Friend,
Today, Jews around the world gather together in spirit to celebrate Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day.
For over 2,000 years, the Jewish people prayed and longed to return to Jerusalem. And on a miraculous day, forty-eight years ago, our brave men and women in uniform reunified this most cherished of cities. In the Six-Day War of 1967, 182 IDF soldiers sacrificed their lives in the bloody battle over Jerusalem. These brave souls have left a legacy that will forever be honored by the soldiers who continue to protect and defend Israel today.
For the last 2,000 years, the Jewish people have continuously declared “Next Year in Jerusalem.” This statement exists because until 1967, Jews had no access to their holiest place. Today, each one of us, from different religions, can visit this magical city and touch, smell, and live its history and its present.
Lest we forget, this is because of those soldiers that served so nobly in 1967; on Yom Yerushalayim we honor and salute them. Read the words of Commander and Captain Tamar:
“For most Israelis, Jerusalem Day is simply a holiday that allows us to thank God for our victory in the Six-Day War, and for answering our 2,000-year-old prayer of ‘Next Year in Jerusalem.’ However, I have always felt a deeper, more personal connection to this day. Not only is Jerusalem the city that I call home, but it has long been closely tied to my family, my history, and my legacy, and Jerusalem Day gives me the opportunity to remember and reflect on the significance the Holy City has played on my life.”My family's history in Jerusalem goes back to the very year that this city once again became a safe center for the Jewish people. In 1967, my grandfather Mordy was an officer in the army, in the paratroopers, and had been in reserves when the Six-Day War broke out. My grandfather deeply loved and believed in Israel, so he immediately joined his company to fight in Jerusalem. After the war my grandfather was posthumously awarded the highest decoration of honor for his actions — the Medal of Valor. My father, Noam, was an officer in the police force. My father was an honest man — he followed his truth and acted according to his beliefs. Unfortunately, I didn't get to know him much. He was killed in a terrorist attack — a bus explosion in Jerusalem in 1995, when I was just 5 years old. I don't have memories of him — all of what I know about him comes from co-workers, friends, family, and even his dentist. What I do know with certainty is this: my mother, Einat, lost her father, and thirty years later lost her husband, because of the conflict and danger that surrounds this holiest and most historic of cities. She was left to raise me and my brother in the best way possible by herself, and she is the strongest person I know. These are the three people who had the greatest influence on my life. The love my grandfather had for this country taught me to never take for granted what you have. The morals that my father clung to taught me to always follow my heart. And the strength and perseverance of my mother taught me to always see the good in everything, and that I can do anything I want if I work hard enough."
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MY TWO-CENTS WORTH.-
NOW...LET US HONOR THEIR SACRIFICE BY ANNEXING JUDEA AND SAMARIA. CLEANING EAST JERUSALEM, AS WELL AS OTHER AREAS OF ARABS AND GIVE THEM BACK TO ITS RIGHTFUL OWERS. ALSO TAKE BACK GAZA AND ERECT A NEW GUSH KATIF. AND DO NOT GIVE BACK A SINGLE SQUARE INCH OF OUR SACRED SOIL. AMEN
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