            Kiryat Arba - Hebron, A Haven for Jews 
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
                         February  1991
                                
       It is just four years now since I became involved with the hesder Yeshiva in Kiryat
Arba.  While I have always had a special admiration for the young men who learn here, not
having had the benefit of a yeshiva education myself, in recent days and weeks I find myself
even more impressed with the way they respond to the challenges that face us here.  
       Ours is a hesder yeshiva whose young men serve proudly in the IDF.  With the
outbreak of the Gulf War some of our boys were called up into the army for emergency
service.  In addition, our first year students have been doing their basic training, and our third
year students, about 35 to 40 boys, are doing advanced military training.
       Those who remain here, in addition to their studies at the yeshiva, have been
volunteering their spare time to help with the needs of our community:  
       Every day between six and eight of our boys learn together in an empty classroom
in the elementary school so they can be available to help the teachers with the children in the
event of an air raid;  With the number of families of Russian olim passing 100, our boys have
"adopted" these families and made it their responsibility to help them adjust to their new life
here; and, most recently, we have accepted twenty new Russian olim, from all over the
country, as students here.  They will be getting Hebrew ulpan lessons and English lessons as
well as lessons in basic Judaism.  It is heartwarming to see how our boys fawn over their
newly arrived brethren.
       For the nine years in which I have lived in Kiryat Arba, people all over the country
complained that Hebron is a dangerous place and they refrained from visiting here.  Today our
homes are bulging with visitors from Tel Aviv.  One of our former students who lives here had
been urging his parents, who live in Ramat Gan, to stay with him and his family in Kiryat Arba
for a while.  His father adamantly refused.  Just before Shabbat he weakened and reluctantly
agreed to join his son's family here.  That night an Iraqi missile destroyed his home.  His
change of heart saved his life.  The hills of Judea and Samaria have become a haven for Jews
living on the Israeli coastline.
       While, in the past, many counseled giving up the heart of our homeland, today many
of these same people are happy to have it to run to.  The mayor of Tel Aviv, horrified at the
exodus of so many of his constituents, ironically paraphrased the slogan of Jewish pioneers, "If
you abandon Tel Aviv today, tomorrow other cities will be abandoned."  
The fact is that G-d did not include Tel Aviv in His promise to our father, Abraham.  There
was no such place.  He did, however, include Hebron, Jerusalem, Jericho, Bet El, Shiloh,
Shechem and all of the lands of Judea and Samaria.  If these lands do not belong to us, no
lands do.       We did not return to Hebron for "political" reasons.  There can be no doubt that all
of our ancient Jewish lands will be rebuilt and repopulated with Jewish families.  It was our
privilege to be among the first to return to Hebron.  We harbor no doubts about our future
here, and we are contributing to making it a strong one.  Yeshivat Kiryat Arba is sponsoring
the retraining of new immigrants from the Soviet Union for jobs in the construction field.  We
hope that their first on the job experience will be in the completion of our new student
dormitories.  As those dormitories are built, it will further Jewish settlement here as it frees the
present rented apartments in which our boys presently reside, for use by new immigrant
families in need of housing and who wish to partake of the unique atmosphere of our holy city. 
       It is difficult to express how fortunate I feel to just be here.  Those who have been
reading my letters and articles for years now will not be surprised to learn that even now,
during this time of emergency, I still make my way every morning, before dawn, to the Cave
of Machpela where our forefathers lie buried to recite the shacharit prayers at the vatiken
minyan there.  
       Here, in Hebron, it is so natural for a Jew to be at one with himself, his people and
his country.  Just as I was blessed with the good fortune to be living here where I can actively
fulfil my part in our collective Jewish destiny, I feel that my association with the hesder
Yeshiva in Kiryat Arba was also a special privilege that was granted me.  While in other parts
of the world our people are confused and becoming victim to assimilation, it is a breath of
fresh air to witness the rebirth of our people as a living renewal of the proud Jews who lived
here so long ago.  The new generation that is growing up here is not just walking in the
footsteps of our fathers, but drinking deeply from the same fountain of living waters and
continuing where they left off.
       The difference for a Jew in living either inside his country or outside of it is like a
fish living in a pond or a fish bowl.  One is a natural existence and the other, while it may seem
natural, most certainly isn't.  While the fish in the goldfish bowl may be fooled by his
superficial environment, a Jew should not allow himself the luxury of such an illusion.