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Har HaZeitim There are 150,000 graves buried in Har HaZeitim. 3,000 years of history.
Robin Ticker
Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com
"In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man." Pirkei Avot 2:1
It all started with Avraham (Abe) Lubinsky..
"Around 5 years ago [in 2010] When I read the Jerusalem Post of the horrific report of the State Controller [Lindenstrauss] and I said 'How can this be?', I decided that I was going to get involved to bring awareness to all of Klal Yisroel, to bring awareness to the Israeli Government that this can't go on!"
Avrohom Lubinsky is doing precisely just that...He and his brother Menachem Lubinsky have stepped up to the plate!
It is to these remarkable Lubinsky brothers who set the tone of ICPHH, the International Committee for the Preservation of Har HaZeisim that I dedicate this post. It has been a work of love and please take some time to read about the restoration of Har Hazeisim going on right now miraculously because of individuals who care and persist. Please include yourself among them by simply reading this post and hearing their reports. In light of the disconnect of Jews to our sacred Biblical homeland going on in the UN and throughout the world, (read what Malcolm Hoenlein has to say) let this campaign for Har HaZeisim give us the confidence and strength to fight for our Sacred Homeland and may we go from Strength to Strength!
This organization is an amazing example of how Am Yisroel can unite and be b'Achdus.
Involvement and support have come from Knesset members and organizations whose leanings span from left to right... Labor Leader Bougie Herzog, Miri Regev, Danny Ayalon, Jeff Daube - ZOA, Yishai Fleisher, Arieh King-Israel Land Fund, Barbara Goldstein Hadassah International, Elliot Engel, Jerold Nadler, Rabbi Pesach Lerner Executive Vice President Emeritus of the National Council of Young Israel, Rabbi Sholom Gold, Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff Morah d'Asra Agudah Beis Binyamin, Agudath Yisroel of America, the Noveminsker Rav - Rav Perlow- Rosh Moetzet Gedolei Hatorah America and Chief Rabbi Lau etc..
The Lubinsky's have succeeded to unite a broad spectrum of influential factions and leaders both in Eretz Yisroel and in Chutz LeAretz in order to secure, protect and preserve Har HaZeisim.
In this day and age when one listens to the News and becomes easily discouraged or depressed, it is heartwarming to watch or read the transcript of the youtubes below.
One can't help but be moved and inspired to be part of it.
About us: https://harhazeisim.org/about-us
Recent Events:
Har HaZeisim 18 Nissan 5776 (April 26, 2016)
On Chol Hamoed Pesach 5776 (April 26th) there was an historic day of events on the top of Har Hazeisim. The event was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Sport, headed by Minister Miri Regev, the Jerusalem Development Authority and the International Committee for the Preservation of Har Hazeisim (ICPHH) https://harhazeisim.org/media/video
Also recognition should go to the Government of Israel who as a result of the efforts of the ICPHH has committed to finance the Fence:
Does that mean that the Build the Wall Campaign funds can be diverted to the restoration of MaTzeivos and Visitor center? https://harhazeisim.org/build-the-wall
Arieh King writes you can quote in my name:
Arieh King
Jerusalem Council Member
Emergency and Security Committee deputy Chairman
The Fence will be built 33% from the Municipality.
And 67% from the government.
The total budget is:4.5 Milion NIS.
The 1.5 MNIS from the municipality will pass at 25/5/16.
Also- The event at Pesach at Mount Olives was sponsored by the government.
500,000 NIS
Meeting in Brooklyn, NY Breakfast in the home of Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff
7 Iyar 5776 (May 15, 2016) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdf0-xWDB_8&feature=em-share_video_user
Menachem Lubinsky: Transcript draft
You should take a tour of Har Hazeisim and start with Neviim and go all the past the modern day Rabbanim, The Chevra Kadisha says that there are 15,000 British Citizens buried on Har HaZeisim, there are almost 20,000 Americans buried on Har haZeisim...from every country, from every stream from every background. The Gov't... and Malcolm Hoenlein sitting here....and he has played a huge role in the development of Har HaZeisim, huge... and the Israeli cabinet, just a few weeks ago, adopted a five year plan, to secure Eastern Yerushalyim and Har HaZeisim. 4,000 new policemen will be hired for Yerushalayim and 1500 will be just for East Jerusalem and Har HaZeisim. So if you ever go to a breakfast and want to know what was accomplished, [and say] I was there last year, Wow Rabbosai... who can have imagined that when my brother had started the organization, and people said you're nuts, nothing will happen there, it's just a bad neighborhood, nothing is going to change.....
[introducing Malcolm Hoenlein]
One of the founding pillar of the ICPHH (International Committee of the Preservation of Har HaZeisim) Malcolm Hoenein:
Malcolm Hoenlein:
I don't know how many of you know that when you mention the name Lubinsky in the halls of the Israeli Gov't today, everybody starts shaking. They made possible what for now, almost fifty years was deemed nearly impossible. Next year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Unification of Yerushalayim...and to think that it took all these decades for someone to emerge a pair of brothers, together with friends, that has changed the future course of history in Yerushalayim... because the loss of Har HaZeitim is the loss of Yerushalayim...it is the way to divide Yerushalayim... it is a way to assure that the future will be put in doubt at the very least. Some of you will remember that a couple of years ago, when I spoke to you,[see interview below in 2012] I said, there is plot underway, that there are things being done now, while we sit and wait on the sidelines, our enemies are plotting all the time and have a clear design. It reminded me of what I think Reb Yaakov zt"l had said, "Shebechol Dor VeDor"... you mean there isn't one generation that didn't have it? Every generation? He said the answer is in the next paragraph in the Hagaddah, "Tzeh Ulemad", we read that Lavan "Bikesh Laakor es HaKol" he said that in the generation that Yaakov while was building up his family, his flock, he had problems but he thought things were ok, but all the time Lavan was plotting against him.
For the last 4 decades, 5 decades, people thought we couldn't get to Har HaZeitim. But how much worse could it be? And in fact all this time there was a plot being planned and enacted. and we saw it in fruition in the last few weeks, in the vote of UNESCO, United Nations Education Social [blah blah....], and they voted after a process of almost 2 years, and we tried to warn about it and warn about it and nobody wanted to listen to it and nobody wanted to heed the warnings when they started with the meetings of ISESCO in Amman Jordon a couple of years ago, 42 countries with UNESCO where they started with the Kotel being Al Buraq's Wall named after Mohammad's horse who ascended one after the other after him...he never visited Israel in his lifetime but supposedly he went up from his death from Har HaBayit and his horse followed him, and Kever Rachel was really the mosque named after the driver of Mohammad [ Bilal bin Rabah mosque] , and the Maarat HaMachpela is only a Mosque. And people dismissed it. And what I called it to the attention even of leaders in Israel and here... people said, what could it mean, it's a joke...How can you rewrite? How can you eliminate 3,000 years of history? In every Arab Document, in every League of Nations every official document KUtav Rachel is only described as Kever Rochel, "Kutav Rachel. The Kotel, was always called the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall. never Al Buraq's wall. Har HaBayit is now what was never called Omar El Sharif except in limited documents in more recent years by the Arabs... so after that, they brought it to a meeting in Berlin. And they adopted a formula where the names would be hyphenated. So the Kotel is The Kotel-Al Buraq's wall, Kever Rachel is Kutav Rachel - Mohammad's driver, And then in an action last month, 57 countries participated in a vote, that now removed the Jewish names altogether. And so the Kotel is only Al Buraq wall, Al Buraq Plaza, [Temple Mount is Al-Aqsa Mosque or] Al-Haram Al Sharif, Kutav Rachel no longer exists, they have erased all of Jewish history... by the way it's true for the Goyim too who hold it's sacred... 57 countries including France, Russia, India voted for this resolution... United States obviously opposed it. And you think about what's the intent? With all that's going on in the Middle East, with all the disruption, the volcano of the Arab countries, the collapse of borders and governments.. why would they focus on this? Because they know if they take away our past, they take away our future. That if they erase all our connections, then what right do we have to be there today or to be there in the future? They have erased all of Jewish history but also the Jewish connection.
Last week I was in the cemetery of Warsaw and in the cemetery behind the Ramah Shul in Krakow. And you see how they fixed up the cemetery in Warsaw which is huge... and many Gedoilim, many Rebbes are buried there. in addition to tens of thousands of others...and it used to be that you could hardly walk in. and yet that cemetery as been completely restored now. Many Matzeivos are not in the right places because nobody knows where they belong... and you think about the fact that all of this was invested to clean up this cemetery... as important as it is, and yet the most important National Cemetery of the Jewish people can be neglected?... could be allowed to deteriorate to the conditions that we saw there not long ago and some of which still remains and there is still much work to be done. Last week we saved the cemetery in Golipoli. Nobody knows where Golipily it is, even in Golipily they don't know where it is. But there is a Jewish cemetery with a thousand graves that was going to be destroyed, and Erdogen, the President of Turkey with whom I happened to meet 10 minutes after I got the call, just by chance from Asra Kadisha about the problem in this cemetery, and just basherte, just 10 minutes later I was meeting with the President of Turkey...and I raised it with him and in a minute he got the Governer of Golipily on the phone and it turns out it was the wrong cemetery, the governor thought it was the wrong cemetery, and we got a word Friday that we saved the Cemetery... so we are able to save cemeteries around the world... but the most important one... the one that is a symbol to the whole world... and its desecration is a message to the world...
You know in this weeks' Parsha, we talk a lot about VeAhavta Lereyacha... and what is a greater expression of VeAhavta LeRayacha if not taking care of those of the dead, to take care of the Kevoros, to make sure that they are afforded the dignity that they are entitled to. We have lost a lot of time over these five decades. But Thank G-d, because of the work of this Committee, because of the Committee...now Ministers talk about it... the government talks about it... they've committed money towards it. There are soldiers up there..., there are policemen up there, there is many more [things] that will be done... and we had to embarrass them into it... including the representatives of the frum parties, many of them told me that they haven't visited their grandparent's Kevarim maybe in 20 years... in 30 years. Even Bibi's grandparents are buried there... and people did not go...and you can't be maasik [comprehend], what was it, how can it be possible that they allowed this situation to go on for so long? So maybe it was like Avraham Avinu who had to circle for 3 days before HaKadosh Baruch Hu would show him Har HaMoriah... to build up the anticipation... to get him to appreciate it... to make him be able to see what he might have not been able to see... Maybe we had to wait in order for us to appreciate the Kedusha, the importance, the significance of Har HaZeitim...and many more people are coming to realize, that this is the true Chesed Shel Emes...that this is the true responsibility that all of us have there, and in every other cemetery for that matter...and the fact that Har HaZeitim occupies the highest geopolitical position that it does... Do you know that it is the highest mountain in the region, it is 90 meters higher than Har HaBayit, than Har HaMoriah? It is of significance far beyond just its physical location...we all know the Kedusha that is there...we all know of the Neviim who are buried there...we know of the future role as well as the past role that HarHaZeisim played in our history...and now is the chance of our generation to come and to rise to the occasion... to meet our responsibility. All of Jewish History will know if we failed or if we succeeded. Our children and grandchildren and their grandchildren will benefit from it or pay the price for it. [thanks Donors..]
Menachem Lubinsky
We have given the Israeli Govennment confidence that we can take back East Yerushalyim. We have shown them that it can be can be done. We need not surrender Yerushalayim and say that it is a fact of life and we can't do anything about it.
Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff,
(Compare what happened when the British bulldozed bodies of the Kedoshi, victims of the Holocaust into mass graves because of the threat of Typhus with what the Arabs did Yemach Shemam on Har HaZeysim under the Jordanians.)
...They took Bulldozers and instead of burying our Kedoshim our Tzadikim our Rishonim our Acharonim our Neviim, they disinterred them, whole bodies, limbs, skulls, 65,000 and tossed them around like dirt and they didn't just build the Intercontinental Hotel and pave latrines with tombstones with monuments, matzeivos , Halba Tzara, [bad enough], the bodies themselves, the Kedoshim themselves, the Tzadikim themselves they made into donkey racing tracks. They built villages themselves to the right and left of Har HaZeisim itself, all those Arab villages are built on top of Kevarim. The Navie Zechariah says this very succinctly. The Navie Zechariah in Kapital Gimmel 3:7 says as follows, כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אִם בִּדְרָכַי תֵּלֵךְ וְאִם אֶת מִשְׁמַרְתִּי תִשְׁמֹר וְגַם אַתָּה תָּדִין אֶת בֵּיתִי וְגַם תִּשְׁמֹר אֶת חֲצֵרָי וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ מַהְלְכִים בֵּין הָעֹמְדִים הָאֵלֶּה: You do yours and I will turn the Omdim into MeHalchim. I read this in a Michtav Tanchumim its a beFeirush Pri Tzadik. He explains that there are two types of Bruyim, [creatures] Omdim and Mehalchim, a child is called the knee of the father. Why the knee of the father? Why not the heart the eyes the mind...Reb Tzaduk says there are two types of Bruyim. There are Malachim who are Omdim, they fulfill their mandate and they stay at their level. Then there are Mehalchim, human beings. they are alive and well. They strive, they grow, the climb they accomplish. When a person dies, he can be a Tzadik, a Rebbe...but he turns automatically from a Mehalchim to an Omdim. He is very close to the Kisei HaKavod but he can't go any further. he can't ascend, he is frozen in place. eternally. He is like a Malach,l an anges. When we learn Zechariah, you are bringing him back alive and he is ascending to get closer to the Kisei HaKaov. The knee is the part of the body which makes you ambulatory. Imagine what it means to safeguard the Makom of these Tzadikim. from further disinterment, from further Bizayon like Rav Aaron Shechter said to me two years ago, that not only do the Goyim want to step on us, they want to step on our graves and trample our dignity. That is not what they are trying to do but what they are actually doing. There are Arabs who spend 1,000 Shekalim for every grave demolished. Take a sledgehammer, smash the headstone, take a picture, they'll give you 1,000 Shekalim. Then there was a Mehapecha, a revolution started by two brothers [the Lubinsky's]...it was not their business but it became their business, I have a vested interest, my father zt"l was nifter 19 years ago and he is buried on Har HaZaisim. together with his father and his mother and my mother's father she should be well and healthy, her mother, every uncle and aunt...My uncle Rabbi Rottenber I have gone 19 years to the Kever...and in 19 years the Matzav, the situation is the same. we go daven vasikin. The bottom line is that they have made a Mehapecha. [a revolution] They are doing 2 very important things. Rav Aaron Kahn came up with a very simple idea that we should contact descendents from all over the world, even if they are not so connected to Yiddishkeit, and show them pictures of the Kever and say we are restoring it. No. 1 Safety in numbers. Generating support from all over the world that Har HaZeisim is a Makom of Kedusha and people should visit. a Beis Haknesses to daven Mincha or Maariv. Guided tours to the Keverim of the Gedoilim. Now you might be offended with what I'm about to say. The Kosel is not limited to Chareidim. The greatest Simcha I get is to see Sephardishe fellows maybe not as connected to Yiddishkeit as they could dancing Dovid Melech Yisroel Chai VeKayom at a Bar Mitzvah at the Kosel. to have so many Yidden going...that is the first thing. Nothing wrong with having more and more Yidden coming to Har HaZeisim to reexplore their roots like they come to the Kosel , if thousands and tens of thousands of people would come, it would automatically change the landscape. And a practical thing is building a wall to safeguard the Gerer Chelka and other places, they have even desecrated the Kevarim of soldiers, there isn't anyone in EY that isn't concerned. but the politicians and the chief Rabbi who was here 2 years ago told me personally that they are mortified and embarrassed that Yiden in Flatbush have to get together on Bedford and O to discuss Har HaZeisim to turn it into a front burner issue. but withi permission of the Novaminsker Rebbe Shlita, Rosh Agudas Yisroel, he has been so involved in this, he has come to speak to us, he has been Mechazek us from day one in this inyan, topic. He realizes that this is a cause to champion. You saw the film that it wasn't only the chareidishe members of Knesset that are jumping on the bandwagon, even the Labor movement, all types of individuals, whether because of the Lubinsky's or Reb Malcolm or Gedolei Yisroel who are at the forefront, this is a Mitzvah. it's mistama a Chiyuv, it is probably an obligation, and if you learn the Navi Zecharia, וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ מַהְלְכִים בֵּין הָעֹמְדִים הָאֵלֶּה you start to get a sense of what we are doing. Hakadosh Baruch Hu Yitzliach Darkeinu, grant us success, that we should be zocheh Siata Dishmaha, merit heavenly support, to increase Kevod Shamayim honor to our G-d in Heaven, and I thank personally the Rabbanim Gaonim that participated, Achai VeRaiai, and the Ribono Shel Olam will see that if we take Talmidei Chachamim who are no longer with us seriously, we will take the Talmidei Chachamim who are still with us even more seriously, that the Ribono Shel Olam will continue to be mechazek us [strengthen us] Torah, Avodah and Mitzvoth....
Menachem Lubinsky then spoke and said that of the 23,000 grave markers, that need to be put there we know exactly where they are lying and we can put a Matzeiva, a gravestone with their name. Most died 1480 to 1850 and their graves were destroyed under the Jordanians. We have to do this job since their names alone can't link us to their descendant families. He said that the gov't restored 20,000 kevarim but they didn't have names. This is different. Every shul should adopt a matzeiva. It costs $2,000 per Matzeiva. This would change the whole complexion of Har Hazeisim, since you wouldn't see this Churva, destruction when you come from the road and would give us a sense of confidence.
The Noveminsker Rav - Rav Perlow
This is a sacred effort to preserve to save Har HaZeisim, our most precious commodity... Har haMishcha as the Mishne calls it, Mishcha means oil, comes from the word Meshicha pouring oil, and the Har HaZeisim produced the oil that was used to consecrate Devarim shebikdusha, sacred objects. It is an achrayus, obligation, for us to preserve and to keep. We have to be Mekayim, fulfill, Hashavas Aveida, returning a lost object to Klal Yisroel, the Assembly of Israel. Klal Yisroel's relationship to Har HaZeisim poses an obligation on each individual to do what they could that those buried have proper Kavod, respect. It is also a matter of Kevod Shamayim, honor to our G-d in heaven. This Makom Kadosh, outside of Har haBayit, Temple Mount, involves so many Halachos, laws such as Hilchos Para Aduma, the laws of the Red Heifer. There is so many Halachos that are involved, with Har haZeisim and its position towards the Kodshei Kadoshim, the Holy of Holies. This should make us extremely sensitive to the need to remove this shame. The Lubinsky family has the particular zechus, merit to have raised awareness for us to feel responsible do something to restore Kavod, honor. I call it Hashavas Eveida, returning a lost object. Klal Yisroel is a lost sheep. May we be zocheh, merit, to bring back the Shechina, G-d's presence, and may the oil flow again, the Shemen HaMishcha, the annointing oil that is holy and may we be zoche, merit, to complete the task of restoring honor and respect to this Holy Place.
Prior to the Brooklyn breakfast, Menachem Lubinsky was interviewed on JMINTHE AM by Nachum Segal. Here is an Audio and partial transcript of this interview:
The reason that this meeting has been called is because we have gotten to a certain point where Har HaZesim right now needs to be secured finally. What has happened now is that the Israeli Government has done an enormous amount in terms of security, in putting up surveillance cameras, even having a police substation, but for whatever reason destruction of graves continues, people continue to be stoned and access roads to Har haZeisim. More and more it has come apparent that with Arab expansion, they have built almost 50,000 illegal units from Ramallah almost up to Yerushalyim, it comes apparent that Har HaZeisim is sort of the strategic area that is preventing the Arabs from creating a choke-hold on Yerushalayim, but not to speak of the fact that there is 150,000 Jews buried there. It is probably the only place where you can walk through 3,000 years of history from the Neviim all the way up to the history of Modern Israel. Menachem Begin is buried there...but the point of the matter is that the Knesset will be holding a special tour of Har haZeisim and session on of Har haZeitim, on the 15th of June. We feel that this is the time for Neila, to lock up the issue about the security, to demonstrate forcefully the position of Sovereignty over Jerusalem and to prevent what the Jordanians did to Har haZeisim, the desecration of 60,000 graves between 1948 and 1967...probably the largest mass destruction of graves in the history of the world, Mind you the Nazi's only destroyed 12,000 graves and they marched through Europe in 6 years and that was only so that they can make way for their tanks....
Rabbi Lieff is holding the meeting because he feels it is Shaas Kosher, this is the time to close the deal so to say...
...When I go to Israel and I speak to the Knesset Members... there is no opposition with the exception of the Arabs. Whomever you talk to, if you speak to Bougie Herzog on the left or all the way on the right,everyone agrees, this has to be done for some reason all they keep saying is Menachem, Avraham (he's my brother) keep up the pressure on us because this has to be done. Why this fell upon two brothers from Brooklyn 6,000 miles away for this task...I'm not sure...but I am sure that we must stop the vandalism, we must stop the destruction, we must stop the throwing of garbage on Har HaZeisim, We have to make it secure. Remember that this is a 3,000 year old cemetery that they are still burying people today...
Nachum Segal
Menachem Lubinsky is with us live via telephone. Participating in the Breakfast Meeting this coming Sunday morning "HarRav Moshe Tuvia Lieff Morah D'Asra of Congregation Agudath Yisroel Beis Binyamin, Rabbi Dovid Lau, Chief Rabbi of Israel, the Noveminsker Rebbe, Malcolm Hoenlein, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents there is a website saveharhazeisim.org.
Timeline: Har Hazeitim on Youtube:
Har HaZeitim 2016 (6:25 minutes) 6 incidences 0 desecrations in April 2016.
Narrator:
Since Biblical Times, men have come to Har HaZeisim, Mount of Olives to honor our ancestors, our Neviim, our Gedoilim. Har HaZeisim is the burial place of the Neviim Zechariah, Malachi, and Chagai and famous.Rabbanim: Ramban, Ben Ish Chai, Avraham Yitzhak Kook and Notables, Shmuel Yosef Agnon Prime Minister Menachem Begin. But today we find too litter honor and far to much danger and defilement. In every row, in every terrace, along every ancient wall, signs of hatred still mar this holy ground and with Hashem's help, we have begun to break back Has-hem's Holy cemetery. We have begun to repair the damage of Arab Occupation. where tens of thousands of graves were destroyed and the bones of our peoples were scattered in the dirt. But today even beneath the Israeli flag, they still desecrate, they still hurl stones and peaceful mourners.
Malcolm Hoenlein
"In Jewish Tradition there is no greater Mitzvah than dealing with the needs of those who are not able to deal with them on their own. The Mitzvah of Mes Mitzvah, of Kavod HaMes of dignity of the Mes doesn't end with the funeral. It begins there."
Narrator:
No vandalism or rocket attacks in months.
See what can be accomplished when Jews around the world unite. ICPHH has arranged tours like Yarchei Kallah, New Chapters of ICPHH in London Amsterdam Jerusalem, NY LA, Toronto. Inspiring gatherings around the world to raise support.
Abraham Lubinsky
"We are here to continue to work with the Israeli Government, that this change must happen that everyone should be able to visit their loved ones, Roshei Yeshivas and Rebbe's whenever they wish. The Committee has embarked on a mission to restore the graves of 23,000 souls. Our Build the Wall compaign on the Eastern side and a capital campaign to fund a Visitor Center and Shul. We are asking everyone to please get involved, to help out the organization, we have a lot of work ahead of us, and we need all of Klal Yisroel to be involved in this Holy Project.
Moshe Lyon Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem
"Bechol Dor VeDor Omdim Aleinu LeChaluteinu VeHaKadosh Barch Hu Matzileinu Miyadam We will continue to go up to Har HaZeitim with confidence. in front of our enemies who want to prevent us from our Life's [daily] routine. This is the place to say that Jerusalem will be united and strong against the entire world forever.
Har HaZeitim 2015 (6:18 minutes) 300 incidents 20 desecrations in April 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pnNmW2za1w Scenes of horrible desecration and rock throwing attacks
Agudah 89th Dinner January 2012
Featuring Malcolm Hoenlein, Avraham and Menachem Lubinsky, Dov Fishoff
Malcolm Hoenlein:"The issue of Har HaZeitim is a far greater significance than I think most people realize. Not only because of it geographic location and the 100,000 people who are buried there, but it has a symbolism that goes beyond that. There are attempts now to declare Kever Rochel and Maaras HaMachpela and even the Kotel as Arab Holy Sites and they want to take away Har HaZeisim as well...because they know if you take away our past you take away our future.Menachem Lubinsky:It was about a year ago that the State Controller Michel Lindenstrauss issued a report condemning and criticizing the Government of Israel for 43 years of neglect of Har HaZeisim. He pointed to the violence, he pointed to the absolute abuse of the entire area, the destruction of graves, the inaccessibility of some areas, and that prompted the Jerusalem Post to do an editorial again criticizing the Government for neglecting Har HaZeisim.Avrohom Lubinsky"I read the Lindenstrauuse Report in the Jerusalem Post and that did it for me. I mean the next morning I was on fire and I said it's got to stop.Menachem Lubinsky:How is this being allowed to happen? Why are people being stoned when they go up to be Mispallel by a Kever? Why are graves still destroyed. Why is garbage strewn all over? Why are the Arabs treating t his as this is another neighborhood of theirs?Avraham Lubinsky:I myself have been stoned 5 or 6 years ago visiting my parents grave and 2 Arabs were sitting on the wall above and started throwing rocks and stones at me.Menachem Lubinsky:He reached out to me and others to say we need to do something about this. We need to raise the consciousness of the world that Har HaZeisim is being neglected. We need to be able to make the case that Har HaZeisim is part of Klal Yisroel. It's not just Eretz Yisroel, it's not just Yerushalyim:Avraham Lubinsky:That evening I said to Rabbi Zwiebel, he happens to be a neighbor of mine, I said, my father was an Agudah starter and Agudah needs to get involved and help me. That's about all I knew from the start.Malcolm Hoenlein:I've been involved with Har HaZeisim from the start. I heard many complaints about the inaccessibility, the desecrations of many of the graves there, I approach gov't officials frequently but it wasn't until there was a sustained effort led by Reb Avrahom, that really brought this issue to the fore and enabled us to leverage those contacts and see some real concrete results.Rabbi Avrahom Lubinsky:There was money allocated many years ago for this to be taken care of, and the pressure that we are putting on the gov't at the present has been severe, it has been in the associated press, in every single newspaper all over the worldMenachem Lubinsky:I know I spoke to many Gedoilim over the years about this project, I spoke to Reb Aryeh Leib Shteinman, particularly the Gerer Rebbe because 2 of the Gerrer Rebbes are buried in Har haZeisim, there is a deep concern in Ger about what happens on Har HaZeisim....Avraham Lubinsky:What we've succeeded in, which is our main goal which is to have a police force on the mountain. There was some closings that we wanted closed. They are closed throughout the mountain. There are a total of 160 cameras that have to go up. We have also succeeded in restoring a lot of the graves and this is where we. stand now.Menachem Lubinsky:And the Agudah has become one of the first partners in this effort to try to correct the problem. and the Agudah has been very forceful, very helpful, very dedicated to this cause and it is very appropriate that this is the venue for where Har HaZeisim is recognized.Dov Fishoff active Member of Agudah :Over the past year Avraham and his brother have made tremendous efforts to preserving Har HaZeisim. However, the work is by no means done. THIS IS KLAL YISROEL"S CAUSE AND WE NEED EACH MEMBER OF KLAL YISROEL TO JOIN US IN PRESERVING THE KEDUSHA OF HAR HAZEISIM.
Har HaZeitim Progress 2012 [11:21 minutes] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGEIEg19l-4
Jeffe Daube- ZOA, Abe and Menachem Lubinsky, Malcolm Hoenlein, Labor Head Yitzhak Herzog,Tzipi Hotoveli, Elliot Engel,
Rabbi Shalom Gold,
"My Father is buried here, my in laws are buried here, my friends, family who doesn't know someone that is buried here on Har HaZeisim. It is important to make sure that it is accessible at all times of day or night. We must make sure that this is the Heritage of the Jewish People"
Yishai Fleisher
it is place of constant problems, we are constantly facing rocks. Rocks are like bullets, Rocks kill, they break your window, they get in your kids eyes chas vechalila...This is what happens here. You cannot get to the cemetery,
Jerold Nadler - Shows a big rock that was just a fragment.
someone threw a hard rock at us.
Yishai Fleisher
"Fear is the weapon of our enemy, To divide us, to make us afraid to walk in our own graveyard, to live in our city."
Malcolm Hoenlein
"We need to have laws like we do in 35 States that holds people accountable increases the punishment, even for minors, there must be punishment and their parents must be held accountable for the children engaged in these acts...The judgement of Har HaZeisim will not be what others did to us, but what we did or failed to do. And I think that is the critical challenge. Moshe Rabbeinu told us at the Mitzva of Hakhel, that the greatest challenge against the Jewish people in not an external enemies, war or natural disasters...it's apathy, indifference and ignorance... Those are the 3 challenges that we could not overcome. We need to educate people about the history, the current reality and what needs to be done so they feel pressure. We need to educate Members of the Knesset and Elected officials because they don't know. And everyone we brought here responded immediately. ".
Itzhak Herzog: Head of Labor Party
"With this effort that has commenced in the last few months, and the public awareness and attention, that there should be a clear upgrade of this site, I think it should be a major effort of the government as well as the municipality of Jerusalem, and I can say on behalf of many members of the Knesset of all parties concerned, that we will support it vehemently in the Knesset as a very strong lobby to make sure that what we've seen so far we should not see and we should see a much better kept site of Har HaZeitim!"
Barbara Goldstein Deputy Executive Director of Hadassah Israel
"All of us represents all kinds of organizations that bring groups to Israel. "I am very proud that every Hadassah Mission every group, visits the Mount of Olives. It's us, each one of us, should make sure that every one of the groups that are coming, every one of the Conventions, every one of the Federations, wherever it is, we make sure to come and visit [Har HaZeitim], "
Danny Ayalon, Foreign Minister
"...and we see great interest in the cemeteries, some of which are 3000 years old, we know that there are no people like the Jewish people in understanding of honoring the past and building the future.
Malcolm Hoenlein
I hope that this effort be the beginning and not the end..that we will all live up to the responsibility that all future generations will look back and thank you and praise you for preserving their past and their future.
Har HaZeitim 2010 (3:54 minutes) Terrible desecration,
Quotable Quotes:
"They understand that if you take away our past, you take away our future" Malcolm Hoenlein
"ICPHH was established To tell the world what was happening and what needed to be changed...."
"Even in the midst of the most recent wave of terror, the hate crime at Har HaZeitim is down. The committees efforts have brought in increased security. as a result there are no new reports of vandalism or rocket reports in months. It is a testament to what can be accomplished when Jews around the world unite!"
"It comes apparent that Har HaZeisim is sort of the strategic area that is preventing the Arabs from creating a choke-hold on Yerushalayim" Menachem Lubinsky on JMINTHEAM May 2016
Sincerely,
Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch. May their memories serve as a blessing.
Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com
Personal emails to individuals will not be posted to my blog. i
