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Hebron Celebrates Modern Purim Miracle, Supports Arrested Soldier

Hebron rallies to support soldier who stopped stabbing attack. Purim parade and carnival take place uninterrupted. 7,000 Breslov Hasidim arrive to end Fast of Esther. Tour of ancient walls attests to Hebron being a "walled city in the time of Joshua."

27.3.16, 12:41
In the 1800s, the Jewish Community of Hebron used to celebrate what was called the Window Purim, in which the residents were saved from the edicts of a cruel Ottoman Pasha. The days of Sultan's empire are gone, but threats remain. 
 
This past week, the community celebrated what they called a modern day Purim miracle, when two terrorists stabbed a soldier and attempted to continue attacking before they were shot by quick-thinking Israel Defense Force soldiers. 
 
While one soldier is recovering from stab wounds, another is in army prison when it was questioned whether or not his shooting of one of the terrorist, after he was already on the ground, was justified. A video depicts emergency personnel on the scene shouting about the possibility of a hidden bomb under the terrorist's unseasonable heavy coat. Because the terrorist was still moving, the soldier, fearing the detonation of an explosive device, shot him in the head.
 
The day after the incident, the Jewish Community of Hebron issued a press release supporting the soldier. It reads as 
follows:
 
"The Jewish Community of Hebron sends encouragement to IDF soldiers who protect Israeli citizens from terrorist attacks every day. The event yesterday is still under review and judgment should not be reached without reviewing the incident in detail. In regards to the soldier's version of the incident in which he feared the detonation of an explosive charge, it should be remembered in these attackers came to kill on the Purim holiday."
 
Several days later, the community held a rally to support the IDF. A press release regarding the event read:

"Residents of the Jewish community of Hebron and its supporters held a rally in support of our soldiers near the Admot Ishai / Tel Hevron  neighborhood where the stabbing incident took place. We support our soldiers dedicated to defending the citizens of Israel and the city of the Matriarchs and Patriarchs."
 
 
Similar rallies were held in other parts of the country such as near the army prison where the soldier is potentially 
being charged with murder. Within days an online petition supporting the soldier gained 35,000 signatures.
The stabbed soldier was reported still conscious and walking around despite multiple stab wounds. He was rushed to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem for treatment.
 
The Purim stabbing is the latest in a series of attacks which the IDF have successfully thwarted. Last Saturday, an attacker was shot and killed after stabbing a Border Police officer near the Tomb of Machpela. On March 14th, two armed terrorists were killed after they made a sharp u-turn into Kiryat Arba, adjacent to Hebron, and began shooting at security personnel. The IDF returned fire, killing the attackers. In a separate incident one the same day, a terrorist rammed his vehicle into a bus near Kiryat Arba and was killed by the IDF.
 
Meanwhile the annual 2-day Purim celebration took place as normal, despite the stabbing which took place only hours before the planned start of the festivities. The Jewish community asserted that the soldiers on duty protect not only the Israeli residents, but also residents of the Palestinian Authority who live in PA controlled Hebron and who also suffer from the terrorist infrastructure that disrupts daily life. Soldiers stationed in Hebron also protect the rest of the country, as statistics show that a disproportionate amount of terrorists emanate from the city and often attempt to infiltrate into 
major Israeli population centers. 
 
 
The previous night, over 7,000 visitors came to Hebron to mark the end of the Fast of Esther, which is held the day before Purim. The visitors were from the Breslov Hasidic movement and held prayer services outside the Tomb of Machpela. Fifty buses from Jerusalem and 30 buses from other cities around Israel arrived to bring people to the ancient burial site of the Biblical Matriarchs and Patriarchs. 
 
 
Purim is traditionally celebrated on the 14th month of Adar, and in Jerusalem, on the 15th, as it is a walled city, as it 
states in the Scroll of Esther. 
 
"And the Jews who were in Shushan assembled on the thirteenth thereof and on the fourteenth thereof, and rested on the fifteenth thereof, and made it a day of feasting and joy. Therefore, the Jewish villagers, who live in open towns, make 
the fourteenth day of the month of Adar [a day of] joy and feasting and a festive day, and of sending portions to one 
another." 
 
But in many cities where there is a question as whether the city is historically a walled city or not, there is often a 2
-day celebration. Such is the case on Hebron, and tours were conducted of the archaeological excavations where walls 
thought to date back to the time of the Biblical leader Joshua have been uncovered. 
 
Researchers believe the wall was used all the way until the First Temple period. Hebron was also a city of refuge and thus the walls were designed to allow easy access in all directions. 
 
 
The next major holiday to be celebrated is Passover and the community is gearing up for the annual Passover music festival in which thousands of visitors from around the country are expected. 
 
To arrange your visit to Hebron, click here:
United States contact info:

http://www.hebronfund.org
1760 Ocean Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11230
718-677-6886
info@hebronfund.org

In Israel contact the offices of the Jewish Community of Hebron at:
http://en.hebron.org.il/
02-996-5333
office@hebron.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hebronofficial
 
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES:
 
The Legend of the Window Purim and other Hebron Holiday Stories
Skverer Rebbe Visits Hebron with Over 2,000 Followers
Hebron's Gardener, Genadi Kaufman, Succumbs to Stab Wounds
 
 
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Purim in Hebron 2016 | 22 Images
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