Beit Lechem and Chevron

Mom had not been to Chevron since she was 19 years old so we decided to change that fact. the tour we signed on to (with an armoured bus) took us to Kever Rachel then to various communities in Chevron before finishing the day at Maarat Hamachpeila.

Inside Kever Rachel. It is not exactly what mom rembered.


The sign is still there- just not exactly as mom rembers it.

View from in front of Kever Rachel. Not the same shops and houses that you used to see. Even 8 years ago when we came on vacation there was still a marketplace.
Channah and I trying to keep warm!

Mom outside the Avraham Avinu Shul in Chevron. The shul was originally built in the 1400 (I think) and was remodeled recently (you can still see a lot of the original stonework inside). In any case, it is called the Avraham Avinu shul becuase there was a time when there was no minyan and an old man (who said he was Avraham Avinu) came to make the minyan. Believe what you want. The whole neighbourhood is called the Avraham Avinu neighbourhood. Our tourguide lived almost right above the sul but he went to the breakaway minyan.


inside the shul


neat building near by


part of a memorial to those who fell in the chevron massacre


Maarat Hamachpela - did I mention that my pencil was confiscated by security?



shul inside at the centre of our half of the building

Spot to light candles. Yes that is over an inch of wax built up. Bubbie, I tihnk they need your services.


Mom out for an afternoon with another man ;)

random unmarked "tomb" that might be eisav's head, or Ishmael, or who the heck knows. We have taken to calling it the tomb of the unknown patriarch.


on the steps outside

on the "7th step" (as high as Jews were allowed to go up until 1967)

On the bus on the way back to Yerushalayim



Opposites?