This Year Especially, It’s Important for Israelis to Remember the ’35’

This week, my wife said to me, “I’m surprised they haven’t canceled the hike given the ‘situation.'” 

The hike to which she was referring is known in Israel as the “Lamed Hey,” names of the two Hebrew letters whose numerical value is equal to 35. The “Lamed Hey” hike is one in which ninth-grade students are bussed in from all over the country to do a hike overnight which is no doubt equally social as it is historic. Conveniently, the hike’s beginning and end are close to my home so our ninth-grade daughter doesn’t have to take a bus for hours to get there or back.

My four older children all participated in the “Lamed Hey,” and it’s indeed a highlight of their year. But it is also an essential piece of the DNA that makes up the modern nationalism with which we imbue our children. We are proud to see them reflect that in their enthusiastic partition on an all-night hike during what’s typically the coldest and most rainy part of the year.  

Why is this hike called the “Lamed Hey”? What is the significance of 35? Why is it historic? Why do thousands of teens give up a night to hike up barren hills in the Judean Mountains each year? 

The “Lamed Hey” is a re-enactment of a famous hike of the legendary 35 men for whom hike is named. Our kids experience for a night the terrain and weather of a historic event in modern times, and part of our unbreakable bond to the Land. The 35 who made the first hike were on a mission. They did not discover a new path to ascend the Judean Mountains but were soldiers who set out on an all-night operation to bring aid to Jewish communities in the Gush Etzion region during Israel’s War of Independence. The story is documented in this video.

The story begins on Jan. 15, 1948. Thirty-Five men set out by foot carrying heavy backpacks loaded with first-aid supplies, plasma, weapons and ammunition, critical supplies for the embattled Jewish Gush Etzion communities. They were forced to ascend the Judean Mountains’ rocky terrain slowly. They departed before midnight, more than 15 miles from their destination. Other than braving a cold winter night, they first had to bypass a British police station unnoticed and continue through hostile Arab territory.

The 35 walked throughout the night. Toward dawn they approached Zurif, the last Arab village before Gush Etzion, four miles away. The unit was detected and they were attacked. They were deep in hostile territory without any means to call for outside help or reinforcements. As soon as the battle began, the commander realized that they would not be able to break through to Gush Etzion. They quickly split into two and, with one group covering the other, they climbed to the top of what is now known as “Battle Hill,” a strategic defense location.