Synagogue Inaugurated and Torah Scroll Dedicated in Homesh 21 Years After Evacuation

Hundreds of people, including rabbis, ministers, public officials, and activists, participated in a thanksgiving event in the settlement of Homesh in the northern Samaria region. The event marks 21 years since the settlement's evacuation as part of the Disengagement Plan and celebrates the renewal of settlement in the area. The central ceremony included the inauguration of a synagogue named after Rabbi Kook and the dedication of a Torah scroll, followed by a rally and a performance by artist Binyamin Landau.

The program began at 5:00 PM with a gathering and the writing of the final letters in the Torah scroll. A procession then led to the synagogue inauguration and the main rally. Among the attendees were Rabbi Elishama Cohen, head of the Homesh Yeshiva; Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Rabbi of Samaria; Rabbi David Dodedkovich of Yitzhar; Rabbi Aharon Cohen of Yakir; Rabbi Mordechai Shariki of the "Beit Ramchal" Institute; residents; and activists from the "Homesh T'chila" movement.

In the past year, 16 new families have joined Homesh, and approximately 30 families now reside in the settlement across two neighborhoods. The new neighborhood hosts young couples alongside families who were previously evacuated from the area and have returned. Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council and himself an evacuee, stated, "There are moments when we pause and give thanks. This is one of them. After 21 years of pain, struggle, faith, and effort, we stand here and see life in a place where they tried to leave destruction. The synagogue is returning, the joy of dedicating a Torah scroll, families building their homes, and children growing up here. This is a great victory, a victory of faith, of perseverance of those who did not give up on their home and the people of Israel. We give great thanks today for the privilege of witnessing this history unfold before our eyes, and from this gratitude, we continue forward, to build, to flourish, and to bring more and more families to northern Samaria. This is just the beginning."

Beni Gal, an evacuee from Homesh and a leader of the "Homesh T'chila" movement, said, "This is a day of great joy and thanksgiving to God. For over 21 years, we struggled, insisted, and did not give up on the dream of bringing the people of Israel home. There were difficult years when the path seemed long, and together with Rabbi Elishama Cohen and many friends, activists with faith, courage, and hope for salvation and love of the land, we have reached these special moments. The stone rejected by the builders became the cornerstone; from Homesh, to many other settlements in northern Samaria. We will strengthen ourselves together for the continuation of 'the land is wide enough to inherit.'"