Israel Commemorates "Jerusalem Day," Celebrating the Unification of Jerusalem in 1967

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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Chapter: Jewish holidays: Israel Commemorates "Jerusalem Day," Celebrating the Unification of Jerusalem in 1967 Posted: 26 May 2014  Paratroopers at the Western Wall, 1967  (Israel Government Press Office) David Rubinger's iconic 1967 picture of Israeli paratroopers at the Western Wall is one of the most famous pictures in modern Jewish history. The photo was taken just hours after the Israel Defense Forces captured Jerusalem's Old City during the Six-Day War after the Jordanian army fired on the Jewish half of the city. Israel Daily Picture has discovered that the Western Wall has been a magnet for Jewish soldiers over the last century. We present these pictures for "Yom Yerushalayim" which begins Tuesday evening.  Austrian Jewish soldiers at the Western Wall.  The Austrian and German armies were allied with the Turkish army  during World War I, 1915 (Harvard Library/Central Zionist Archives). The  photographer, Ya'akov Ben-Dov, moved to Palestine from Kiev in 1907. He was drafted into  the Ottoman army during World War I and served as a photographer in Jerusalem Jewish soldiers from the British Army after the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917 (Wikipedia)   Two British soldiers, presumably Jewish, at the Western Wall during a major snow storm in 1921 (Library of Congress)

Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day is May 28, 2014

Yom Yerushalayim 

- Jerusalem Day

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Jewish Holidays: Table of Contents | Upcoming Dates | Festivals in Israel

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Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day in Herbew) is the anniversary of the liberation and unification of Jerusalem under Jewish sovereignty that occurred during the Six Day War. It is one of four holiday (in addition to Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, andYom HaAtzmaut) that were added to the Jewish calendar in the 20th century. Yom Yerushalayim is celebrated on the 28th of the month of Iyar (one week before Shavuot).

David Rubinger's famous photograph of IDF soldiers after liberating the Kotel (Western Wall) in June 1967

The liberation of Jerusalem in 1967 marked the first time in thousands of years that the entire city of Jerusalem, the holiest city in Judaism, was under Jewish sovereignty. The destruction of Jerusalem was a watershed event in Jewish history that began thousands of years of mourning for Jerusalem, so, it follows, that the reunification of Jerusalem should be a joyous celebration that begins the process of reversing thousands of years of destruction and exile. Jerusalem is central to the Jewish tradition. Jews face in the direction of Jerusalem and all of the prayer services are filled with references to Jerusalem.

The observance of Yom Yerushalayim outside of the city cannot compare to its celebration in reunited Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, thousands of people march around the city and walk through the liberated Old City, where Jews were denied access from 1948 to 1967 while it was under Jordanian control. The march ends at the Kotel (Western Wall), one of the ancient retaining walls surrounding the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site. Once everyone gets to the Kotel, there are speeches and concerts and celebratory dancing.

Rare in the Jewish liturgy, a festive Hallel is recited during the evening prayers. This practice is only done on the first night (and, outside of Israel, on the second night) of Passover and Yom HaAtzmaut. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared that the holiday version of Pseuki d'Zimra and Hallel should be recited. According to the major religious Zionist halakhists (decisors of Jewish law), even those who do not recite the blessing over Hallel (psalms of praise) on Yom HaAtzmaut should recite it on Yom Yerushalayim because the liberation and reunification over the entire city of Jerusalem is said to be of an even greater miracle than Jewish political sovereignty over part of the land of Israel.

Many religious leaders also hold that the mourning restrictions of 33 days of the omer are lifted on Yom Yerushalayim for those who observe them after Lag B'omer. In the Progressive (Reform) community in Israel, the prayerbook notes that Hallel should be recited on Yom Yerushalayim but the Masorti (Conservative) prayerbook does not. The American Conservative siddur Sim Shalom mentions that Hallel is recited "in some congregations" on Yom Yerushalayim. When it is celebrated in liberal Jewish communities the commemoration tends to include special programs on Jerusalem and festive celebration.

Despite the fact that the religious Zionist community in Israel holds that Yom Yerushalayim is even more important than Yom HaAtzmaut, the non-Orthodox diaspora Jewish community generally does not observe Yom Yerushalayim. This may be because the holiday makes politically liberal Jews uncomfortable as the status of Jerusalem in the international community is debated, and the international community does not recognize the liberation and restoration of Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem as valid.

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Sources: Yom Yerushalayim," WUJS; "Overview: Yom Yerushalayim," My Jewish Learning

Website: Jewish Virtual Library

Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) in Israel - May 8, 2013

Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) in Israel

Quick Facts

Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) is the anniversary of Jerusalem's reunification.

Name

Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day)

Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) 2013

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) 2014

Wednesday, May 28, 2014
List of dates for other years

Yom Yerushalayim, also known as Jerusalem Day, commemorates Jerusalem's reunification in 1967. This day begins on 28th day of the month of Iyyar in the Hebrew calendar.

Yom Yerushalayim is a public holiday in Israel but is observed by many Jewish people worldwide.

What do people do?

Throughout the world, including the United States, Zionist Jews mark Yom Yerushalayim with a range of events. These include: recitations of the Hallel prayer for praise and thanksgiving in synagogues; street parades, parties, singing and dancing; special meals; and lectures on the history and future of Jerusalem and Zionism. In Jerusalem, a public reception by the mayor of Jerusalem, state ceremonies and memorial services for those who died in the Six-Day War are also held. In Israel, some people mark the occasion by traveling or even hiking to Jerusalem. Non-Zionist Jews and Arabs may see the day as one of mourning and wear black or fly black flags.

Public life

Yom Yerushalayim is a public holiday in Israel. It is not a public holiday in countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States. However, many Jewish organizations may be closed or offer a limited service so special events can be held.

Background

After Israel declared its independence in 1948, it was attacked by the neighboring Arab countries, resulting in the Arab-Israeli War. At the end of this war, the city of Jerusalem was divided. Israeli forces controlled most of the city and East Jerusalem, including the Old City, was controlled by Jordanian forces. The Old City was important for strategic and religious reasons, as many sites of religious importance are in this part of the city. These include: the Dome of the Rock and al-Asqa Mosque (Muslims); the Temple Mount and the Western Wall or Kotel (Jewish); and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Christian).

On June 7, 1967, one day into the Six-Day War, Israeli forces captured the old city of Jerusalem. This resulted in the reunification of Jerusalem as part of Israel. According to the Hebrew calendar, it was the 28th day of the month of Iyar in the year 5727 and the anniversary of this date is known as Yom Yerushalayim or Jerusalem Day.

The 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem was in 2007. The slogan for the celebrations in this year translates as "Something special for everyone", with a play on the Hebrew words for "special" and "united". A special logo representing the number 40 and the city walls was presented and the approach to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv was decorated with blue lighting.

The anniversary of the reunification of the city of Jerusalem under Israeli control is not celebrated by everybody. Many Muslims and non-Zionists or Orthodox Jews see Jerusalem Day as an occasion for mourning. They may mark this with parades or special prayers on the same day as Yom Yerushalayim or on the Day of Quds on the last Friday of the Islamic month of Ramadan.

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/israel/yom-yerushalayim