Rabbi Shaul Judelman 

Shaul was raised in the United States and came to Israel in 2000 seeking his people, land, and place while pursuing the question of what happens to the "People of the Book" when they meet their land. While raised in the era and hopes of Oslo, the bus bombs of the 90’s, the violence of the Second Intifada, and particularly the murder of innocents around him made clear to him at the time that there was no partner, and hence no peace process.

At the same time, being a student of Rabbi Menachem Froman (z'l ), who tackled the question of how to pursue the Jewish future in this land, stay true to the Jewish tradition, and yet stay present with reality, opened some doors for Shaul that had been closed by his other experiences.

After beginning to meet and sit with Palestinians in the Gush Etzion region where he lived, Shaul was encouraged to continue the work when both the Israelis and Palestinians found a point of agreement: the situation is getting worse, and both peoples are suffering for it. These first steps led to Shaul's involvement with Eretzshalom, a predecessor to Roots. Shaul was part of the first meeting that evolved into what is now Roots and has been a part of the leadership team since the beginning. He lives in Tekoa with his wife and family and will gladly greet the day when Roots' work becomes obsolete, so that he can return to what he really loves: playing music and farming. We can all dream, can't we?

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