JERUSALEM—A mob of hundreds of terrorists set fire to the compound housing the tomb of Joseph in the historic city of Shechem (Nablus) before dawn on Friday, bringing widespread condemnation from around the world.
Kever Yosef (Joseph’s Tomb) has been under the control of the Palestinian Authority in recent years, with occasional prayer permitted to Jewish worshippers accompanied to the site by Israel Defense Forces guards. The perpetrators of last night’s arson were dispersed by Palestinian police, who put out the fire, but have made no arrests. There were no Jewish people present at the site during the riot and no reported injuries.
Immediate and widespread condemnation for the arson came from around the world, and authorities pledged to repair the damage and to make the site available again for Jewish worship.
Last night’s attack was certainly not the first by Arabs against this historic Jewish religious site. In 1926, the Jewish inhabitants of Shechem were forced to leave in the face of Arab pogroms. A year later, an earthquake destroyed most of the Old City of Shechem, including the Jewish quarter.
Following the Six-Day War in 1967, Shechem and the surrounding areas reverted to Jewish control; however, while tourism in the area was encouraged, Jews were not permitted to live there.
As a result of the persistence of dedicated activists, there are now several established Jewish communities on the mountain ranges surrounding Shechem: Kedumim, Yitzhar, Har Bracha and Elon Moreh. Within Shechem itself, a yeshivah was formed at Joseph’s Tomb in 1982, called “Od Yosef Chai” (“Joseph still lives”—the famous words spoken to Jacob following many years that he presumed Joseph to be dead).
In 1996, Shechem was given over to the Palestinian Authority. Joseph’s Tomb was to remain in Jewish hands, but in the early days of the 2000 intifada, that, too, was given up under fire. The Palestinian Authority promised to prevent damage to the site, but within a few hours, a mob broke into the compound and destroyed everything. Furniture and holy books used by the yeshivah were burned, and the place was reduced to rubble.
The first Jews weren’t allowed to visit the site again until 2003. Now there are a few visits a year that take place in the middle of the night.
Following last night’s arson came renewed calls to reopen the site for regular worship and study once repairs have been made.
Meanwhile, an IDF soldier in Hebron was stabbed and moderately injured by an assailant posing as a journalist. The attacker was shot and killed by security forces. In Jerusalem, a police dog identified a pipe bomb during sweeps near Hebrew University on Mount Scopus, and a teenage boy who police believe was going to carry out an stabbing attack was arrested carrying a knife in the Old City.
Today’s incidents followed a series of attacks that have left seven Israelis dead and scores wounded since the beginning of October.
Chabad Terror Victims Project Releases New List of Injured
As attacks continued, the Chabad Terror Victims Project (ctvp.org) released an updated list of those injured in recent terrorist attacks.
The public is asked to continue their prayers for their speedy and complete recovery. It is customary for petitions for recovery to be recited in synagogue on the Sabbath and on other days when the Torah is read in public.
Here is a list as of Friday, Oct. 16. Names will be added and deleted as they become available.
Odel bat Miryam
Natan ben Odel
Moshe ben Orli
Meir Yitzchak ben Sarah Imeinu
Aharon Moshe Chaim ben Chaya Chana
Dvir ben Shoshana
Avraham ben Rut
Ron Shai bat Sigalit
Adi ben Rut
Niv ben Yardena
Moshe ben Daisy
Meor Ephraim ben Fortuna Daniella
Moshe ben Edgach
Liat bat Yael
Orla bat Limor
Yosef Chaim ben Zahava
Neur Shalev ben Rut Elisheva
Yom Tov Lipa ben Roiza
Yair ben Rozina
Samuel Ono ben Antonio
Shoshana bat Lulu
Moshe ben Bracha
Maya bat Ilana
Continued Calls for Mitzvahs, Torah Study and Prayer
In addition to prayers for the wounded, there were also calls by rabbinic leaders around the world for increases in Torah study, prayer and other mitzvahs, in addition to donning tefillin. For suggestions of what Jewish people around the world can do to help their brethren in Israel, read the article 7 Things You Can Do for Israel Today here.
The tefillin campaign comes in light of instructions given by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, who had issued a similar call during other dangerous times in Israel. Before the outbreak of the June 1967 war, for example, the Rebbe prompted an active campaign for Jewish males over the age of 13 to perform the mitzvah of tefillin.
Wrapping tefillin is part of the Rebbe’s 10 mitzvah campaigns introduced between the years of 1967 and 1976, which formed the platform upon which the Rebbe’s far-reaching program to revitalize Jewish life and observance throughout the world was built.
The laying of tefillin instills fear in the enemy, explain the sages of the Talmud, quoting: “Then all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they will fear you.” (Deuteronomy 28:10).
For more news, opinion, inspiration, advice and first-person articles on the October, 2015 Wave of Terror in Israel, visit the special Chabad.org section here.
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