Community Magazine October 2010

A s I searched for a new community to become part of, I first took up residence in Jerusalem, the epicenter of all Jewish life and the focal point of many of our prayers. As time progressed, and my family, thank Gd, grew, we needed more space than city residences could easily provide. We opted to move several miles south of Jerusalem, to Alon Shevut, a religious community in the heart of the Gush Etzion region of Judea, where we had a number of close friends. Aside from the advantages of the wider open spaces of suburbia over the crowded city life, we also enjoy the warmth of a close-knit community, and our lives are engulfed in Torah. Nothing can replace those childhood memories of the High Holiday prayers back in Brooklyn, but I know I am providing my children with special memories of their own that they will, Gd willing, cherish for years to come. Clearly, our move to Alon Shevut – which might be described in liberal circles as a “Jewish settlement” in the “West Bank” – was not meant to be a political statement. We saw the move as a family decision, not a nationalistic tactic. Others, however, saw it differently. Neighbors relayed that they had friends who would not visit them – on principle – in order not to be seen as supporting what Israel’s enemies have deemed, illegal settlements. Are the Jewish Population Centers Legal? The legality of Jewish life in Yehuda VeShomron has been disputed for decades. While this article cannot possibly provide the forum to fully explore all the legal issues involved, I will attempt to briefly touch upon several central points in the debate over so called “settlements” in the disputed territories. The term “Yehuda VeShomron” is the biblical nomenclature for areas which were part of the historic Jewish kingdoms of Judea and Israel. Commonly referred to as the “West Bank” (because of it's relation to the Jordan River), the region lies east of the modern state of Israel’s 1948 borders (the “Green Line”) and was captured from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War. Generally, “Yehuda” refers to the areas south of Jerusalem, while “Shomron” refers to those areas north of the Israeli capital. The area is administered by the Israel Defense Forces Central Command and hosts Israel’s fastest growing population, with an annual growth of about 5 percent. This area now comprises four full-size cities, six regional councils and approximately 13 local council regions. The United Nations has passed a number of resolutions declaring that the Jewish population centers in these areas have no legal I Am Not a Settler RABBI GAD DISHI An insider’s personal perspective on Jewish life in Yehuda VeShomron. (but I live outside the Green Line) Having been raised in the Syrian community for 26 years, moving to Israel wasn’t easy. It took a long time to get used to a new culture, and a certain feeling of homesickness set in. I sorely missed the homestyle s’la (prayers) for the High Holidays when I was privileged to pray together with my father, a.h., and Hacham Baruch Ben-Haim, z.s.l., in the old Social Hall of Shaare Zion. "The lonely Oak Tree," which is the symbol of the Gush Etzion region. (painting by Hana Nussbaum) The Hebrew word " alon," which means oak, is the source for the city name "Alon Shvut". 28 Community magazine