Har Hazeitim: The Rebirth Of A Holy Mountain

For thousands of years, Har Hazeitim, the Mount of Olives, has stood as one of the holiest places in Jewish history. Overlooking the Makom Hamikdash, the Temple Mount, it is the eternal resting place of prophets, sages, tzaddikim, and generations of Jews who longed to be buried on this sacred mountain. It is a place woven into our tefillos, our traditions, and our deepest hopes for the future of Klal Yisrael. And yet, for decades, this holy site was left neglected, desecrated, and in danger of being lost.

For far too long, Har Hazeitim was treated like a forlorn neglected site rather than one of the holiest places in Judaism. More than 40,000 kevarim were damaged or destroyed, headstones shattered, graves vandalized, and pathways overtaken by debris and neglect during the Jordanian occupation (1948-1967). Families were afraid to visit. The dignity of the niftarim was compromised. The holiness of the mountain cried out for restoration.

It was this painful reality that moved a small group of devoted individuals, led by the Lubinsky brothers of Brooklyn, to ask an impossible-sounding question: How can such a holy place look like this? How could the burial place of so many of our greatest leaders, scholars, and ancestors be abandoned to destruction? And how could the Jewish people allow this to continue?

From that question, the International Committee for Har Hazeitim (ICHH) was born.

What followed has been nothing short of extraordinary. Through vision, determination, and unwavering commitment, ICHH set out to reclaim the mountain, physically, spiritually, and symbolically.

One of the first and most critical priorities was security. Today, Har Hazeitim is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure that has transformed the experience of visiting the site. Hundreds of advanced security cameras now monitor the grounds around the clock. Guard posts, patrols, and coordinated security systems ensure that visitors can come safely, and that the kevarim are protected with the dignity they deserve.

Roads and walkways that were once impassable have been restored. Debris has been cleared. Broken matzeivos repaired. Entire sections of the cemetery have been rehabilitated, bringing order, respect, and sanctity back to areas that were once in ruins. What was left in shambles is being brought back to life, stone by stone, pathway by pathway.

But this work is about far more than infrastructure. It is about restoring holiness. Every repaired kever, every cleared pathway, every security measure is an act of kavod hameis and a declaration that Har Hazeitim will never again be abandoned. It is after all where the Kohanim prepared for the Avodah across the road on HarHabayis, where the ashes of the Parah Adumah were prepared, where the emissaries of beis din proclaimed a new chodesh.

The people behind this rebirth are individuals who saw the devastation with their own eyes and refused to look away. Rabbanim, community leaders, philanthropists, and devoted Askanim walked the mountain and were shaken by what they saw. They understood that this was not only a local issue, it was a responsibility shared by Jews everywhere.

Their vision was clear: Har Hazeitim must once again reflect its true status as one of the holiest sites in the world. A place of reverence. A place of connection. A place worthy of Jerusalem.

At the heart of this movement are American Askanim Menachem and Avrohom Lubinsky, who founded the Har Hazeitim organization after witnessing the devastation with their own eyes. When they first walked the mountain and saw the broken kevarim, the neglect, and the fear that kept families away, they were deeply shaken. They asked the question that became the foundation of the organization: How can such a holy place look like this? Refusing to accept the status quo, they committed themselves to restoring dignity, safety, and holiness to Har Hazeitim. Their vision, leadership, and tireless dedication have driven the transformation from abandonment to renewal and from despair to lasting change.

That vision continues to guide every step of the organization’s work today.

As part of this historic restoration, Har Hazeitim is now building a state-of-the-art Visitor Education Center, in a joint project between ICHH, the Municipality of Jerusalem and the Government of Israel. In a milestone that represents the next chapter in the mountain’s rebirth.

The Visitors Center will welcome Jews from around the world, offering orientation, historical context, a shul, security coordination, and a deeper understanding of the immense significance of Har Hazeitim. Designed to accommodate the future, it will make it possible for millions to come, safely, respectfully, and meaningfully and experience the holiness of the mountain firsthand. Any dedication within this building represents an eternal merit for those who give, a lasting zechus connected to the restoration and protection of one of the holiest places on earth. It will serve as a gateway to the mountain, transforming visits into meaningful, informed, and uplifting experiences.

For the first time in generations, families, groups, and visitors will be able to come to Har Hazeitim with confidence, clarity, and a profound sense of connection to the past and future of the Jewish people.

What is happening on Har Hazeitim today is one of the most remarkable renewals of a holy site in modern Jewish history. This is not maintenance. This is rebirth.

By restoring Har Hazeitim, we are protecting Jerusalem itself. The Mount of Olives is not separate from the city; it is its guardian, its spiritual counterpart, its eternal witness. Securing and sanctifying this mountain strengthens Jerusalem and reinforces our bond to it.

Here lie some of the holiest souls of our people, prophets, sages, leaders, and generations who shaped Jewish destiny, and countless tzaddikim whose presence continue to sanctify the mountain. Jewish tradition teaches that sacred moments unfolded here, from the rites of the Parah Adumah, the belief that Mashiach will first reveal himself on this very mountain to the tradition that Techiat Hameitim will begin here, making Har Hazeitim not only a place of memory, but a place of destiny. To walk among the kevarim today, seeing life, order, and dignity restored, is to witness history unfolding before your eyes.

On February 17–18, this historic rebirth will be marked by a powerful and unforgettable event on Har Hazeitim. The carefully curated itinerary reflects the magnitude of the moment and the national and spiritual importance of this renewal.

Participants will have the rare opportunity to meet with the President and Prime Minister of Israel, members of the Knesset, and other senior and influential lawmakers, gaining firsthand insight into how the restoration and protection of Har Hazeitim strengthens Jerusalem and impacts the future of the Jewish people. These high-level meetings underscore that what is happening on Har Hazeitim is not only sacred—it is strategic and historic.

The program will also include an extraordinary evening at the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem, featuring an elegant and inspiring dinner together with Malcolm Hoenlein, whose lifelong leadership on behalf of Israel and world Jewry adds profound meaning to the gathering.

At the heart of the program will be the inauguration event on Har Hazeitim itself, a deeply moving moment marking the rebirth of one of the holiest places in Judaism. Standing on the mountain, where so much of our past and future converge, participants will witness firsthand how decades of neglect have been transformed into dignity, security, and renewed holiness.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand on one of the holiest places on earth and experience its transformation firsthand. To be part of a moment that future generations will look back on and say: This is when everything changed.

Visitors from around the world are encouraged to come to Israel for this extraordinary occasion, to see, to feel, and to be part of the renewal of Har Hazeitim.

Har Hazeitim is alive again. Its holiness is being restored. Its dignity has been reclaimed. And its future secured.

This is not just the restoration of the glory of a mountain. It is the renewal of our connection to Jerusalem, to our ancestors, and to the eternal story of the Jewish people.

To register for this once-in-a-lifetime event, please visit HarHaZeisim.org or call Eda at 347-888-7516.