two years ago, in their home in Elon Moreh. The Reserve recreates a Biblical setting, including plants, animals, farming techniques of the Bible, geography, and history of the Land of the Bible. At the site there are seminars which stress the interaction of the people with the land through the stories and commandments of the Bible.

The day's activities were organized by the friends of the family from Elon Moreh and Kedumim, along with many other volunteers. These included guided tours of the area, bicycle tours, lectures by Neot Kedumim staff, by honored rabbis, and by Yesha leaders who joined the festivities.

The day was concluded with a song festival of joint singing led by Yehudah Greenbaum of Kedumim.  

PURIM 5764 - ELON MOREH

As in past years the Elon Moreh chapter of the Bnei Akivah Youth Movement held a Purim Carnival for the children of the community. The older children spent many evenings going from store to store in nearby cities to collect donations of products that can be used as prizes for the various games.

Late afternoon on Purim all were gathered in the gymnasium, the loudspeakers began blasting Purim songs, and the older children began preparing the booths. The smaller children came to try their “skills” at the various booths/games. A winner earns a prize - from a balloon to clocks to clothes. A raffle was held at the end of the evening - the grand prize was a bicycle.

Actually, the preparations officially began at the beginning of the month of Adar. On Motzei Shabbat the oldest “shaivet” (Haroeh - eigth grade) performed comedy skits about life in the yishuv. Afterward the Rav and Rabbanit for Purim were chosen. They were in charge of all activities around Purim - the carnival, mishloah manot, and more.

For the tenth year running, the community of Elon Moreh distributed over 700 portions of mishloah manot packages to soldiers serving in the area. The recepients also included almost 100 soldiers and girls in national service from Elon Moreh. The packages were funded by Friends of Elon Moreh in conjunction with friends in various communities all over Israel and the US.  

As usual, the youth of the community were the main work force for the project, including collecting the food items and presents, organizing the packages, and adding notes of “Happy Purim.” The distribution each Purim is taken care of by the “Beit Hahayal” committee. Representatives of various army units in the area come to Elon Moreh to pick up the packages and distribute them to their comrads.  

The note sent to the soldiers with the package read, “On this holiday of simchah and giving, each of us in his place separate from the others, finds himself busy with work, studies, or service. We have sent you this small token of friendship to remind you of the words of Rabbi Yitchak from Berditchiv, 'The purpose of life is to give and take. Such was the world created, so that each individual can have an effect on his neighbors and, at the same time, be affected by them. Anyone who does not have both these attributes is like a tree that bears no fruit.'”    

ELON MOREH -“HALF-YOVEL”

Tu-Beshvat has always had a special meaning for the people of Elon Moreh. After overcoming many difficulties, political and physical, on Tu-BeShvat, 5740 (Feb., '80) Elon Moreh was established at its present site on the hills northeast of the city Shechem. 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 date also signifies 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. By Tu-Beshvat most of the rain has fallen, preparing the land for its purpose of giving 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 emerged 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, 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.

For the first time in 2000 years Am Yisroel is able to work on that ideal that can be accomplished only in the Land of Israel. Jews all over the world are connected to that ideal - by prayers, contacts, visits, donations, and other means of support, all part of the grand plan of the Return of Am Yisroel to Eretz Yisroel.

This year Tu-BeShvat has taken on an even more important significance. This day was the start of the 25th year of Elon Moreh - our half-yovel year. This date also marks the thirtieth anniversary of Gush Emunim, the movement to settle the areas of Judea, Shomron and Azza, returned to Jewish hands after the six-day war.

With a feeling that our very being in Elon Moreh is part of a historical continuation of 4000 years of history, the Elon Moreh Central Committee and Friends of Elon Moreh decided to mark this year with special events. While the political voices in Israel and abroad are trying to weaken the hold of Am Yisroel on historical areas of Eretz Yisroel, we are doing everything we can to increase those ties.

A “half-yovel” committee has been appointed with sub-committees in charge of each of the several projects being planned for the coming year. Included in the plans for the year are projects which we hope will strengthen the community by making ourselves more known to the Jews in Israel and abroad and will encourage more contact with supporters all over the world.

The opening ceremony on Motzei Sahabbat Beshallach, Tu-Beshvat (Feb. 7, '04) included a collection of exhibits of over 30 institutions, committees, and businesses in Elon Moreh. The displays were summaries of the accomplishments of the past 24 years with a look toward the future. The result of days and nights of efforts of representatives of these institutions was a fitting “identity card” of the community.

The exhibits demonstrated the history of the community, the trials and tribulations and hardships endured to get to where we are today. Despite all the opposition within Israel and from outside the country, we have grown and will continue to grow and flourish. . Because of the success of the exhibit, which had been planned as an internal event for Elon Moreh residents, requests were made to open it to the general public.

We have begun writing a book on Elon Moreh. This will include the history and importance of the city of Shechem from Avraham through the years, the establishment of the original Elon Moreh group through today, descriptions of the organizations and institutions that comprise the community, the hopes for the future, and much more.

We intend to send letters to thousands of rabbis and communities all over the world to invite them to be in contact, visit, correspond with people of the community. We hope to advertise the name of Elon Moreh and the 25th anniversary as a special day for all of Am Yisroel.

Over the Pesah holiday we will celebrate the opening of the new library building, the first stage in the Gavish Culture Center, in memory of the four members of the Gavish family killed on Pesah two years ago.

This summer there will be a special event with participation of important political and religious figures who have had a part in the growing of the town.

After the opening of the school year we intend to organize a regional quiz centered around the history and geography of the areas in Yesha. We expect participation in schools throughout the country.

SHABBAT LECH-LECHAH

BACKGROUND

“The thing missing most was that it ended so soon.” This was the summary of Bat- El, the Bnei Akivah coordinator, after she and her family had been guests for Shabbat Lech Lechah in Elon Moreh.

The idea of Shabbat Elon Moreh on the Shabbat when we read from the Torah the portion of Lech Lecha, was started six years ago when the community celebrated its Chai - 18th - anniversary and the residents looked for a way to bring as many people as possible to Elon Moreh to share the event. It is in this Torah reading that our forefather Avram is told to leave his father's home and travel to the place that G-d will show him. The Torah tells us that Avram "passed through the land till the place of Shechem till Elon Moreh" Then G-d promises to Avram for the first time "to you children will I give this land.

When the Elon Moreh group was formed 30 years ago, after 2000 years of Jewish exile, the members set as their goal the building of a town as close as possible to the city of Shechem under the ideal that after the Six-Day War we were given the opportunity to build up the Land of Israel, especially near the Holy cities. Even today there is a feeling of a mission to connect Am Yisrael to the Land.

Since then, every Shabbat Lech Lechah, when the visitors go to the Luntz Lookout which is the highest point in Elon Moreh, every one is affected by the sights mentioned in the Bible. Many have formed strong bonds with the community and have been back time and time again.

ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING

The planning of the Shabbat is a major project in itself. The many details must be handled with the best of care - many guests are housed in the “Machon Chelkat Hasadeh” Field School, in classrooms in both schools, and in every corner possible. There is almost no home that does not have more guests than members of the household.

Throughout the Shabbat there are a series of lectures, Torah shiurim, and discussion groups geared to the general public, youth, and young children. At each lecture there are refreshments with a crew responsible for setting up, serving, and cleaning up. The more than 20 lecturers are all volunteers, some needing transportation, sleeping facilities, and host families for meals. Walks to the Luntz Lookout with special guides were scheduled.

Shlomi Bar On, chairman of the Shabbat Committee, “The organization of this program demands over two months of intensive work, especially the last two weeks. There can be no doubt that without the help of the youth of the community the Shabbat could not have taken place.” And so it was, almost every aspect of the Shabbat had tremendous help by the youth.

Already before Rosh Hashanah the flyers were planned by a graphics designer from EM and printed up. Youth went house-to-house to collect names and addresses of friends and relatives to whom packages of flyers could be sent to hand out to synagogues and neighbors. At the same time a special newsletter was planned to be distributed to the guests. Local businessmen were visited to offer them ads in the newsletter. Some took it upon themselves to call potential speakers and to make arrangements for them.

Every evening a group manned the telephones, giving out information, taking reservations, making arrangements for sleeping, eating, and transportation. All information was recorded on the office computer in order to keep track of each family.

During the days before the big Shabbat final preparations went into full gear. Mattresses were borrowed from schools in the area and trucks and mini-vans sent to pick them up. These were given out to Elon Moreh families needing extra beds and spread out in the school's classrooms. Busses were sent out to pick up guests from central points in Jerusalem and Petach Tikvah.

Signs were put up pointing to the rooms where the lectures were held. The newsletter was printed and given out. Hot plates and baby cribs were distributed. The refreshments were arranged. Chairs and tables were set in place. Extra chairs were brought to the central Synagogue. Information stands were set up to help the guests as they arrived in Elon Moreh.

SHABBAT

The big day arrived. The guests came - by bus and by car - and settled into their rooms. The Sabbath prayers in the central Synagogue were led by the well known singer Aaron Raziel. The special feeling of guests and hosts alike was shown by a spontaneous outburst of singing and dancing. After the Friday night Shabbat meal hundreds gathered for an oneg Shabbat with Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, rabbi of Elon Moreh.

During the morning prayers the sky was overcast and even a few raindrops fell, but the sun was shining as all dispersed toward the Shabbat meal. After the second series of lectures, Beni Katzover, one of the founders of Elon Moreh, led the walk to the Luntz Lookout. Afterward, another series of lectures were scheduled before the Seudat Shlishit.

HOMEWARD BOUND

After Havdalah there was a short video on the history of Elon Moreh, while the guests waited for the buses to arrive. At the bus stop there was a group of youth to hand out candy with a note, “We were also left with a sweet taste.”

It is hard to know if the success of the Shabbat was because of the special atmosphere, the Bible passages which come to life before the eyes of the visitors, the 4000 years of Jewish history in the area, or the residents, especially the wonderful youth. One thing is certain - everyone, hosts and guests alike came away with a special feeling of a special Shabbat dedicated to the strengthening of the unity of Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael.

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.

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