Bet El, Jacob, and the Story of Hanukkah: Hagi Ben Artzi Reveals Historic Secrets

What do Hanukkah, the Patriarch Jacob, and Bet El have to do with each other? Practically everything, says long-time Bet El resident Professor Hagi Ben-Artzi. Walking and talking atop Bet El's highest mountain, where Jacob is said to have dreamt his famous dream, Hagi reveals some historic secrets, talks of the Hasmonean battles with the Greeks atop these hills and in these valleys, shows the archaeological discoveries here, and connects the dots to form a picture of the eternal vision of the Nation of Israel returning home.

by Uziel Sabato, editor of Bet El's local periodic magazine

Abridged and translated by Hillel Fendel, edited by Dena Udren

Hagi Ben-Artzi standing next to the Sheikh's Tomb

We begin in an ancient structure popularly known as the Sheikh's Tomb, which sports a sign saying, "Danger of Collapse," and Hagi – an expert in Biblical verses, local archaeology, and story-telling – begins with one of the hundreds of incidents he has experienced here over the past 40 years: 

"Well-known Israeli TV personality Ilana Dayan, not exactly known for her right-wing views, was here to get to know the 'Jacob's Dream' site. I brought her up to the observation tower here, and she was able to see Ramallah and the many Arab villages nearby. 'Tell me, Hagi', she said. 'Why are you here? Why do you need this, surrounded by all these Arabs?'  I answered her briefly: 'Ilana, do me a favor: Wait until the end of the tour and then ask me again.'"

Let No One Say He Didn't Know...

By Hillel Fendel, edited by Dena Udren

Dr. Guy Bechor, political commentator on Middle East affairs and editor of the Gplanet.co.il website, warns that renewed talk of "disengagement" – or any other term that means Israel's withdrawal from territories in favor of an Arab entity – means Arab missiles and rockets on Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ben Gurion International Airport, and elsewhere in Israel. 

"Let no one say that he didn't know," Bechor warned the hosts of a Channel 13 TV program on current events last week. "This is what will happen, whether it be immediately, or within a year or two – after Hamas takes over from Mahmoud Abbas."

"The fact that we have quiet now, and that buses are not exploding – is not something self-evident," Bechor emphasized. "Every single night, our IDF forces are busy acting deep inside the PA-controlled areas, in order to thwart terrorist initiatives and ensure that there be no rockets, exploding buses, and other attacks. Your reporter who just now said that the purpose of these activities is to ensure quiet in Judea and Samaria is mistaken; the purpose is to ensure quiet in the entire State of Israel!"

Regarding recent calls for a withdrawal from parts of Judea and Samaria, Bechor said that just as the withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 led to rockets on Ashkelon and Ashdod, "a similar withdrawal from within Judea and Samaria would lead to rockets on central Israel, as well as Haifa, Jerusalem, and other areas."

Meet Miryam Shpatz, Long-time Resident of Bet El and Literature Teacher at the Jeannie Gluck High School Academy for Girls

Interview by Dena Udren

We spoke with long-time Bet El resident Miriam Shpatz, mother of ten and teacher of literature at the Jeannie Gluck High School Academy for Girls in Bet El. We asked her about her childhood, and about her professional life, and more – and came away with some pearls of wisdom regarding the beauty of a Torah-based life.

Miryam Shpatz (fourth from left) and family at the wedding of her eldest daugther

Q. What can you tell us about your childhood?