JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Thousands of worshippers entered the compound of Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem overnight Tuesday in honor of the Yarzheit of Yosef, marking the beginning of the Hebrew month of Tammuz. The visit was coordinated with the assistance of volunteers from the Joseph’s Tomb and Holy Sites Administration of the Samaria Regional Council and under the protection of IDF forces.

Among the worshippers were Esti and Shalom Yaniv, whose sons, brothers Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, were murdered in a terrorist attack in nearby Huwara in 2022. The family held an upsherin (first haircut ceremony) for their nephew, Yagel Menachem, at the site. The ceremony was accompanied by Rabbi Shalom Arush. Family members said they chose to hold the event specifically at Joseph’s Tomb as a symbol of continuity, faith, and choosing life, in a holy place that, in their view, more than any other expresses the deep connection of the Jewish people to their land and heritage.

Also participating in the visit were Brig. Gen. Kobi Heller, Col. Ariel Gonen, Lt. Col. Elitzur Trabelsi, Rabbi Yossi Elitzur, Rabbi Yehuda Leibman, and Eliyahu Gafni.

קבר יוסף הצדיק pic.twitter.com/L5GrMt8BPG

— תורת לחימה III (@toratlechim) June 15, 2026

הלילה: קבר יוסף הצדיק בשכם pic.twitter.com/CFuR4nSW9a

— תורת לחימה III (@toratlechim) June 15, 2026

Particularly noticeable was the presence of groups of mothers whose sons had been wounded in combat. Led by Rebbetzin Rachel Bazak, they came to pray and cry out at the tomb of Joseph the Righteous. Together with the large crowd, the mothers prayed for the complete recovery of their sons and of all wounded IDF soldiers.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan said:”We are here today on the holy day marking the commemoration of Yosef Hatzadik. We come here not as private individuals, but as representatives of the entire people of Israel and in the name of the entire nation. We come to this holy place, to the resting place of Yosef, and pray to the Holy One, Blessed be He, that through the merit and power of Yosef Hatzadik, He will bless the Israel Defense Forces and the security services and grant great success to the army and its commanders.

“From here we send wishes for a full recovery to all the wounded and all the sick.

“From here we also strengthen the Government of Israel, that it should draw courage and spirit from Yosef Hatzadik and know how to stand firm even against the most powerful and important leaders of the nations of the world. It must speak the truth, follow the path of God, and act in the spirit of Calev Ben Yefune and Yehoshua Bin Nun, the successors to Yosef’s path, who are also buried here in Samaria. They stood against the entire world and against the entire nation and declared: ‘We shall surely go up and possess it, for we are certainly able to do so.’

“May the Holy One, Blessed be He, grant us the merit to inherit the entire Land of Israel, defeat our enemies, and strengthen all our soldiers wherever they may be.”

In recent days, the Joseph’s Tomb Administration of the Samaria Regional Council carried out extensive renovations to the study hall adjacent to the tomb, in cooperation with Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva, which was based there until the abandonment of the site in October 2000.

Representatives of the yeshiva welcomed the move and said: “Thank G-d, we are taking another step toward the full return of the yeshiva to its natural place at Joseph’s Tomb. We call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order the permanent return of the yeshiva to the tomb compound even before the elections.”