‘…And her face was not sad anymore’ (I Samuel 18)

The Binyamin Region in Judea and Samaria, is home to 46 towns, including Shiloh, one of the most celebrated cities in the Tanach.

Shiloh  “..held a central place in the Biblical history of the Jewish people. During the period between capturing the Land and building the Temple, in the days when Joshua divided the land among the 12 tribes, the Tabernacle resided in Shilo. Until the death of Eli the High Priest, Shilo was the place of pilgrimage for the Children of Israel. Three times a year the faithful traveled to Shilo to bring their festival offerings.” (Wikipedia).

Mainstream American organizations won’t go to Binyamin because “it’s beyond the Green Line.”

They say “it’s a political matter.”

Most of the international community refuse to use the names “Judea and Samaria” and call the region the “West Bank”. They consider Israeli settlements in the area to be “illegal.”

However, name calling didn’t stop members of Palm Beach Synagogue of Palm Beach, FL from visiting in June, 2021 and even joining with Shiloh as a “sister city.”

They returned to Palm Beach and, like Caleb and Joshua, the good spies told the other congregants of the extraordinary beauty of the region and the warm welcome by the residents and officials.

The inhabitants of the Binyamin region seemed to have made a Shangri-la, for lack of a better word, for themselves. They are surrounded by some of the most beautiful nature preserves in Israel. Some residents live on hilltops and can see the Mediterranean from their backyards.

The area is home to Ariel University, Israel’s largest public university, with a 14,000 student body of Jews, Arabs and Christians. The university provides multiple graduate programs and has recently opened Israel’s sixth medical school.

When the Governor of Binyamin, Israel Ganz visited Palm Beach Synagogue this past Shabbat, the Rabbi Moshe Scheiner asked him “How’s the tree we planted?”

“It’s growing!” Governor Ganz replied.