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Samarian Journey by S.W. ST U A R T
H i^ h up in the hills, haIf-way bet ween Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and roughly in the centre of the territory of Samaria, stands the religious settle ment o f Neve Tzuf. It owes its origin to a handful o f pioneer volunteers who, one night in 1978, took over the disused British police fort at I Jalamish, whic h overlooks the Sama rian I tills. I Juddled together in this former police ( ompound v\ ith only the most primitive of facilities, II families began the task o f building a new set tlement. Each occupied only one room, flu* work was arduous and the neighbours' were inhospitable But their determination to succeed over( ame their many hardships. Today those pioneers ran proudlv see the results of their labours The thriving and expanding township has a population ot over 110 familit'* there is some local industry, but many c omrnute into lei M ix or lorusalem to work, returning eaih i‘\ening to a pretty little town ot varit'd architecture colourful gardens and with breath taking views over the surrounding c ountrysule
Bet Haknesset
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Bride of place in the township is take'n by the new Bet Haknessel, tin* lust to be purpose-built in Samaria sine e the* Six I Xiy War ot 19h7. I had been m c ontac t professionally w ith onc%ot the pioneering volunteers tor some' time and subsequently we In r ame friends. Visiting him in 1981 I saw the makeshift juemises which were' u sed as a Bel I laknessit and the hole in the' ground where it was hoped that tin* new Synagogue
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would stand. / saw; too, that the com munity urgently needed a Sefer Torah. On my return to London. / enquired from our President. Mr Morris Lederman, whetlnv it would l e /nissihle to let this struggling kehilla have one ot tin* Sifrei Torah which the* Federation ot Synagogues had in sale*-kenning from a now dis used l ondon Synagogue To his great cre'dit. tin* Presidents immediate reply to me was 'Belter i! should lx* iiM*d in Israel than Ik * unused here*. So it was that I was able to take to Neve T/ul a Seter Torah and to pre sent it to tin' sutlers on behalf ot tin' Federation The journey to Isr.H'l was particularly easy I know o f no better way to f kiss through the* usual rigor ous baggage' c het k o f FI AI than to carry a Sefer Torah! Meanwhile\ tlnre had been a setbac k to the plans of tin* settlement The foundations ot then new Bet I tak ■ m'ssi't had been laid, but then money had run out and them sexmed to be no wav that li e building u m ld he' finished Fortunatelv after a delay of tim e years a benefactor was tound and the' /ilans finally came to fruition I In' divination ot the' Bet Itaknessi't and ot the Silrei Torah look plait* on lag Ba'Omet 1987, in the pre sence ot Can ernment Ministers members ot the Krtesset and other prominent Rabbis and public figures
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I was particularly proud and thrilled to represent the Federation of Sv nagogues at the ceremony: Lag Ba'omer dawned bright and sunny and the* bus journey to the set tlement was uneventful, despite the circuitous route through the territories which wtre experiencing a period of some* unrest. After the addition ot some Iasi fetters, the' Sifret Torah were carm'd in proe«*ssion through the* *e'ttlennnl streets prve eded by score's ot singing and dancing youth and accompanied by the' joyous congre gation Overhead hen ered an -\rmv he'litopte'r and soldiers kc'pt a watch ful i'vt' from vantage* points. The• pro cession wound ih wav to the nt'w building and the' Sifrev Torah were* kmI rex minify in the' h,ind*omt' rie'w Aron Hakodesh Then follow exf readings cit Mishnayot Tetilfet and finally a Se'udat Mitsvah at whuh rrutny greetings wive e*pn*ssed and congratulation* to the' kt'hilla on its fine new building which not onh includes a be'autitul Syikigogue dex orated by feadmg Isr.R'Ii artists and mating bOO people. but also house's a Bet Hamexlrt'sh a kindergarten and the* community c enlre* ol tin• settlement I fett the* teremonv after the* celebrations I thought how approp riate it was tor the* Federation ot SytMgogues to be' a&$€* iait'd xyith the' birth ot a o n i Be't Flaknesset in Israel in its ( emtenarv >tw, The' Seier Torah, which once lay m an East Enel nagogue and now has an hon oured plae e in a thrn ing settlement m the' Samarian hills still be'ars the»mantfe donated by the* La dle's Guild ot the Lomfen shut littfe did thosc* Ladle's think that then generosity or ye'slervear would continue' *e> tar away from the'ir London home's
• lhi* author i% lilt* Vice*President ol Ilford Federation Synagogue and an Hon. Officer of the Federation of Synagogues and foint Treasurer of it> Burial Soviets. He mm lives in Jerusalem has ini* gone on aliya in l‘»l ..
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