Yom Yerushalayim
I spent Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) working. The night before it started (my time), I went over to my computer and opened a browser to view the kotelcam, the camera pointed at the Kotel, recording in real-time.
It was 5:30 a.m. in Jerusalem, and there were throngs of people at the Kotel, davening, and just walking about. What the heck are people doing up at that unearthly hour, let alone sauntering about at the Kotel?! It was wonderful to behold. I watched for a while, not being able to...get any closer than I was. When I woke up the next morning (at the same unearthly hour, I might add), I ran to the computer. It was 2:30 p.m. in Israel, and there were still throngs of people there! I watched, as groups of men formed into circles and began dancing, and as I heard them singing through my speakers (the camera was equipped with a microphone), songs such as "David Melech Yisrael," and others--I felt good, and proud--even though I am so far away.
It is good that we celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem, since we re-captured it in the six-day war of 1967. If we know what's good for us (and ironically, what is good for the Jews will be good for the world; even if they don't know it yet), we will not let anyone, not any Arab country nor PLO nor Iran nor even the United States--take it away from us, to whom it rightfully belongs. Nor will we let anyone divide it ever again.
Jerusalem is the thousands-of-years-old capital of the Jewish people, in their Jewish land, today called Israel--and it will be ours forever.
(The following is the first recording of Naomi Shemer's song, Yerushalayim shel Zahav, or "Jerusalem of Gold." Sung by Shuli Natan, it was recorded in 1967. I think I may even have this rendition on a record we bought after the six-day war, in a box of old records somewhere in our utility room.)
It was 5:30 a.m. in Jerusalem, and there were throngs of people at the Kotel, davening, and just walking about. What the heck are people doing up at that unearthly hour, let alone sauntering about at the Kotel?! It was wonderful to behold. I watched for a while, not being able to...get any closer than I was. When I woke up the next morning (at the same unearthly hour, I might add), I ran to the computer. It was 2:30 p.m. in Israel, and there were still throngs of people there! I watched, as groups of men formed into circles and began dancing, and as I heard them singing through my speakers (the camera was equipped with a microphone), songs such as "David Melech Yisrael," and others--I felt good, and proud--even though I am so far away.
It is good that we celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem, since we re-captured it in the six-day war of 1967. If we know what's good for us (and ironically, what is good for the Jews will be good for the world; even if they don't know it yet), we will not let anyone, not any Arab country nor PLO nor Iran nor even the United States--take it away from us, to whom it rightfully belongs. Nor will we let anyone divide it ever again.
Jerusalem is the thousands-of-years-old capital of the Jewish people, in their Jewish land, today called Israel--and it will be ours forever.
(The following is the first recording of Naomi Shemer's song, Yerushalayim shel Zahav, or "Jerusalem of Gold." Sung by Shuli Natan, it was recorded in 1967. I think I may even have this rendition on a record we bought after the six-day war, in a box of old records somewhere in our utility room.)
Comments
Please forgive me, but what is "JM in the AM?" Also (I'm really feeling stupid now), what's a "droid?" (Is it electronic? -don't tell anyone I asked, ok?!)