Soldiers patroling the Cave of the Patriarchs. The soldier facing the camera is enjoying some snacks, sponsored by Chabad of Calabasas. You feel such a debt of gratitude to these kids...you don't know what to do, just saying thanks don't cut it. He was buying snacks when we were, so we footed the bill. Big deal. But you gotta do something.
The steps up to the Cave. This structure was completed by Herod.
The lady in the bottom right of the picture is Davening at the closest possible spot to the actual cave where Adam, Chavah, Avraham, Sarah, Yitzchak, Rivkah, Yaakov and Leah are buried. She is also at the only spot where Jews were permitted to stand prior to the 67 War. There were steps there that were available for the Jews to stand on, and when the Israeli soldiers took over Chevron in the war they destroyed the hated symbol of the Arabs' denigration of the Jews.
Our guide was so interesting. He even found interesting places to keep is Coke.
Shainy and Malka in a moment of quiet reflection inside the onsite Shul.
It was the place were Jews were permitted to daven untin 1948 (48 - 67 Jews were not permitted in chevron period).
ReplyDeleteWhen the friediker Rebbe was there in 27 he was permitted to go up to the 13th step (nearly all the way up - outside).