Hundreds of Jews ascended Mount Betarim near the Lebanon border on Friday for a special Torah reading ceremony.
The ancient tradition at the sacred site on the Golan Heights, took place for the first time in three years following with the war with Iranian-terrorist proxy Hezbollah.
Students from the Kiryat Shmona Hesder Yeshivah led the 300 participants to the top of Mount Dov, including locals from Kiryat Shmona and the Golan Heights, along with soldiers from the IDF’s 810th Mountain Brigade.
During the war with Hezbollah, areas along the northern border—including Mount Betarim—were declared a closed military zone by the IDF, prohibiting civilian entry due to active fighting and security concerns.
According to tradition, attributed over generations to the Jews of Safed, it was customary to ascend Mount Betarim every year on the Sabbath that the “Lech Lecha” (Genesis 12:1–17:27) portion is read from the Torah, telling the story of the covenant in which the Land of Israel was promised to Abraham’s descendants.
“For the last two years, we weren’t at home; this place was dangerous and under fire. Now we have come home,” said Eliav Samuel, a resident of Kiryat Shmona and director of the yeshivah.
“Part of returning home is also reviving the old traditions. This is the place where the original ‘Abraham Accords’ were signed, in which the land was promised to the Jewish people forever—and here we will take root,” Ynet cited Samuel as saying.
Added Rabbi Ariel Barkai, head of the yeshivah: “We are happy to revive the tradition of the rabbis of Safed from the distant past, as another symbol of the renewal of the north and the Upper Galilee. We have returned to the city, with God’s help and thanks to our soldiers, to remain and to strengthen our yeshivah and its presence in the area.”
