On Friday morning, December 28, 2007, off-duty soldiers Sgt. David Rubin and Cpl. Achikam Amichai HY”D were hiking in Wadi Telem with a companion when four Arab terrorists opened fire on them from a jeep. Amichai and Rubin, who both served in elite commando units, were carrying their firearms and were able to return fire, killing one of the terrorists and seriously wounding another before succumbing to their injuries. Their companion managed to hide and was uninjured, and phoned for help.

Five years later, on Tuesday, 19 Teves 5773 a march was held in their memories, in the very same place, in Wadi Telem in the Har Hebron Hills.

The two were buddies from yeshiva, attending Yeshivat Mekor Chaim in Kfar Etzion, then entering elite IDF units. David went into the navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit and Achikam the air force’s Shaldag commando unit.

After they were murdered friends decided to begin a group of hikers that would continue in their path, those who hold Eretz Yisrael dear to their hearts, those who yearn to walk the land and appreciate Hashem’s gift to Am Yisrael. Since that time, weekly hikes are held to make certain Jews do not abandon those areas despite the determination of Israel’s enemies who seek to banish Jews entirely.

On Friday, 15 Teves, hundreds of people took part in a hike from Elon Moreh to Ein Bidan in Shomron as part of these weekly hikes, as is the case on most Fridays. On the yahrzeit, about 100 participants were on hand to walk from Efrat North in Gush Etzion to Solomon’s Polls in the Beit Lechem region. From there they continued to Yerushalayim, and then to Har Herzl for a memorial service.

David was the eldest son of Rabbi Mishael Rubin, rabbi of Hebron’s Shavei Hebron Yeshiva.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)