The Role of Shuvu Banim is to Bring All the Dropouts Back in Teshuvah

Following the destruction of the Mikdash Me'at (small sanctuary/synagogue) and the terrible Chillul Hashem (desecration of G-d's name), in addition to the ongoing harassment against the Shuvu Banim community by the Jerusalem Municipality—a community that for about four years has prayed every single day and every Shabbos (Sabbath) under the open sky, without a permanent building as is rightfully theirs—thousands of community members went out, together with their Rabbis and led by our teacher the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, to protest the Chillul Hashem, the desecration of the Mikdash Me'at, and the trampling of holiness.

The holy words of our teacher, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, from the prayer rally regarding the dismantling of the prayer tent and the Beis Medrash (study hall) - "'And the children shall return to their own border' (Jeremiah 31:16) - this is literal, to return all the children to their border; this is the goal of Shuvu Banim."

The Rav (our teacher, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit”a) blesses the Mayor with all the blessings. We came to bless the Mayor, to wish for him to be the Prime Minister, and to continue the path of Shuvu Banim.

Today everyone says, "And the children shall return to their own border" (Jeremiah 31:16), all the newspapers and all the posters say, "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work... and the children shall return to their own border" (ibid 31:15).

The entire essence of Shuvu Banim is only to bring all of the Jewish people back in Teshuvah (repentance); that is the only goal. Today there are five hundred thousand "dropouts" (youth who have left the religious path), every day there are a thousand new dropouts—the role of Shuvu Banim is to bring all the dropouts back in Teshuvah, and to build here a building of 25 stories. It is possible to give the Municipality building [to us], and we will build here for the Municipality another building in its place.

We want to bring 500,000 back in Teshuvah here; a hundred thousand are in Jerusalem. "And the children shall return" is literal—to return all the children to their border; this is the goal of Shuvu Banim.

We are the legacy of "Gandhi" (Rechavam Ze'evi was a general in the IDF and Minister of Tourism, one of the leaders of the Israeli right and a man of the Greater Land of Israel. He supported encouraging voluntary Arab emigration outside Israel's borders and promoted this view to the public and the Knesset), the compound in Meron (where Shuvu Banim used to light the bonfire) is Gandhi's compound. Gandhi was a regular guest in my home; in that merit, he became the Minister of Tourism; he was meant to be the Prime Minister.

What Gandhi said 50 years ago—to wipe out Gaza and turn it into a sandbox—now everyone understands that Gandhi was right. We came to continue the true legacy of Gandhi. His son was one of the great officers in the Yom Kippur War. 50% of Shuvu Banim were the greatest officers in the army, 90% of Shuvu Banim were in the army—Shuvu Banim has nothing against the army.

Now they took David Zini, who wears a kippah (skullcap), to serve as the head of the Shin Bet (Israel's internal security service); they also want a Chief of Staff with a kippah, then three soldiers wouldn't have to die every day. Just on Thursday, soldiers were killed by one of our own grenades. Soldiers walk with 4 grenades on their belt; I don't understand how they don't explode, I don't grasp it to this day. Friends, in the Lebanon War, one jumped on a grenade and saved 25 people. Also in a migonit (bomb shelter), one jumped on a grenade—and this is all because they don't keep Shabbos (the Sabbath), and everyone wants to keep Shabbos.

Now there is Agam Berger and her mother Merav. Agam started keeping Shabbos in the tunnels [of Gaza]. In captivity, she had to cook on Shabbos, but she did not agree and received a murderous beating because of it. People are returning in Teshuvah (repentance), all the hostages are returning in Teshuvah, all the hostages are keeping Shabbos—we hope they will continue further.

Therefore, one must come to Shuvu Banim; this is the goal of Shuvu Banim—that they only deal with the dropouts.