Yair Belachovsky, chairperson and founder of Tel Hai Trustees, speaking at the Jerusalem Post Conference in New York, introduced “The Roaring Lion,” a book that brings the inspirational story of Tel Hai to English-speaking readers worldwide.
“We are gathered here today,” said Belachovsky, “not only to launch a book, but to awaken a story – not only to remember history, but to declare responsibility. There are moments in the history of a people when times seem to stand still, and a pure and unbreakable spirit continues to echo for eternity. Tel Hai was such a moment. It reminds us that the strength of Israel has always begun with the unity of the Jewish people, and it is the internal responsibility of our generation to preserve the unity of Israel.”
Belachovsky, whose grandfather, Zalman Belachovsky, was the youngest defender of Tel Hai and served as the medic who bandaged Josef Trumpeldor’s wounds, explained that he views telling the Tel Hai story as his life’s mission and responsibility. He explained that the story of Tel Hai reminds people that Israel's strength lies in the unity of the Jewish people. “It is the internal responsibility of our generation to preserve the unity of Israel.
“The Battle of Tel Hai was not a glorious victory. It was something greater. It was a moral decision in which the people looked deep into their own souls and asked, ‘Are we here only while it's convenient or do we also remain when it's difficult, deadly and painful? They understood that to abandon Tel Hai meant giving up the future, and that a nation unwilling to pay the price for their freedom may not survive.”
Belachovsky connected the fighters of Tel Hai to today's IDF soldiers. “There is a single truth that binds us across the generations, from the pioneers of Tel Hai to our IDF fighters of today. It is the struggle for a very right to be here and to say it in a clear and unwavering voice. ‘This is our land, this is our home, and we are not going anywhere. The connection between Tel Chai and our own time is not merely symbolic. It is alive. It is vivid and striking.”
This article was written in cooperation with Tel Hai Trustees.