Modern Shiloh's 39! 🎈 Part 1

The Jewish Month of Shvat is the "Birthday" of the renewed Jewish City Shiloh where I live. We moved here three and a half years after the first seven families pitched their tents as "families of archeologists" to get in under the radar.

Shiloh was then in the area of Tel Shiloh. It wasn't until the summer of 1981, after Arik Sharon had visited and announced that he'd be preparing a new neighborhood in the hill yonder that our "upper" neighborhood was established.

Shiloh's Central "Tabernacle" Synagogue

Those earlier families were the real pioneers, even though life when we arrived in Shiloh on September 1, 1981, had its challenges and difficulties. So, there was a dirt road up to the neighborhood, which meant we had no bus service. But a neighbor had the job to drive people to the bus and back up the hill. There were solutions to problems.

So, the water ran out by the end of most Shabbatot. Soon after Shabbat, a truck would come and fill the tank/reservoir. We just always had to make sure to keep a reserve supply in our homes.

One of the things that impressed me from my very first visit to Shiloh on TU 15th of Shevat, 1981, almost thirty-six years ago to the day, was the warmth and generosity of the residents.  At that time there were just over thirty families. Life was difficult, but nobody complained. There was so much warmth, openness and generosity.  I didn't hear any complaints. I felt that I had to learn from these people, and I hope that I did.

Now there are more than ten times the number of families. There are two bus lines going to Shiloh, and they take us to Jerusalem, Maale Levona, which is a few years younger than Shiloh, and to Ariel where we can use their government services, etc. or take a bus to Tel Aviv or Petach Tikva. Of course, today most people have cars.

Gd willing, I'll write more in this series.