I can’t let Jerusalem Day pass without a few observations. One is my constant sense of awe at the hand of G-d during the 67 war and reunification of Jerusalem.
This is just a wonderful movie and only 8:29 long and it’s loaded with real footage and excellent commentary.
The ending of the movie is one of the things that always brings me to tears, Motta Gur announcing Har HaBeit B’Yadanu. The Temple Mount is in our hands.
The next observation is the joy of the people in Jerusalem celebrating it, carrying flags, dancing and singing. Only 15 seconds long.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/goHP8BtdBUQ
Next observation, which is not exactly positive, is how some media outlets such as WION, Indian and of course everyone’s favorite Qatari propaganda outlet Al-Jeezera label the people celebrating with flags and dancing as far right extremists…However much you hate the media? It’s not enough.
To further prove my point, as Jews walked through Jerusalem to the beginning of the parade point, some Arabs fortunate enough to live in Israel where they enjoy a higher standard of living than in Gaza or the Falestinian Authority controlled areas decided to show their appreciation by throwing things at the Jews. You’ll note please, Newsweek captions this as “Jewish Nationalists and Palestinians throw chairs at each other”. The Jews walking through Jerusalem are “nationalists” and the falestinians are what? Innocent inciters of violence? Newsweek chose not to label them. An actual NEWS source might think to themselves, hmmm so the Jews were walking through Jerusalem carrying chairs with them on their way to a parade? But such is the state of the “news media” today. Which is why I’m happy as a little clam that Israel is suing the New York Slimes who chose to report a story with zero fact checking. I know, for the Slimes, it’s business as usual, but they really deserve the lawsuit. About 30 seconds
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rLEozuGCE0A
But since the first video contains the lines I so love to hear, I’ll leave you with a different video, it’s done by The Temple Institute, I’ve actually been in their office in Jerusalem. If you want to know more about the six day war, they have a six day war reflections page. If you check out their study tools tab, you’ll see they have many topics to choose from.
So today, I was barely snarky at all, instead just appreciating the joy and miracle of a reunified Jerusalem. Shimshon and I are going to suspend our ongoing Chuck Norris movie marathon to instead watch a movie about the six day war with real footage and individual stories of miracles that happened during the war. And we will feel gratitude and awe. Well, I will anyway.
I know in my heart that Shimshon does too.
He was impressed. “In Our Hands”, the name of the movie, had a been section on the battle for ammunition hill. It was a very hard fought battle that cost many lives, but there were many miracles as well. I suspect he thought it similar to a Chuck Norris movie, but the miracles were real. As was my sense of awe. It had many many clips of video footage from the actual events as well as modern re-enactments. And of course, my favorite Motta Gur quote as well as many quotes and information on Rabbi Shlomo Goren, the Brigadier-General who sounded the shofar after the Western wall was liberated and helped liberate Machpelah, the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hevron.
More important than Yom HaAtzma’ut.
True, the modern State was, and is, a stream of miracles. But, the return of Yerushalayim to the PEOPLE of Israel, was, and is, a beam of light from the Upper Worlds, to illuminate our purpose.
May we merit the opportunity to take up the yoke, draw neared to HaShem, and provide a signpost to the Nations.
I think in some ways, the re-establishment of part of the state of Israel, though it has not yet met the boundaries set in Torah, was the return of Yerushlayim. Though I’m sure in some circles that statement would be gasoline. But for me, I still think that the boundaries G-d set are the ones he meant and he can do anything he wants any time he wants. Israel>Yerushalayim>Beit Hamikdash….בקרוב…soon. Please!