ISRAELITE SAMARITAN ENTERPRISES SINCE THE 1950s

21 May 2013

Professor Gerhard Wedel of Berlin asks, Benyamim Tsedaka replies:

1. Do Samaritans have, and do they prefer independent entrepreneurship or enterprise?

We have engaged in entrepreneurial activity in order to survive. Naturally, we prefer independent enterprises, for example:

Enterprises In the 1950s

  • significantly for us, establishing the second Israelite Samaritan population centre in Holon
enterprises
Samaritan Choir, Milan
enterprises
Samaritan Choir, Milan

Enterprises In the 1960s

  • building the first Samaritan synagogue in the State of Israel
  • establishing the first Samaritan Newspaper, the bi-weekly magazine A.B The Samaritan News
  • establishing youth clubs in Holon, and also in Nablus
  • publishing the First Comparative Torah, showing the Jewish (Masoretic) and Samaritan Versions  in Hebrew

Enterprises in the 1970s

  • setting up official local councils in Holon and Nablus (later moved to Mount Gerizim) by democratic elections

Enterprises In the 1980s

  • establishing the Kiriat Luza neighbourhood on Mount Gerizim Visit Kiriat Luza
  • then building a large synagogue in Kiriat Luza for the entire community
  • establishing the A.B Institute of Samaritan Studies in Holon
  • building two Community Centres, one in Holon and another in Kiriat Luza
  • establishing basketball teams in Kiriat Luza and also in Holon – the teams play in the Palestinian and Israeli Basketball Associations
  • founding the First Ancient Israelite Samaritan Music Choir see MUSIC. Since its establishment the Choir has performed in the USA, Europe, Israel and South East Asia.
enterprises
Basketball

Enterprises In the 1990s

  • sending a delegation to Saint Petersburg in 1991 to catalogue the 1348 Samaritan Manuscripts of the Firkovitz Collection
  • sending a delegation of Samaritan leaders to the Ministry of State in Washington DC, and also to the White House and the Senate to ensure the political future of the Israelite Samaritans 
  • similarly, establishing contacts with the British Government and Parliament

Enterprises In the 2000s 

  • founding the Mount Gerizim International Peace Centre
  • establishing the Samaritan Medal Foundation
  • later, building a small private Museum on Mount Gerizim
  • then establishing a second synagogue in Holon

Enterprises In the 2010s

  • establishing a Visitor Centre in Kiriat Luza, Mount Gerizim and also helping to establish a National Park on the summit of Mount Gerizim
  • developing the Passover sacrifice yard on Mount Gerizim
  • publishing the First English Translation of the Israelite Samaritan Torah in parallel with the accepted English Translation of the Jewish (Masoretic) Version

2. What about sports? Because I only know of the Samaritan basketball players.

There are the two basketball teams, and internal summer tournaments of Miniball and Basketball on the sports grounds in both neighbourhoods, and a gym in Kiriat Luza.

Benyamim Tsedaka

 

Samaritan HISTORY

 

Choir and MUSIC

 

Samaritan RELIGION

 

Samaritan FESTIVALS

 

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Photography: Ori Orhof

 

Enterprises

 

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