A new community was established Wednesday night in Gush Etzion, as the first homes were placed at the site with the participation of Gush Etzion Regional Council Head Yaron Rosenthal.
The new community is located near Bethlehem, in the area of Shdema. This is a strategically important location which connects eastern Gush Etzion to Jerusalem and creates Jewish continuity between the developing communities of Gush Etzion.
“To Rachel it was said: ‘Restrain your voice from weeping, your eyes from tears, for your children shall return to their borders.’ And indeed, we have merited to return to Rachel’s border, and we are certain she is no longer weeping, but watching her children from above as they return to the city where she was buried. Today she is rejoicing greatly,” Rosenthal concluded.
Over the years, many AFSI mission participants battled, along with Yehudit Tayar and Nadia Matar, over this land. We planted trees, had them torn up and planted them again in order to to retain the Jewish presence at this valuable site. It is with great joy that we see how the battles yielded results. A few families and singles are living in the new community now and more are expected in the spring.
This will be an important and extremely joyful stop on our Spring 2026 mission.
Source:
Shdema: New town founded in Gush Etzion, by Israel National News, November 20, 2025