Minister of Tourism Haim Katz visited Hebron for the inauguration of
the new Hebron guest house and the elevator at the Cave of the Patriarchs &
Matriarchs.
the new Hebron guest house and the elevator at the Cave of the Patriarchs &
Matriarchs.
Katz said he wanted to make an official visit as a government minister
“precisely to Hebron, the city of the ancestors. The residents of Hebron are doing holy
work, and I will use all means to strengthen tourism in the area.”
He made the remarks at the opening of Eshel Avraham, a guest house in the Avraham Avinu
neighborhood. The old event hall was in need of remodeling and the refurbished building
has been named Eshel Avraham, which means Oak of Abraham. The name is taken from the
original Eshel Avraham guest house which existed in the 1920s until the 1929 Hebron
massacre.
“precisely to Hebron, the city of the ancestors. The residents of Hebron are doing holy
work, and I will use all means to strengthen tourism in the area.”
He made the remarks at the opening of Eshel Avraham, a guest house in the Avraham Avinu
neighborhood. The old event hall was in need of remodeling and the refurbished building
has been named Eshel Avraham, which means Oak of Abraham. The name is taken from the
original Eshel Avraham guest house which existed in the 1920s until the 1929 Hebron
massacre.
Uri Karzen, director of the Jewish community of Hebron explained to Minister
Katz about the history of the site and the significance of opening a renovated facility
for the numerous guests that visit the city. “The minister was impressed by the high
standard of the guest house,” Karzen stated. “He promised that the Ministry of Tourism
will help promote Hebron as well as other sites in Judea and
Samaria.”
Katz about the history of the site and the significance of opening a renovated facility
for the numerous guests that visit the city. “The minister was impressed by the high
standard of the guest house,” Karzen stated. “He promised that the Ministry of Tourism
will help promote Hebron as well as other sites in Judea and
Samaria.”
The minister was also updated by city council head Eyal Gelman about the promotion of
tourism and proposals for projects and events that will attract people from Israel and
around the world. Staff members of the Tourism Ministry also participated in the tour to
examine the practical possibilities of implementing plans to increase tourism to the
Judea and Samaria regions and turn it into Israel’s “Tuscany” similar to the historic
art and culture region in Italy.
The tour opened with a visit to Alon Park in Kiryat Arba, a suburb of Hebron which
contains a unique oak grove. The Tourism Ministry hopes to enrich visits to the
historical sites with nature areas and recreation sites, as well as an archaeological
museum to display findings from local excavations. The head of the Kiryat Arba council,
Eliyahu Liebman, expressed his appreciation and hope that the Ministry of Tourism will
find possibilities for the development and promotion of the sites.
Uri Arnon, Kiryat Arba’s tourism coordinator, presented the minister with an ancient
Jewish coin from the days of the Bar Kochba revolt, over 2,000 years ago, that was
discovered in the area, as well as a bottle of Kerem Hallel wine from the nearby ‘Ariel
in Yehuda Winery’ which cultivates grapes based on ancient vineyards.
The delegation also visited the Touching Eternity museum in the historic Beit Hadassah
building in Hebron. The minister and his entourage saw the exhibitions about the history
of the Jewish community from Biblical days to the present. They also viewed the 4D short
film dramatizing Hebron’s history. Katz and his staff expressed admiration for the
museum and praised director Haim Bish and tourism coordinator Yaela Briner. The minister
wrote in the guest book, “keep building and settling, you are doing sacred
work”!
After the visit to the museum, the minister was treated to a panoramic view of Hebron
from the roof of the Shavei Hevron yeshiva in the historic Beit Romano building. The
minister met with Gilad Matana, director of the yeshiva who pointed out the sites
visible from the rooftop.
The minister also heard from Hebron’s international spokesperson Yishai Fleisher who
recently returned from a lecture tour in the United States, as well as from Rabbi Simcha
Hochbaum, Hebron’s director of international tourism who overseas the coordination of
tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world.
The delegation ended their tour at the towering Cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs
(Tomb of Machpela) where he had the privilege to be the first minister to use the new
elevator.
The minister recited the traditional Shechehiyahu blessing before entering the elevator.
It took decades of lawsuits and planning to create handicapped access for the ancient
holy site. Before the elevator, those with mobility issues would have to climb many
steps and those in wheelchairs would have to be carried. Government law mandates the
creation of disabled access for public sites and an elevator is currently being built at
the plaza of the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Long-time spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron Dr. Noam Arnon led the tour. Dr.
Arnon, the author of several books on the history of the site is one of the few to have
actually entered the underground caverns inside the Cave of Machpela. The giant stone
walls were erected 2,000 years ago by King Herod the Great to house the underground
burial chambers of the Biblical forefathers and mothers.
The minister praised the construction of the elevator and noted that his office
allocated a considerable budget for its construction, but insisted on the need to
improve the appearance of the tower and its adaptation to the ancient aesthetic. Dr.
Arnon, who along with other Hebron community leaders spearheaded the efforts to push
governmnet ministries to build the elevator, expressed dismay for the metal
structure. He said the elevator was “necessary” for the disabled and elderly to be able
to pray at the site but lamented what he called the “brutal contrast to the ancient
architecture.”
The community and the ministry agreed to review future proposals to improve the elevator
and it was agreed that the issue would be examined as soon as possible by
professionals.
To book accommodation and events at the Eshel Avraham guest house call Bracha at
052-554-3907.
NEWS COVERAGE:
* Noam
Arnon editorial on elevator – Makor Rishon
Arnon editorial on elevator – Makor Rishon
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