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  The Wilder Way Wednesday Oct 13, 2013The legalities of Ma’arat HaMachpela The Prime Minister’s office door swung open. In strode the Attorney General and Justice Minister, unannounced, uninvited. As they sat down, another six suited men filed into the office, standing behind them. Surprised, the Prime Minister waited. Not for very long. The Justice Minister growled at him: “Mr. Prime […]

  The Wilder Way Wednesday Oct 09, 2013 Historic visit of Italian Minister of Culture and Tourism in Hebron, with David Wilder   Historic visit of Italian Minister of Culture and Tourism in Hebron, with David Wilder Italian Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Massimo Bray, hosted by Tiph in Hebron, walked near Beit Hadassah, where he was met and greeted by […]

  The Wilder Way Tuesday Sep 24, 2013  B”H, BS & BB   B”H – Baruch HaShem, Thank G-d. Yesterday was an overwhelming success. Some 25,000 people visited the city and participated in the Music Festival. Add on 10,000 the day before, and anther few thousand today and tomorrow. That’s almost 40,000 people in Hebron. Of course, the murder of […]

  The Wilder Way Sunday Sep 22, 2013  Reaction to terror in Hebron: Keep the show going   It happened again. In 2002, on the first day of the huge Succot celebrations, early evening, an Arab terrorist opened fire near the Avraham Avinu neighborhood. As a result, Rabbi Shlomo Shapira from Jerusalem was killed. Fast forward: Succot, September 2013, eleven years […]

Atonement at the Hallowed Grounds of the TabernacleDavid WilderSeptember 12, 2013 Last week one of my daughters moved from the southern Hebron Hills community Eshtamoa to Shilo in Binyamin. Shilo is one of those places I’ve read about in the Bible, and a place passed by when traveling to communities in the northern Shomron. I have friends who live there, […]

An open letter to the Norwegian Foreign Minister: Mr. Espen Barth Eide August 27, 2013 You surprised me yesterday evening. I really didn’t expect to see you here. Especially following a two hour tour the previous day with your Tiph staff. Following a successful and interesting tour, at Tel Hebron, at the Hebron museum, at the ancient synagogue, and even […]

Disgrace Redux David WilderAugust 19, 2013 Actually, it’s been quite some time since I’ve been detained by the police. One of my favorite visitors to Hebron is Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis. I’ve known her for just about as long as I’ve been working here, close to 20 years. A frequent visitor to Ma’arat HaMachpela, she brings diverse groups of people, always […]

A ‘two-state solution’ is a contradiction in termsDavid WilderAugust 16, 2013 It was exactly three years ago that I wrote Serving Israel on a Silver Platter. It is just as relevant today as it was then, but in the name of rejuvenation, a few more points can be added. First, in speaking with groups here in Hebron, many ask me […]

Zechut Avot: An eternal birthright by David Wilder August 4, 2013   The first time was many years ago. I had just concluded explanations about Yeshivat Knesset Yisrael” which arrived in Hebron from Slobodka, in Lithuania in 1924. The Hebron Heritage Museum at Beit Hadassah features an exhibit about this illustrious Torah-learning academy, nicknamed  the ‘Hebron Yeshiva,’ which includes a […]

No ‘rules’ or ‘red lines’ July 30, 2013 This morning we woke up to a treat. Our favorite piece-partner began renewed negotiations with a formal policy declaration. Abbas, aka Abu Mazen, president of the PA: “In a final resolution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli – civilian or soldier – on our lands.” This is not […]