The veteran and pioneers of the settlement movement in Yehuda and Shomron met following the 1967 Six Day War and this led to the establishment of Kedumim. These ideologues met again this week, forty years later for an official reunion. The event was held on ‘Givat Rishonim’ in Kedumim South, where the original members of the Alon Moreh garin headed by Rabbi Menachem Felix and Benny Katzover settled. They left the beis medrash to establish the community, which marked the beginning of the settlement of Yehuda and Shomron, settling in the Shomron near Shechem.

There were no less than eight attempts to settle that area and in 5736 (1975), a deal was reached with the government headed by Yitzchak Rabin to permit members of the garin to remain in Camp Kadum. A half year later they left the camp and took up position on a nearby hilltop, leading to the establishment of the first yishuv.

Among the participants were Rabbi Menachem and Tova Felix, Benny and Bina Katzover, Yossi and Nechama Porat, Daniel and Amon Weiss, Rabbi Yossi & Tova Artziel, Bracha Meltzer, Prof. Chava Tavenkin, Deputy Defense Minister Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, Uzi Dayan, Gershon Shefet, and Moshe Peled.

Binyamin Regional Council head Avi Roeh used the opportunity to thank them for their mesirus nefesh and commitment.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)