'You made an entire generation love the Land of Israel'

Some 2,000 people, including President Reuven Rivlin, cabinet ministers, members of the Knesset, and prominent national religious rabbis attended the funeral of Rabbi Moshe Levinger on Sunday, honoring the man who was known as the "father of the settlement movement." He was buried at the old Jewish cemetery in the city he became associated with, Hebron.

Levinger passed away at age 80 on Saturday at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. He was frequently called "the sheriff of Hebron," due to the prominent role he had in founding the Jewish community there. Levinger was also among the leaders of Gush Emunim, a movement that was created in the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War with the goal of settling Jews in Judea and Samaria.

Malachi Levinger, the rabbi's son and the current head of the Kiryat Arba-Hebron Local Council, called his father a "trailblazer" in his eulogy.

"You led an entire generation, you made it love the Land of Israel," Levinger said. "But even though you always appeared to be preoccupied with the fate of the people of Israel, you were always a father and made sure your children would get an education. You took care of your family, of mom, of all of us. Today, on Jerusalem Day, we bring you to your final resting place.

"I remember how emotional you would become anytime I mentioned Rabbi [Abraham Isaac] Kook. You were privileged to have been a student in his study hall. You were always a man of truth. You were dedicated to your mission, you were never under time constraints, you knew no limits. You charged forward by yourself, with everyone else following your lead. Your ideology and truth were encoded in your DNA."

President Reuven Rivlin also spoke at the funeral, lamenting the loss of his friend. "Dear Rabbi Moshe, I was acquainted with you and your Jerusalem-based family, a family who had made aliyah from Germany and lived close to us, on the border between the two neighborhoods of Rehavia and Shaare Hesed," Rivlin said. "Your home was imbued with a rare depth of religious study, spirituality and knowledge -- a home that was faithful to both the Torah and science, that paid attention to detail."

Rivlin went on to describe Levinger's political activity, which made him a controversial figure. "Some say you were not a man of consensus," Rivlin said. "That is true. But you always wanted to bring as many people as possible into your tent. From the biblical Valley of Hebron, you sent out a call to your brothers in all other camps. You were sharp and forceful and you did not mince words. You did not seek compromise but you never had any doubt that in order to successfully revive Jewish life from bygone eras you had to create a strong foundation that would resonate with the people in Zion and have them wholeheartedly back the settlement enterprise in Kiryat Arba, which is Hebron."

Rivlin ended with the Jewish blessing of "May your soul be bound in the bond of life."

טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו