Massive Crowds Arrive for Shabbos Chayei Sarah as Police Deploy Hundreds of Officers
Thousands of Yidden from across Eretz Yisroel and around the world began arriving in Chevron on Friday for Shabbos Parshas Chayei Sarah, joining the annual gathering at the Me’aras Hamachpeilah as hundreds of police officers and security personnel were deployed throughout the city to protect the crowds.
Shabbos Chayei Sarah draws thousands of visitors to Chevron each year, as the parsha recounts Avrohom Avinu’s purchase of the Me’aras Hamachpeilah from Efron Hachiti as a burial place for Sarah Imeinu. The site is the kever of the Avos and Imahos, including Avrohom and Sarah, Yitzchok and Rivkah, and Yaakov and Leah. According to Chazal, Adam Harishon and Chava are also buried there.
The annual Shabbos has become a major occasion for Yidden seeking to spend time in the city of the Avos, daven at the Me’aras Hamachpeilah, and demonstrate their support for Chevron’s Jewish community.
With particularly large crowds expected throughout Shabbos, the Israel Police launched an extensive security operation involving hundreds of officers from the Yehuda and Shomron District, together with additional security forces.
Police personnel were stationed around the Me’aras Hamachpeilah and throughout Chevron’s Jewish neighborhoods, with the goal of maintaining security and allowing the large-scale Shabbos gatherings to proceed safely.
The operation is being directed by Chevron District Commander Chief Superintendent Eliyahu Zeitoun, whose officers began their preparations and deployments early Friday morning.
Later Friday, Yehuda and Shomron District Commander Major General Moshe Pinchi conducted an operational assessment, visiting police positions and reviewing the security arrangements ahead of Shabbos.
During his inspection, Pinchi commended the officers for their preparations and directed commanders to increase traffic-control efforts during the busiest arrival periods before shkiah.
He also instructed police to maintain close coordination with other security agencies throughout Shabbos, with particular attention to public safety, crowd management, and maintaining order in areas expected to attract the largest numbers of visitors.
Organizers have been preparing for an exceptionally busy weekend. Chabad of Chevron, led by Rabbi Danny Cohen and his wife, Batsheva, is arranging Shabbos meals for more than 7,500 guests, while overall attendance estimates range from approximately 20,000 to 45,000 visitors. Many are staying with local families, in nearby Kiryat Arba, or in temporary accommodations set up for the occasion.
The security preparations have also included joint exercises involving the IDF, Israel Police, Border Police, and Shin Bet. Forces practiced responding to multiple simultaneous emergencies in Chevron, Kiryat Arba, and the surrounding area amid heightened security concerns following a recent deadly shooting attack.
The Me’aras Hamachpeilah is also opening its full prayer complex to Jewish visitors for Shabbos Chayei Sarah, one of the limited occasions during the year when the entire site, including the Yitzchok and Rivkah Hall, is available for Jewish tefillos.
