Special Torah Scroll Installed at Har Eival Yeshiva Fulfilling 25-Year Vision

A historic and emotional ceremony took place on Thursday evening at Har Eival with the installation of a special Torah scroll in the newly established yeshiva there. The event was attended by key figures including Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Shomron Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Har Eival Yeshiva head Rabbi Aviad Shinwell, Alon Moreh institutions CEO Elisaf Pershan, students, and the extended Perlman family.

The Torah scroll’s story began over two decades ago in 1999 when Nehemiah Perlman, deeply connected to the Joshua Altar at Har Eival, started writing it on the mountain itself. Perlman dedicated the scroll to the day a Jewish settlement or presence would be established there. After his death in 2012, the scroll was kept in the Kedumim settlement and later at his daughter’s home in Lod, awaiting the realization of this vision.

With the Jewish presence now firmly established and the yeshiva founded at Har Eival, the scroll was finally brought to its intended place. Yossi Dagan called the event "a tremendous victory of spirit and faith," emphasizing the site’s historical significance as where the Jewish people united around Joshua’s altar. He linked the event to future plans for 18 new settlements in northern Shomron under the "Connection Plan."

Rabbi Elyakim Levanon highlighted the scroll’s installation as a continuation of the ancient covenant made when Israel entered the land. Shlomit Perlman, Nehemiah’s widow, shared his legacy and his belief that control over Shchem and Har Eival was essential for Jerusalem’s future. Kedumim Council head Uzal Vatik praised the Perlman family for fulfilling Nehemiah’s personal and national vision.

Elisaf Pershan expressed gratitude for the historic opportunity to establish the yeshiva branch and house the scroll, promising that the Torah’s voice and settlement efforts would only grow stronger. The ceremony concluded with joyous singing and dancing as the Torah scroll was carried in a festive procession into the yeshiva’s sanctuary.