‘Hamas’ curse has become an abundant blessing’. This is what Racheli Frenkel, the mother of Naftali, Hy”d, said at the event marking six years since the founding of Oz veGaon preserve in Gush Etzion, the preserve bearing the name of Gil-Ad, Eyal and Naftali and was founded on the night when the murder of the three became known.

Racheli Frenkel described the excitement that she feels every time she visits the preserve, finding there more activity, more trails, another creative idea and more liveliness. At the ceremony, Frenkel focused her remarks on the connection between the effect of the tragic event – the murder of the youths - on the People in Israel on the one hand and on the other hand, the Torah portion of Balak, when Balaam sought to curse Israel but issued a blessing instead.

“During the 18 days of anxiety, tension, searching, the attempt to remain focused and the huge embrace and encouragement and prayers and energy that maintained us, the mayor of Nazareth Illit came to our house one day and said ‘You have no idea what is happening in Israel. If Hamas had known that this is what would happen, they would never have done it’. These simple words expressing the emotions”, said Frenkel.

“Someone came to place a curse on us and indeed, did curse us, since we lost our priceless sons, but he did not succeed in the curse because this people is connected to the source of blessing and it is entirely a blessing of abundant life. Every curse that they intended grew into a blessing of abundance, and one spot for this blessing is Oz veGaon, a place that continues in liveliness and influence and the ripples spread very far indeed”, said Frenkel.

She also spoke of an attribute of our father Abraham, the “good eye” of someone who seeks good even in evil Sodom, compared to the attribute of Balaam, the “evil eye”, which seeks the cracks by which it is possible to curse a people blessed with miracles, redemption and wonders as it wanders  in the wilderness. The discourse of unity is not a cliché or vain hope, despite the fact that the world appears fragmented; it is a practical tool for life, she stated.

“In a problematic situation, when it is possible to be so critical, it is important to find the good, to connect with it, to love it, to increase it and then let it grow and look at reality”, says Frenkel, who also quotes from the Haftorah, which views the destruction of the forts as a vision of when there will be no need for them in an era of peace and serenity. “We are not yet there. We are still far away and every moment that we sit here in serenity and calm, we owe it to the soldiers who attend to this place, this region and this Land with dedication. But this place”, she said, referring to the preserve, “is not a fort, it is not even a town. It is a nature preserve, a place where people camp, have picnics, it is a place where you see normal life in the Land of Israel. It is a lively, joyful and normal place, a place to go camping. It is the connection to this ground, to be real. To be at home. Oz veGaon is good for Gush Etzion, the People of Israel and to the entire world”.



The event opened with remarks by Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar, who told of the night when they decided to ascend to the preserve which had been abandoned and neglected and had even served as a venue of criminal acts by Arabs from the neighboring Arab villages.

“We were amazed anew every day by the greatness of our people. People came here from every part of the Land, to be part of this Zionist response to the murder, to deepen our roots in the Land, to express solidarity, to relieve their pain and especially, the wonderful people of Gush Etsion, who continue to accompany us even after six years”, said Katsover, and mentioned the long list of contributors and supporters for the ongoing maintenance of the preserve, from people of the neighboring communities and regional councils to groups of youths from all part of the Land, and supporters from abroad. “The results of all the good that they have bestowed on the preserve, you see before you now, a preserve bustling with life, with educational events, study groups, seminars, art workshops with Avital Sharansky, and a baby born this week at the preserve. Six years of bustling, Zionist, value-based life in the spirit of Gush Etzion”.

Head of Gush Etzion Council Shlomo Ne’eman, who accompanied the holding at the place even before he was appointed to his position, sent words of greeting to the event: “The way to deepen our connection to the Land is by creating life and learning about our rights to the Land. The settlement enterprise begins with constant work on connecting to the roots. The Oz veGaon preserve is one of the outstanding examples of combining these values in our times”.

“We are marking 6 years of the settlement project called Oz veGaon, a place that was founded after the great tragedy of the murder of our children but by the merit of persistent work, it became a point of light in the heart of Gush Etzion. The Midrasha, the shiurim, the studies and the many varied activities here, create new life in Gush Etzion”.

Ne’eman concluded his remarks with the hope that “with G-d’s help, we will soon see here the building of an advance educational and tourism center for values and roots”.

The event concluded with an appearance of the illusionist Rav Victor Attia and musical activity for the children led by Emuna Stein.