A new building has been established in memory of the late Tzeela Gez, near the site of the deadly attack. A dedication ceremony took place this past weekend, attended by hundreds of local residents. This is the first building to be erected in “South Brukhin,” adjacent to the location of the attack, on state land.
Only Tzeela could move mountains like this
During the ceremony, Channanel Gez, the husband of Tzeela h”yd, affixed the mezuzah to the new building and said: “Only Tzeela could move mountains like this – thank God, we are blessed.”
Also in attendance were her parents, Shmuel and Galia, Brukhin community chair Meital Ben Yosef, the community’s rabbi Rabbi Meir Hilbitz, and local residents. The participants joined in singing, “And your children shall return to their borders.”
We will add life, we will add light
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, also attended and addressed the crowd:
“This is not just the affixing of a mezuzah to a building. It is an answer to the Holy One, blessed be He. It is an answer to the people of Israel. Not only a response through settlement in Samaria – it is also an answer to our enemies. And our answer is one: building the Land of Israel.”
He continued: “You came to destroy – we will repair. You came to bring death – we will add life. We bring light – and this light will triumph. I say to our enemies: you have no idea what kind of people you’ve crossed! Our revenge is Zionism – and we will build even more.”
“And we cannot bring Tzeela (may her memory be a blessing) back to life. But we can take our revenge – and our revenge is Zionism.”
Dagan also turned to the family and the supporters who helped build the new structure: “Fortunate are you, together with the family, for uplifting the spirit of the people of Israel.”
Just as Tzeela sacrificed herself for her pregnancy, so too will we give of ourselves
Rabbi Meir Hilbitz, rabbi of the Bruchin community, said: “Everything that begins here is just the ‘start of a pregnancy.’ And just as Tzeela sacrificed herself for her pregnancy, so too will we continue to give of ourselves – with patience, with persistence, and with courage. We will carry this ‘pregnancy’ until a new reality of life is born here.”
