Bat Ayin

Bat Ayin
Hebrew	בַּת עַיִן
Name meaning	Daughter of [the] Eye
Founded	1989
Founded by	Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburg
Council	Gush Etzion
Region	West Bank
District	Judea and Samaria Area
Coordinates	31°39′25.98″N 35°6′8.14″E / 31.6572167°N 35.1022611°E / 31.6572167; 35.1022611Coordinates: 31°39′25.98″N 35°6′8.14″E / 31.6572167°N 35.1022611°E / 31.6572167; 35.1022611
Population	1000
Bat Ayin
Website	http://www.bat-ayin.org

Bat Ayin (Hebrew: בַּת עַיִן‎‎) is an Israeli settlement in Gush Etzion in the West Bank, between Jerusalem and Hebron. It is administered by the Gush Etzion Regional Council.^[1] The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.^[2]

History

Bat Ayin synagogue

Bat Ayin archeology site

Started by seven families, and under the guidance of the Chassidic mystic Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburg, Bat Ayin was established in 1989 as a communal settlement on a hilltop purchased by the Jewish Agency in the early 1900s.^[3]

In 2002, four people from Bat Ayin and Hebron were arrested outside of Abu Tor School, a Palestinian girls' school in East Jerusalem, with a trailer filled with explosives. Three of the men were convicted for the attempted bombing.^[4]

On February 25, 2007, Erez Levanon, a resident of Bat Ayin was found killed by multiple stab wounds. His body was found down the hill from the settlement in a secluded location where he frequently prayed. Security officials arrested two Arab Palestinian teenagers from Khirbet Safa who admitted guilt in connection with the murder, in the nearby village of Beit Ummar^[5][6]On April 2, 2009, a thirteen year old Israeli boy, Shlomo Nativ, was killed and another 7 year old child as injured in the center of the village by an Arab Palestinian wielding an ax. ^[7] The attacker was arrested a few weeks later by Israel's security services.^[8]

On April 8, 2009 clashes occurred between Bat Ayin settlers and Palestinians from the nearby village of Khirbet Safa. According to the IDF spokeswomen soldiers then fired live bullets at the legs of Palestinian stone-throwers, hurting sixteen, one critically.^[9][10]

On May 2, 2009 two off duty Israeli Defense Forces soldiers, and two other residents of Bat Ayin, were arrested by police after an altercation between Bat Ayin residents, the IDF, and residents of the nearby Palestinian village of Khirbet Safa. Two Palestinians were wounded in the course of the events. The incident included rock throwing by both groups of residents. ^{[11][12][13][14]}

On January 28, 2011, a large group of Bat Ayin residents entered the Palestinian village of Khirbet Safa, shooting 2 Palestinians. ^[15] Yousef Ikhlayl, age 17, was shot in the head. He was taken to a hospital in Beit Jala, where he was later pronounced dead.^[16][17] The second Palestinian survived. ^[18]

Demographics

In 2010, the population was about 1,000.^[19] The majority of the residents are religious-zionist and Chardal Jews who adhere to a philosophy that combines spiritual religious life with organic agriculture, with Hasidic Breslov the predominate affiliation. Bat Ayin Orthodoxy is popularly known as "Chavakuk" (Hebrew, חבקו"ק), an acronym for Chabad, Breslov, (Rabbi Abraham Isaac) Kook, and (Shlomo) Carlebach. There is a Chabad Lubavitch community as well.^[20] The Bat Ayin community includes scholars, artists, musicians, builders, farmers, doctors, and writers.^[3][21]

Landmarks

There is a spring near Bat Ayin that is used as a mikvah.^[22] There is also an ancient mikvah from the times of the second Temple that is not in use.^[23]

Education and religious institutions

The Bat Ayin Yeshiva is an institution of advanced Jewish learning for men offering two main programs: a Beit Midrash study program and a Smicha program for rabbinical ordination.^[24]Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin offers women's programs, a conversion program and seminars. ^[21]

The rabbi of Bat Ayin is Daniel Kohn who holds a BA in Comparative Religion from Columbia University and received rabbinic ordination from Chief Rabbinate of Israel. He co-founded the Bat Ayin Yeshiva and served as co-Rosh Yeshiva for nine years.^[25]

See also

• Bat Ayin ax attack

References

External links

• Yishuv Bat Ayin Community Website
• Yeshivat Bat Ayin
• Berot Bat Ayin
• Ferency Winery