Chabad Rabbis Urge Court to Halt Construction on Historic Hebron Cemetery Plot
The Chabad Rabbinical Court, the highest spiritual authority of Chabad in Israel, filed an urgent petition demanding an immediate stop to construction, excavation, road paving, and placement of caravans on the historic Chabad plot in the ancient Jewish cemetery in Hebron. The petition alleges that the local Hebron council and affiliated parties have carried out extensive earthworks, built a vehicular ramp, and stationed caravans and settler families on the site, actions continuing despite prior appeals to halt them.
This Chabad plot is the Ashkenazi section of the ancient Jewish cemetery in Hebron, used by the Chabad community for about 170 years. It contains graves of prominent Chabad figures, including Rebbetzin Menucha Rachel Salomon, daughter of the Middle Rebbe and granddaughter of the founder of Chabad, who led the community for decades. Other notable rabbis buried there include Rabbi Shimon Menashe Haikin and Rabbi Hillel Moshe Gurevich. The cemetery was desecrated during Jordanian rule and later restored after the Six-Day War under Professor Ben-Zion Tabger.
The petition references extensive legal, halachic, and professional opinions, including from Rabbi Yaakov Rozah, a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council and chair of the Honor of the Dead Committee, who ruled unequivocally that the area is a cemetery and forbids road construction or building placement. Archaeological and architectural experts also warned of the risk of damaging ancient burial caves beneath the site. The petition was submitted by attorneys Uri Kedar and Ofer Shechter.
In response, the Hebron local council stated the Ashkenazi cemetery is managed by the Religious Council under a 99-year lease from the Civil Administration. They acknowledged a Chabad study hall was built without a permit but said they are assisting in legalizing it. The ramp was installed under halachic supervision and inspection, with no concern for graves. The council also noted that the locations of ancient graves are well documented and that the area is undergoing a broader legal process to regulate land use and restore Jewish property rights in Hebron. They emphasized ongoing halachic checks in all neighborhoods to preserve the sanctity of Hebron.
The dispute highlights tensions over land use and religious heritage preservation in Hebron, with legal proceedings ongoing to determine the future of the historic cemetery plot amid settler activity and municipal development plans.
