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I’m going to Israel in 2 weeks. I want to go to Chevron on Tuesday bus Hoffman Tours only goes on Friday. Gershon Kaufman told me he’ll take me on Tuesday by private car.
Am I crazy for being paranoid?
mtydhd, you’re neither crazy nor paranoid. However, visitation to Hevron is setting records all the time and takes place safely. Incidents on the Jerusalem-Hevron road are few and far between (not to belittle the ones that do happen!). The army very much wants this road and the Jewish area of Hevron to be safe, for its own valid reasons and to avoid the bother of dealing with troubled civilians. By the way, all public buses that use the road south of Gush Etzion are bulletproof. If you’d like me to post the bus schedule, let me know and bs”d I’ll do it Sunday morning Israel time.
Many private cars in the Shomron and Yehuda have had projectile resistant glass installed. It’s very common.
My son was in Israel this past summer and absolutely wanted to visit Chevron. I would not budge, and would absolutely not let him go. I told him there plenty other places to visit in Israel, and however noble going to Chevron is, it doesn’t suffice to risk another 60+ years of his life, for 1 visit to Chevron.
I have no regrets on having been so adamant.
Whoa whoa whoa… hold everything… 147 has a son!? I thought you were a Yeshiva guy in CC…..Mazal tov!
147, I hate to say this, but it’s a risk crossing the street, too. Do you let your son do that?
I went to Chevron with Hoffmans in a non-bullet proof bus and bli ayin hora we were fine. BTW, it wasn’t on a Friday and we had a great time.
It is perfectly fine to drive to Chevron. My wife and I drive there very often,sometimes each of us alone and without any special protection on the windows. No difference day or night.
I understand those who are afraid, but they must realize that it is an illogical fear. Many Israelis visit Cambodia and Vietnam, and I have a hard time with that. I remember the war there, as does anyone of my advanced age. But it is an illogical fear and I do not defend it with any conviction.
If I may add a little bit of bitachon, the incredible feeling of visiting the place where it all began, and getting to know the special people who live there, the conclusion should be, “Go, experience, fall in love with your heritage. Don’t miss it.”
Here is tomorrow’s schedule of buses from Jerusalem to Hebron and back. It’s a typical weekday schedule; Sunday and Friday schedules are different. Each trip takes anywhere from a little over 1 hour to an hour and a half. All buses are bulletproof. Residents’ cars are stoneproof and Molotov cocktail proof but are not bulletproof.
The bulletproof buses have been used to and from Hebron since around 1995. No one to my knowledge has been injured in any of them.
From Jerusalem to Hebron:
6:20, 7:20, 8:00, 8:45, 9:30, 11:30, 12:00, 12:40, 14:00, 14:40, 15:00, 15:30, 16:15, 17:45, 18:15, 18:50, 19:10, 20:10, 21:10, 22:15, 22:45, 23:15, 24:00
And from Hebron to Jerusalem:
6:00, 7:05, 7:20, 7:50, 9:05, 9:35, 10:05, 10:35, 11:05, 12:50, 13:20, 14:00, 15:20, 15:50, 16:50, 17:20, 17:50, 18:35, 20:05, 21:35, 22:20
Have a wonderful visit.
I read the title of this post… and thought you were talking about CHEVRON the oil company!!!
I understand people’s fear of visiting Chevron but it is mostly unfounded and sad that people feel that way. By the way, it’s the most unfortunate when people say things like “there plenty other places to visit in Israel.” Chevron is the 2nd most holy place in the world (after the Har Habayit). Please remember, when you come home, you must always visit Grandma & Grandpa.
As for the practical aspect – the 160 bus is a green bus that is armored for protection. It runs from Yerushalayim right up to the entrance of the Mearat Hamachpelah. You can pick it up from the Central Bus Station in Yerushalayim or from the Malcha Mall or from the bus stop right before the “tunnel route” from Gilo to the Gush. You can also pick it up on Route 60 in the Gush.
You can get the schedule on Egged’s English site here http://mslworld.egged.co.il/eggedtimetable/WebForms/wfrmMain.aspx?width=1024&company=1&language=en&state=2
If that link doesn’t work, then google “Egged bus schedule” –> choose the English site –> choose Find a Timetable and fill in the details. Depending on time of day, the bus usually runs every 30 – 60 mins. In the middle of the day, there may be a larger gap. The bus takes a predictable approx. 1 hour to get there from Yerushalayim.
You can also contact the Hebron Fund via their website to find out about tours with them. Their tours offer an armored bus from Yerushalayim – I believe leaving from outside the Inbal hotel. You can also take a regular Egged bus there and ask a tour guide to meet you when you get to Chevron. Enjoy the trip and make the most of it!!
Naftush: I currently live in Gush Etzion and not all of the buses are bullet proof. The Chevron line (I think it’s 160) is though.
I would still recommend using a public bus as opposed to a private tour guide because you may get some guy who will take you to see “the real chevron where no Jews ever go” and not tell you till you’re already there.
I just got back from E’Y and went on an amazing tour of Chevron with Simcha Hochbaum, a NY native and resident of Chevron. http://www.hebron.com/english/tour.php The tour leaves from the Plaza Hotel in Yerushalayim and stops at Kever Rochel on the way. They took us on bullet proof buses and we definitely felt safe the entire time. This along with Simcha’s tour of the “other side” of the Old City (left from Shaar Haashpa, went along the Old City walls through Har Hazeisim and the Arab quarter including a few looks at Har Habayis) were the highlights of my trip. The Old City tour is generally on Tuesday mornings, and check the website for Chevron tour availability. I highly recommend both his tours. (Note: this is coming from a generally paranoid American 🙂 )
I posted only the 160, which is totally bulletproof. The Gush buses (160, 161, 164, 167) haven’t been so for a few years. And not to be nitpicking, but one should allow the 160 an hour and a half each way, taking account of traffic jams, the swing around Kiryat Arba, etc.
ItcheSrulik:
I currently live in Gush Etzion and not all of the buses are bullet proof.
Really? I live in the Shomron, and all buses here are armored, I believe by law.
Yes, I agree with Naftush – schedule an hour and a half for the 160 bus ride. By the way, the bus trip itself is enjoyable for those who haven’t been down that way. You get to see the main road through the Gush and you also get a drive through Kiryat Arba, an impressive city that is about 5 mins from the Mearat Hamachpelah.
The organized tours with Simcha Hochbaum are also wonderful and safe.
Most importantly, go! Enjoy a fantastic time there! Besides getting the chance to visit & daven to Hashem at the site where our Avot & Imahot are buried, you can see the true roots of our nation there. Chevron is the city where David Hamelech began his reign over Israel. By the way, there are other famous Jewish personalities from Tanach buried there. The great thing is to see the Jewish people still there davening, learning, living — it’s not just a burial place but a place of Jewish life today!
I thought the Gush Etzion buses are armoured, but the Beitar Illit buses are not (except for a few older ones).
Now, as for Chevron: my rov in Yerushalayim told me not to go there, so I didn’t go. I must admit my hashkafa is a bit different now, but still, I would not go there in an unprotected vehicle. Plain common sense dictates that one should take all possible precautions and avoid all danger.
Last remark (not?) about Bus 160: board it only at its first stop (the Central Bus Station). Sometimes the buses fill up there and do not pick up passengers at subsequent stops.
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