A festive ceremony for the renovated Beit Valero building in Hebron took place with the traditional affixing of the mezuzah on the doorpost.
Purchased by the Shavei Hevron yeshiva, the historic building was empty with no electricity or working plumbing. The extensive conservation efforts have now been completed and yeshiva students moved in while waving Israeli flags and singing Hebrew songs.
The home was originally built by the family of Haim Aharon Valero, a 19th-century Sephardic Jewish businessman and philanthropist from Jerusalem. During the 1929 Hebron Massacre, it was ransacked and taken over by squatters who later built a second floor. After decades of legal battles, the home was finally been returned to the Jewish community in 2025. It is located near the Shavei Hevron yeshiva in what is today the casbah, now an area off limits to Jews but before the massacre, served as the Jewish quarter.
The building was most recently used as a carpentry shop and had interior burn damage. The inauguration ceremony took place a day before the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.
Rabbi Hananel Etrog, head of the Hebron yeshiva stated, “as we enter Beit Valero, it is impossible not to see King David returning to his city of Hebron.” He noted that Shavuot is connected to King David and likened the yeshiva students to the ancient Judean king who was both a warrior and scholar. “Our students are all army graduates, warriors like King David. We are full of gratitude to God Almighty for the privilege of doing historical justice in returning stolen property.” He thanked the Civil Administration, the Hebron community, council head Eyal Gelman, and the other officials who assisted.
NOTES:
- 96 years after massacre, yeshiva returned to the Casbah – C14, March 2026
- Valero House Returns to Jewish Hands – Sep. 2025
