BEIT HOGLA WITH ERNA KOVASAfter the Six Day War, the yishuvim were founded and flourished. Erna Kovas was part of them. But then came the Oslo Accords and she couldn’t handle the very thought that they were thinking of giving away parts of Eretz Israel, beginning with Jericho. She said she had to do something about it and according to those agreements at the time at least a Jew could go and pray in Jericho’s ancient synagogue. So that’s what she decided she was going to organize.
For the first year and a half after the Oslo agreements her groups came to the machsom - the checkpoint - demanding to go inside Jericho but they were not allowed to enter. But because of Erna’s steadfastness and refusal to give up, the IDF caved in and allowed them to come inside Jericho to go and pray. They even assisted with a garine led by Rabbi Ginsberg every day from Yitzhar to learn in the yeshiva only in the day time. That lasted for 8 years until immediately after the Arabs burnt down Kever Yosef in Shechem, they also burnt down the Shalom al Israel Synagogue in Jericho.
The people said it’s not enough. We also want to spend Shabbat in Jericho. So she told of the famous story of renting a hotel in Jericho and on a Friday they brought the food to the shul, and on Shabbat morning they walked from this hotel they rented with 30 boys to the Shalom al Israel synagogue. On the one side was the Israeli army, on the other side was the Arab so-called police. They arrived to the synagogue and had a wonderful Shabbat. The next week they wanted to have another Shabbat but they weren’t allowed and went to prison. Instead they were allowed to create a yishuv next to Machaneh HaNoam which is now called Mevo'ot Yericho. It is a yishuv basically of 21 families which was established as a result of the banding of entrance into Jericho.
For two years Erna was busy with the new yishuv but her heart was still in Jericho. She said I want to go back to Jericho. So they told her they would bring her back to this Mahane Elisha which we promise you is a 10 minute walk to the south side of the Beit haKnesset, .and you can stay in this Mahaneh Elisha. She was very happy, and was allowed to stay for 7 months until the machatz, the regional officer, changed – sometimes they’re nice, sometimes they’re not nice, depending on their political opinion. So the new guy came in after 7 months and said ‘no more’ this story is over and you’re not allowed to be here anymore.
For 2 months she just sat outside Mahaneh Elisha in a car with her children and said I’m not moving from here. Then came a new guy who said ‘come and I’ll show you another place’ and he brought her here to the location where she now lives. She came in the month of Av – the month of August – quite hot as you can imagine and he said ‘Here you are allowed to remain!’ It was completely empty, a barren desert area. She couldn’t believe it, “What? They’re actually giving me land?” She demanded a generator, a big water tank and a tent. That was 9 years ago.
Shmuel has known Erna for 20 years and he said when Erna goes into Jericho, the Arabs already know her and knows that she belongs there. She knows Jericho like her back pocket and despite the fact that she’s very skinny she’s one great & brave woman!