Crisis In Hebron

How Did A Gentle Man
Become A Murderer?

Dr.Baruch Goldstein is a fromer classmate of Young
Israel of Southfield Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg.

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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oung Israel of
Southfield Rabbi Eli-
melech Goldberg knew
Baruch Goldstein
when he was still
called Benjy.
The two were students —
and later members of the same
graduating class — at Yeshiva
University in New York. "Benjy
Goldstein was a very caring,
personable young man," said
Rabbi Goldberg, of Young Israel
of Southfield. "What happened
is absolutely shocking."
Last Friday, Dr. Goldstein
walked into a mosque in
Hebron and murdered 55 Arabs
and wounded another 40. He
used an automatic rifle and
threw hand grenades before be-
ing stopped by Muslim wor-
shipers, who beat him to death.
Like many who knew Dr.
Goldstein, Rabbi Goldberg said
he had difficulty believing the
sociable, bright, affable person
he knew could have committed
such a crime.
"I heard his name (on the
news) and I saw his picture,"
Rabbi Goldberg said. "Then I
went to look in my alumni book,
and that's when I realized it re-
ally was the same person."
A native of New York and
graduate of Yeshiva University
and the Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, Dr. Goldstein im-
migrated in 1982 to Kiryat
Arba, a settlement of some
12,000 in Judea and Samaria
(the West Bank). Observers
point to the area's history of
Arab-Jewish confrontation, to-
gether with the Arab terrorist
killings of 35 Jewish citizens
throughout Israel since the
peace accords were signed in
September, as likely contribu-
tors to Dr. Goldstein's act.
Joan Levi of Oak Park was a
longtime resident of Jerusalem,
where she and her husband
were among the first to support
new settlements in the territo-
ries. They returned to the
United States in 1983, though
their four children and 17
grandchildren continue to live
in Israel.
"I resent the fact that (Dr.
Goldstein) was called a mad-
man," she said. "He was a con-
cerned, committed Jew who just
couldn't stand what was hap-
pening."

been a frequent site of Arab at-
Mrs. Levi and her husband,
tacks on Jews.
Chuck, have been active local-
After taking control of the
ly on behalf of Jewish Defense
area in the Six-Day War, Israel
League member Robert
reestablished a Jewish presence
Manning, a friend of the late
in Hebron in 1968. In 1970, the
Dr. Goldstein, who was con-
Israeli government built 250
victed of the 1980 murder of a
housing units adjacent to
California secretary. (Mr.
Hebron, giving it the biblical
Manning — who says he is in-
nocent — was
charged with send-
ing a letter bomb to
an Arab business-
man. The letter was
opened by his sec-
retary).
Mrs. Levi be-
lieves Americans
have little under-
standing of life in
Israel's territories.
Jews live in con-
stant fear for their
lives, she said.
Their children are
harassed; their gov-
ernment does not
support them.
"Jews are living
in jeopardy in every
part of Eretz
Yisrael," she said.
"There's a terrible
dribbling away of
Jewish lives that
has only been exac-
erbated since the
so-called peace ac-
cord."
Tension contin-
ued to fill the
streets of Hebron
this week, where
Palestinians have Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg: "A caring, personable
been rioting since young man."
the Friday mur-
name Kiryat Arba.
ders.
In 1983, Aharon Gross, an
Located about 19 miles south
18-year-old yeshiva student,
of Jerusalem, Hebron is most
was stabbed to death in the
notable in Jewish history as the
Hebron marketplace. In retali-
home of Me'arat Ha-
ation, Kiryat Arba residents set
Machpelah, the Cave of
the marketplace afire, demol-
Machpelah, the tomb of the four
ishing it. Nineteen days later,
patriarchs and matriarchs:
masked gunmen staged a ma-
Hebron (along with the rest
chine-gun and grenade attack
of Israel) was conquered in 638
on the Islamic College in
by the Arabs and in 1100 by the
Hebron, killing three and
Crusaders. In 1266, Muslim
wounding 33. The Israeli police
rulers again controlled the city
arrested 25 Israeli settlers from
and decreed that Jews were not
the territories and charged
to enter the Cave of Machpelah
them with belonging to a
— a statute that was strictly
"Jewish terrorist organization."
enforced until the 1967 Six-Day
Three settlers were convicted of
War.
the assault on the college and
Known in the 17th century
received prison sentences rang-
as a center of Jewish mysticism,
ing from six years to life.
Hebron has, in modern times,

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