Temple of Abraham, Gaza

2023

Tetzaveh (תצוה – you shall command) – Zakhor (זכור – remember)
Exodus 27:20 – 30:10, Deuteronomy 25:17-19, and Samuel I 15:2-34

The Parasha Tetzaveh describes the sacred objects and rituals of the sanctuary. The Torah reading for Zakhor recounts the attack of the Amalekites against Israel upon their exit from Egypt, and the Haftarah Zakhor tells the story of King Saul and the battle against the Amalekites.

Deuteronomy 25:17
זָכוֹר, אֵת אֲשֶׁר-עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק, בַּדֶּרֶךְ, בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם.

Remember what Amalek did to you on the journey, when you came out of Egypt.

The IDF intervened in the Gaza Strip following pogroms perpetrated by terrorist groups(1), “innocent” civilians, and members of UNRWA. On November 8, 2023, for the first time in decades, IDF soldiers prayed in the synagogue (2), dating back to the 6th century, near the port of Gaza. A few days later, they converted a building in northern Gaza into a synagogue. This synagogue, named Heikhal Avraham (היכל אברהם – Temple of Abraham), displays at the entrance a board, updated daily, indicating the prayer times.

(1) Notably Hamas (חמאס), a Palestinian terrorist organization founded in 1987, which aims to destroy the State of Israel. It is responsible for numerous attacks against civilians and Israeli soldiers. Its name is an acronym and a homophone of the Hebrew word ‘hamas (חָמַס), which means “to take by force,” “to harm,” “to oppress,” or “to act violently.
(2) See the article from HebdoSyna, May 2023.

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