The phone call received by the hilltop youth that came out of an introductory project surprised them: they were invited to the Belzer Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where they spoke with the boys at length and, according to one of the hilltop youth who was there, “we broke stigmas”.

A few months ago, a group of “hilltop youth” initiated a project, “Hilltop Youth – Get to Know Us Up Close”, but they did not expect a phone call received last week. On the line was one of the rabbis of the small yeshiva of the Belzer Chassidim in Jerusalem who asked that they come to hold a conversation with the students about the settlement in Yehuda and Shomron.

The Kol Yehudi website reports on the happening, bringing a quote from one named Elisha, who said, “At first we did not believe it was really someone from the yeshiva administration, but we made sure he invited us to talk to the students.”

On Monday, three boys arrived at the yeshiva and spoke to 100 talmidim, some of them from Israel and some from chassidic communities around the world. At the request of the administration, the event was not videoed or recorded.

“We began with an explanation of the importance of fulfilling the mitzva of settling Eretz Yisrael. We learned that it is a duty for everyone to do, not just a general mitzvah,” Elisha said. “Then we gave a general history of settlement, and of the last few years on the hilltops, explaining how we can help and how the hilltop youth comes to these areas.”

They were asked about attacks and the security situation and living in these areas without security fences. “We explained that just as Moshe sent the spies to check in the Land of Israel to determine if the nations are living in barracks or fortresses, and the sign that if you live in the barracks, they are not afraid of anyone, that is how we want to convey security and not by being on the defensive”, they explained.

In conclusion, he says: “We broke stigmas” After the lecture came the question stage, and Elisha says that among the young men there was great curiosity, but also quite a few stigmas. “For example, one of the young men asked how many are killed throughout Yehuda and Shomron daily, and in addition, in the eyes of most of the talmidim, there is no difference between a resident of Maale Adumim or Ariel and one who lives on a hill in Shomron.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)