Rabbi Dov Lior Visits Northern Samaria, Affixes Mezuzah in Reestablished Homesh Settlement

Rabbi Dov Lior recently conducted a significant visit to northern Samaria, arriving by helicopter to Sha-Nur and continuing to the renewed settlement of Homesh. This marked the first civilian helicopter landing in northern Samaria in 21 years, symbolizing a historic moment for the region. During his visit, Rabbi Lior affixed a mezuzah in the home of a new family in Homesh, participated in a completion ceremony of a Talmudic tractate at the local yeshiva led by Rabbi Elishama Cohen, and toured the Shuva Israel farm near the site where Yehuda Shmuel Sherman was murdered.

At Sha-Nur, Rabbi Lior recited the "Matziv Gvul Almah" blessing and encouraged residents, calling them pioneers who restore and settle lands once destroyed. The visit was seen as a closure of a 21-year circle since the evacuation of the area, recalling how Rabbi Lior had torn Yossi Dagan's shirt on the roof of Sha-Nur's fortress on the day of the evacuation, instructing him to recite "Blessed is the True Judge." Dagan, now head of the Samaria Regional Council, pledged to work toward resettlement and later presented Rabbi Lior with an original stone from the fortress, inviting him to bless the place again.

Yossi Dagan described the visit as a historic moment for the Jewish people, emphasizing the personal and communal significance of Rabbi Lior's blessing. Residents like Beni Gal, who returned to Homesh with his family after evacuation, expressed gratitude for the rabbi's support and encouragement to families resettling the area. The visit highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen and renew Jewish presence in northern Samaria.