Tag: Ateret Cohanim

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JERUSALEM TERROR: Adiel Kolman, Father of Four Was Murdered Last Night in Jerusalem’s Old City

Adiel Kolman, 32 year old father of four from Kochav Hashachar was murdered last night by 28 year old Abed al-Rahman Bani Fa’adal, a resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Aqraba, near Shechem in the Shomron.  Fa’adal succeeded in using his entry permit to evade security checkpoints into Jerusalem and even into the Old City. He was shot by the police at the site of the murder.

Kolman was on his way home for the evening.  He was a security guard in the Old City of Jerusalem and as well as contributing greatly to the City of David’s archeological excavations.

The victim spent hours at Shaare Tzedek hospital only to succumb to his wounds.

President Reuven Rivlin said the following about the murder: ““Four more children lost their father last night. For the bereaved the pain is unbearable. Thirty-two year old Adiel Kolman, who worked with dedication in the City of David excavations, was murdered yesterday in the Old City, in a brutal and abhorrent stabbing terror attack. The terror on the streets of Jerusalem, our capital, where Jews and Arabs have lived together for hundreds of years, is a great disaster for all its inhabitants, and we will not allow it to become an existing reality. We will fight against terror and we will overcome.”

With tensions still high after the murder of two soldiers just before Shabbat, Daniel Luria, Executive Director of Ateret Cohanim offered a different approach. “Ateret Cohanim calls on the Israeli Government to act like a true supporting Governemnt and stop sitting on the fence, by pretending to be moral or ethical. We are at war. And so there is one way to treat an enemy during wartime. Destroying one petty small  bedroom in a building hasn’t and wont stop these terrorists,” Luria said.

Luria continued: “Destroying the family home (all rooms) will have more of a chance of being a deterrant. Evicting the whole immediate family and banishing them out of Israel to say Gaza  is a possible deterrant. Cutting any and all social security payments will also help if relevant. Lets stop playing games. Lets remember that the family and many friends of the terrorist knows about and  supports his actions. They are not innocent bystanders.”
“So I call upon  the Israeli Government to act like the head of the family, whose own child has been murdered and act like the true owner of the Land of Israel.”
Our answer. Our response. Our revenge – is to buy, build, redeem, reclaim, add Jewish life and secure Jerusalem.”
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[watch] “The Arabs are the Occupiers!”

Watch the unedited interview by Daniel Luria from Ateret Cohanim with Aljazeera English news, about recent building permits given to the Yemenite Hekdesh (Sanctified Trust) in the old Yemenite Village of Shiloach (Silwan). Israel Rising has been very fortunate to be on the front lines alongside Daniel and Ateret Cohanim as they have secured the return of stolen Jewish property from neighborhoods resettled after 1967.

Below are some front line videos of Jewish return last year to the Old Yemenite Village:

Rowdy Arab Youth in the Heart of the Old Yemenite Village aka …

Daniel Luria of Ateret Cohanim encounters a bunch of rowdy Arab youth towards the end of a day of filming in the historically Jewish neighborhood of the Yemenite Village in Jerusalem. Since its decimation in 1936-37 it has been taken over by Arabs and renamed Silwan. Now more than 17 Jewish families have moved back. The old Synagogue has been brought back into Jewish hands as well.

Posted by Israel Rising on Saturday, January 30, 2016

Redeeming the Old Yemenite Synagogue

Redeeming the Old Yemenite Synagogue from Arab Squatters

Wondering what is really behind the Arab illegal building? Sometimes the greatest gifts of all remain hidden until the right time.

Posted by Israel Rising on Thursday, February 4, 2016

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The UN Votes to Disconnect Jerusalem from the Jewish People…Again

Today the UN voted to disconnect the Jewish people from their ancient capital and hand it to a people that never existed.  This was not the whim of a thin majority of countries, but rather a vast overhwhelming number of UN member states voted for the resolution. Out of the UN’s 193 member states, 147 voted in favor, seven voted against and eight abstained. Those who voted against were Canada, USA, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Naura and Palu.  Those who abstained were Australia, Guatemala, Panama, Papa New Guiea, Paraguay and Vanuatu.

The resolution states the following: “Any actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem are illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever, and calls upon Israel to immediately cease all such illegal and unilateral measures.”  It then continues and pushes Israel to “respect for the historic status quo at the holy places of Jerusalem” and “urges all sides to work immediately and cooperatively to defuse tensions and halt all provocations, incitement and violence at the holy sites in the City.”

Daniel Luria, the Executive Director of Ateret Cohanim, an organization dedicated to returning property in Jerusalem stolen by Arabs back to Jewish hands dismissed the resolutions as anti-semitic. “Whoever doesn’t recognize such a clear, obvious and eternal connection and unbreakable bond between the Jewish people and Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the ‘Kotels’  (Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Walls of Temple Mount) is blinded by hate, a denier of both current day realities (a plethora of archeological finds) and Jewish history, and is an anti-semitic, arrogant fool. Such a person or body is destined the dung-heap of history and will be shunned or forgotten in due course.”

The UN General Assemply decision comes on the back the UNESCO vote, which disregarded the Jewish narritive to the Land of Israel.  While the UN vote is non-binding it still gives added energy to a potential UN Security Council collision course before Obama leaves office. If it gets to the security council all bets are off.  After all, if it was Jimmy Carter Palestine would have been a reality a long time ago.

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When it comes to Israel, Vox Media Makes Up Its Facts

Vox, a left leaning online magazine, which pushes its agenda through a host of articles, podcasts, and well put together short videos decided to use its immense reach and media tools to hammer away at the returning Jewish presence in areas of Jerusalem that were made Judenrein in the 1920’s, 1930’s, and 1940’s.

Below is Vox’s video, which acts more as a hit piece on organizations like Ateret Cohanim and Ir David that work to resettle neigborhoods of Jerusalem whose formerly Jewish residents were replaced by Arab squatters.  Of course this is not how the issue is presented.

Before watching the video, understand that no mention of the former Jewish nature of these neighborhoods is mentioned. Not only that, but an emphasis on the messianic zeal as a prime motivating factor is woven througout the film. “Facts” that are supplied by known European backed leftist organization like Betzelem are used.  This is instead of the actual facts, which are easily available by Jerusalem’s government. It is known that Arab enighborhoods have experienced a comlete overhaul in recent years.  Neighborhoods with returning Jewish populations have lower crime rates and increased stability.

Yet, the biggest issue with the video is that it somehow builds its claims off of the notion that private house purchases by Jews in historically Jewish areas should somehow be made illegal.  If that is not anti-semitic, I don’t know what is.

Watch the video below and be prepared to run out of the room screaming at the complete twisting of reality.

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BREAKING NEWS: Beit Dolgin in the Old City Returned to Jewish Hands After 90 Years

In the early hours of this morning -Thursday 15th September, an Arab walked out of a Jewish owned building in the Old City, with his suitcases and belongings.
That building was once owned (Purchased in 1866) by the famous and highly respected Turkish Valero family, who used the premises as their main residence. Valero also opened the first bank in the Old City in the mid 19th Century.
Due to the pogroms and Arab riots of the 1920’s, Valero, like many Jews, were forced to flee and even managed to sell their home.
Over 20 years ago, Jewish concerns bought back the building complex and became the official registered owners. However the Arabs living in the building had certain tenancy rights. A few years ago,those rights expired and were no longer applicable.
Some of the Arab families living in the main building complex understood the new situation and made “arrangements” to leave. There was one Arab family who refused to leave and who even refused to accept a most generous financial compensation.
That Arab lost numerous court cases , including  the Supreme court of Israel. He had to vacate the premises, and so, accompanied by court appointed officials, this morning he left and the building is now fully in Jewish hands.
Although the original building was owned by the Valero family, it was decided to dedicate the building in the name of Rabbi Simon Dolgin z”l, who was the Rabbi of Beit Jacob in LA and Ramat Eshkol for many years, and who brought many donors and investors to Ateret Cohanim.
The challenge now, is to twofold:
1/ To fund for the urgent security projects : Fencing on rooftop ($5500), adjust entrance door to include new magnetic security lock ($3600) and security cameras ($18,000).
2/ To fund the much needed renovations in order to finally add 2 more Jewish families to the Valero-Dolgin complex.
G-d willing whoever reads this news report will donate and help.
Email me with good news: dljerusalem@gmail.com
Donate on line: jerusalemchai.org
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Reclaiming Jerusalem One House At a Time: “Now is the Time to Buy”

Jerusalem, home to the Jewish nation for more than 2,000 years, is seeing a historic trend of Jews claiming ownership in its neighborhoods. We are all familiar with Jews living in the Jerusalem neighborhoods we normally visit. However, there are many brave Jews that take ownership of properties in dominantly Arab neighborhoods. They are taking the initiative to reclaim the land that rightfully belongs to them.

Buying property from Arabs is no easy task. According to the Palestinian Authority, selling land to a Jew is a crime, punishable by death. Hence, there is a conscious fear of selling land to Jews.

Ateret Cohanim, a non-profit organization located in Jerusalem, helps find and buy land from Arabs while protecting the Arabs from getting caught for their “crime.” Ateret Cohanim is responsible for the flourishing Jewish presence in the Muslim Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Village of Shiloach (Kfar Hateimanim) and Kidmat Zion (Abu Dis).

According to Jerusalem city councilman Aryeh King in an interview with Arutz Sheva, “more and more Arabs are offering properties for sale. Because of that the cost of properties that Arabs are selling is dropping and we are able to buy in areas that we never thought to buy.” It seems the Arabs are less hesitant to see to Jews nowadays. “There is a big wave of new Arabs who are offering properties, and we don’t have enough money to buy all of the properties that are being offered.”

When asked whether it is really possible to reclaim a majority of Jerusalem land, Ben Packer of the Jerusalem Heritage House replied, “We see this is true right now, but can’t know what will be in the future. Now is the time to buy!”

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Ending the Arab Occupation of Al-Haleddiya St.

Al-Haleddeyi St. may seem like an unlikely location for the next stage of Jewish growth in Jerusalem, but this small street that descends from the Christian quarter to Ha Gai Street into what most consider the Muslim quarter, is experiencing an influx of Jewish residents.

Once considered the main street in the Jewish quarter, Al-Haleddeyi St. known first as Hevron Street, because of the high percentage of Jewish residents, saw its Jewish residents driven out in waves between 1929 and 1937. Many of the Old City Rabbis lived on it, including Rav Diskin. At its peak it had 1,299 Jewish residents and was a bustling center of Jewish life in the late 1800 and early 1900’s.   

Now, with organizations like Ateret Cohanim as well as private individuals, cases amounting to squatting are getting reexamined by the courts.  One by one, properties that belonged to Jewish communal boards are being returned to their former Jewish owners or caretaker committees.

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“We aren’t a banana republic and so if our very respected legal system and courts rule that the Arabs don’t have rights in the complex or that they have to vacate the premises, then so be it,” says Daniel Luria, executive director of Ateret Cohanim. “The same court system that backed the government and gave its stamp of approval to expel and relocate 10,000  Jewish residents and citizens from Gush Katif, should also be respected and adhered in these cases inside the Old City of Jerusalem. Behind the court case is really a story of Jews being driven from the area in the 1920s and 1930s by Arabs and their return to the area in these times. “

This past week I had the opportunity to see first hand one of the newest acquisitions on Al-Haleddeyi St. As I walked onto Al-Haleddeyi St,. Sam Goodman, a local activist and I turned left and then a quick right.  Arabs paid no attention to us as we veered into a small courtyard belonging to an unassuming building.  “This is resting on the Hekdesh [Jewish Communal Property],” Sam says to me as we walk straight ahead into the bottom of the building. “Above us are still Arabs, with one Jewish family on top as well. We all get along.”

The apartment is dark and in need of renovations.  The former occupants left most of their belongings behind before they left.  Unlike typical acquisitions that involve a buyer, seller, and often a few middlemen, apartments that change hands due to a court decision can be far more chaotic in terms of entry.

Interior of newest Jewish home on Al-Haleddiya St.
Interior of newest Jewish home on Al-Haleddiya St.

The apartment Sam and I were standing in went back to the courts several times, but like most of the houses on Al-Haleddeyi St. the evidence of land theft and squatting on the part of the Arab population was incontrovertible.

Up and down Al-Haleddeyi St. more and more Jews are moving in. Israeli flags can be seen out the windows and on the rooftops.  The bustling of Jews is beginning to return. In many ways the quarter system, enacted by the British is being busted apart.  Each new acquisition and court case that goes in favor of the Jews returns the city back to its original state, where a decolonization of Western backed Arab land theft is undone

For now Sam lives in the apartment, standing guard until renovations are complete.  “Once there is a family that wants to move in, I’ll move out.  My job is complete.”  In fact since I saw it, the apartment already has a waiting list and more court cases are pending. Jewish life is returning to Al- Haleddeyi St. Perhaps in a not too distant future it will be renamed Hevron St. as it once was known.

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Reclaiming Jerusalem’s Old City

At around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening (October 3, 2015), a knife-wielding Arab attacked Aharon Bennett, his wife Odel, their 2-year-old son and infant who were on their way to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. Hearing the screams of help from Odel Bennett, from his apartment window, Rabbi Nehemia Lavi, an Old City resident and IDF reserve officer, didn’t hesitate, and went downstairs from his apartment in Beit Wittenberg (HaGai Street), with his gun, to try and save those wounded by the Arab terrorist in the attack, but the terrorist stabbed him and seized his weapon. Lavi and Bennett, who were stabbed in the upper body and were unconscious when paramedics arrived at the scene, died in hospital shortly afterwards.

Now, over 7 months later, another Jewish acquisition in Jerusalem’s Old City, facilitated by the Ateret Cohanim organization has been approved by legal authorities.

“Arab terror and ongoing Arab incitement and violence, has an aim of  trying to drive Jews out of Jerusalem, to keep Jews away from the Old City, the Temple Mount and even the Kotel, and also intends to weaken the resolve of the Jewish people, especially of the families and students in and around the Old City,” says Daniel Luria, Executive Director of Ateret Cohanim. “However the Arab are mistaken on all fronts. We will not be driven out of “our Jerusalem” and such acts of violence has only strengthened our resolve, strength of conviction, faith and fortitude.”

The building will be home to 3 or 4 Jewish families and some Yeshiva students. There are today over 1000 Jewish residents, including many Yeshiva students, of the old Jewish Quarter,(renamed the Moslem Quarter) in addition to the 4000 Jewish residents of the Jewish Quarter.

The newest acquisition is only a few minutes walk from the site of the murder of Rabbi Lavi and Bennett.  Building and buying in the Old City in areas where Jews were driven out in 1929, 1936-37, and 1948 is not only a powerful and lasting response to ongoing Arab terror, it is the best way to honor the memory of the fallen residents, especially the week of Israeli Memorial Day and Independence Day.

“It’s a spectacular accomplishment and it will hopefully lead to many more in the near future,” adds Rabbi Packer head of the Heritage House. “The Arabs are ready to leave. The question is: Are the Jews ready to take possession of the Land.”

 

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[Podcast] Leaving Our Mental Exile

Daniel Luria and I discuss the mental exile that plagues the leadership in Israel. We touch on security issues and the focus of Ateret Cohanim’s work in helping to reclaim stolen Jewish property and the settling of strategic areas in Jerusalem. Daniel and I also touch on some of the deeper and more positive facets of Jewish Nationhood.

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Recycling bottles to redeem Jerusalem

Originally published on HaKol HaYehudi.

Aryeh Blumberg gathers bottles for recycling and donates the money to buy homes in Jerusalem.

Aryeh Blumberg lives in Maale Adumim and works as a plumber. In recent years Blumberg has also begun collecting bottles for Jerusalem. He collects bottles for recycling and the money he receives he gives to Ateret Cohanim to redeem property in Jerusalem.

“Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish nation,” says Blumberg, “The world doesn’t accept this and wants to steal it from us. Jerusalem has always been ours. We can’t let them change history and steal it from us. We have to fight for Jerusalem.”

Blumberg tells the story of how he started his project after the Gaza expulsion. “I realized that if today they were expelling Jews from Gush Katif, tomorrow they could expel Jews from Jerusalem. I decided that talking wasn’t enough and I wanted to do something in practice to strengthen Jerusalem.” Blumberg explains that he wanted to donate to support Jerusalem, but his financial situation did not allow it.

“Then I realized that people always throw out their bottles in the trash and they could instead get money back for them,” says Blumberg. That thought led him to action and he began by asking Ateret Cohanim if they had a minimum donation amount. They told him they were willing to accept even small amounts and so he began his project.

“My first donation was only 140 shekels (~$40). In the first year I donated 2500 shekels, the second year 5000 shekels, the third year 8000 shekels, the year after 10,000 shekels, and every year since, it’s been around 12000 shekels,” explains Blumberg on how the project grew. “Today, thank G-d,‘donations from bottles’ have passed the 100,000 shekel point.”

Blumberg says that as the project grew, more people joined him. “There are several in Maale Adumim, and there are also several places in Jerusalem where I pick up bottles from people.”

Since he started the project, Blumberg’s yard is almost always filled with boxes of bottles, but he says “My wife agrees to it. She even helps with the project and my kids also help a lot.” Blumberg also emphasizes that all of the money from the bottles goes to Ateret Cohanim, “I don’t take any overhead and I pay for my own gas or any other expenses.”

“It’s amazing to be able to take a small thing like bottles that we throw in the garbage and use them to change the reality,” says Blumberg. “From 30 agorot (8 cents) from each bottle we reached 100,000 shekels, thank G-d. It’s possible to help the Jewish people in many ways and with G-d’s help through all of these small things we will merit to bring the Redemption.”

“The need to strengthen Jerusalem,” is what Blumberg says gives him the strength to keep going. “I can’t tell you why we were punished with the expulsion from Gaza but it was probably something small. I think we need to strengthen Jerusalem and move as many Jews as possible into the city. That’s what Ateret Cohanim does and that’s what I want to support.”

Blumberg says that, “As a result of the project my personal connection to Jerusalem has also strengthened.”

In conclusion, Blumberg tells that he once did work for a Jew who was not religious in Jerusalem. “I asked him why he chose to live in Jerusalem and he told me, ‘Jerusalem is the center of the Jewish nation.’ Jerusalem is truly our center. The world wants to take it from us but we can’t give up Jerusalem.”