This is the road along which tens of thousands of Chayei Sarah pilgrims have marched for this most important Friday night of the year,
Thus Rabbi Moshe Levinger’s 1968 Seder “sit-in” became the first settler foray into the liberated bible lands of Judea and Samaria, commonly known as the West Bank. Under the guidance of Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, Rabbi Levinger later formed Gush Emunim (Bloc of the Faithful) which went on to establish dozens of Religious Zionist communities in Judea and Samaria which now boasts a Jewish population of more than a quarter of a million souls.
During the year since my last visit, Rabbi Levinger suffered a stroke from which he has, thank God, been gradually recovering. I am flying out from England to be there again this year. While I may not find him in the crowd again this Friday night, Rav Moshe will not fail to hear the sounds of Jewish awakening echoing across the plains of ancient Mamre from wherever he is sitting.
For just as Moses once led the Jewish people to their Promised Land, this modern-day Moses, with true grit and determination, has shown our people the way back home.