August 21, 1997 (18th of Av) marks the 68th anniversary of the 1929 riots that plagued Eretz Yisrael. Jews were murdered throughout the land, but especially in Hebron. Suprisingly, the Jewish Community of Hebron had a close relationship with the Arabs, to the extent that Arabs spoke Yiddish and Ladino along with Arabic. The Jewish Quarter had been founded 450 years earlier. The Hagana arrived in Hebron in August 20,1929, and requested to leave weapons, which the Jews refused, stating that Hebron's Arabs were friendly. The following day, tens of Arabs in cars from Jerusalem falsely notified the Arabs of Hebron that the Jews of Jerusalem were murdering them. Amin el-Hussainei, grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who later planned with Hitler the extermination of the Jews of Palestine, was responsible for these lies. A mass of frenzied Arab rioters proceeded towards the (Hebron) Yeshiva. The hour was late and it was nearly Shabbat. For this reason the study hall was empty, with the exception of two people: the custodian and one student, Shmuel Rosenhaltz, from Lita. He was already dressed in his Shabbat clothing, and was studying his daily lessons. When the murderers appeared at the entrance to the Yeshiva, their faces full of madness and their eyes shining like those of wild animals, holding knives and daggers, the Yemenite custodian managed to jump into a water pit and hide there. Rosenhaltz, continued concentrating on his Gemara, totally unaware of the impending danger. Suddenly, hundreds of stones flew into the Yeshiva. A large stone hit Rosenhaltz in the head, stunning him. Blood poured from the wound onto the pages of the Gemara. In shock, he stood and ran towards the door. Within moments he was stabbed by tens of Arabs. He fell on the Yeshiva floor, lying in his blood, the first victim of the Arab mob. An English officer declared: "All Jews should remain in their houses on Shabbat, and shouldn't be seen outside. I am responsible for their lives. That Shabbos, hundreds of Arabs surround Eliezer Dan Slonim's house. (Slonim was the great grandson of Menucha Rachel [Schneerson] Slonim, grand daughter of the "Admor HaZaken - "Ba'al HaTania.") They charged the house in fury. The air shook with screams from unspeakable atrocities. Over seventy people sought refuge here, including Yeshiva students, and family members, who thought this to be the most secure place in Hebron. For Eliezer Dan Slonim was highly esteemed by the Arabs. He was the director of the local English-Palestine bank whose many clients were Arabs, and was the sole Jewish member of the Hebron Municipal Council. He had many friends among the Arab elders and they had promised to protect him. Therefore, many families gathered at his home, for fear of the Arab mobs, hoping to find here refuge and safety. Wrapped in their prayer shawls and full of fear, the men stood and prayed in awe, morning Shabbos services. Several watched the massacre at the Borland house. Suddenly the house exploded with the sound of broken glass. Yeshiva students moved furniture to the front door to prevent it from being forced open. For over fifteen minutes the sound of metal bars and axes pounding at the door filled the air, along with the horrid screaming of the people inside. Suddenly a hole appeared in the door. Gunshots thundered. Mr. Vilanski is hit in the face and badly hurt. A bullet hits a yeshiva student, Yisrael Mordechai Kaplan, killing him. Voices screaming "Shema Yisrael" fill the house. The murders enter the house through the door on the roof. The front door is forced open. Eliezer Dan Slonim shoots from his pistol. A metal bar splits open his head, his weapon flying from his hand. Death screams fill the house. Of course, the British police stood by the entire day and did almost nothing. Most of the police were unarmed. Towards evening, two Arabs approached an English policeman on horseback. Feeling threatened, he removed his gun from its holster and fired into the air. Hearing the gunshots, the Arab mobs immediately dissipated. The riot came to an end. Sixty seven Jews were killed and hundreds wounded. The survivors were herded into the basement of the police station at Beit Romano and left their for three days. The Arabs rampaged their houses, stealing and destroying Jewish property, undisturbed. A minyan of 10 men were allowed to participate in the funeral for the murdered Jews, held at night, in the ancient Jewish cemetery in Hebron. After three days the Jews were loaded onto cars and sent to Jerusalem, exiled from their homes, the city of the Patriarchs. For the first time in hundreds of years, Hebron had no Jewish residents.