Hamas War

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Where Were You? Liberation of Jerusalem, Kotel, Temple Mount 1967

I'll never forget spring 1967. The terrible stress and worry which predated the miraculous Six Days War. culminated in Israel's liberation of Jerusalem's Old City, including the Temple Mount and Kotel, Western Wall.

During those tumultuous weeks I was simultaneously busy with all of the things that American high school students did in their last weeks of school, being that I was about to graduate and finally leave Great Neck. As one of the very few Jewish student activists, busy with NCSY (National Conference of Synagogue Youth,) SSSJ (Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry,) Betar and all the pro-Israel activities I could find, my priorities were very clear to me.

It was hard to be "two places at once," listening to all of the news updates and attending lame duck classes, which no longer had any real purpose. The school administration made it pretty clear that they could take revenge and withhold our diplomas if we had dared to skip classes or even the "Senior Class Beach Day."  At Jones Beach, I went from student to student giving them the opportunity to donate money to Israel via the NCSY Torah Fund. And in class, my friend and I took turns sitting on a gigantic transistor radio which was tuned to a news station, so we could hear the latest from Israel.

But the television newscast I remember best found me babysitting, just across the street from my house. That was when I saw and heard the reports of the IDF liberating the Old City and the Kotel. I can't find it on youtube with the loud crying of the soldiers, which I remember so clearly to this day. As they cried, so did I.

Do you have any memories of that historic and miraculous time? If so, what are they?







7 comments:

angela said...

Remember it well... was only 14 years old at the time... and was in a grocery store with my mom when the news came to us here in the United States...The radio announcer announced that Jerusalem had been taken into control by Jewish soldiers.... and it hit me so hard... hearing this... it was so scary knowing the end was close... I ran out of the store in a blast... knowing Moshiach was coming .... It was wonderful but so scary...

Thank GOD this was in our day... and many of us got to experience it...but not knowing the significance of it at the time...

Mr. Cohen said...

Why do many nations attempt to take the Land of Israel,
especially Jerusalem, away from the Jews?

=====================================
The answers are found in the Jewish Bible,
known as the Tanach in Hebrew and
the “O.T.” (Only Testament) in English:

=====================================
[1] In the Biblical Book of Joshua
(chapter 23, verses 12 to 13), G*D Himself
warns that intermarriage with non-Jews will
cause the Jews to fail in their attempt
to conquer the Land of Israel.

Even worse, G_d also warns that intermarriage
with non-Jews will cause the Jews to be
pushed-out-of the Land of Israel.

=====================================
[2] In the Biblical Book of Jeremiah
(end of chapter 17), the prophet warns that
Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem depends
on Jews observing Shabbat, the Jewish
Sabbath. If the Jews honor Shabbat,
then Jerusalem will be ruled by the Jews forever.

If the Jews DO NOT honor Shabbat,
then the opposite happens [may G*D have mercy].

=====================================
[3] The Biblical Book of Tehillim
[called “Psalms” in English] (chapter 105,
last 2 verses of that chapter) teaches that G*D
gave the Land of Israel to Jews because He
wants Jews to carefully obey His commandments [chukav].

Given what this verse teaches, what will
happen to Jewish control of the Land of Israel,
if Jews fail to obey His commandments?

=====================================
NEW: Was Joshua an Orthodox Jew?

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2018/05/if-joshua-were-alive-today.html

=====================================
NEW: Basic Middle East Facts:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2018/04/basic-middle-east-facts.html

=====================================
NEW: Analyzing Hitler:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2018/04/analyzing-hitler.html

Batya said...

Angela yes such a blessing.
Mr Cohen I think we know the answer

YMedad said...

I was in a foxhole in Moshav Amatzia in the Lachish Region.

Batya said...

And how/when did you hear the miraculous news?

Bucky said...

I was with the first 10 volunteers in Israel at Bar Giora/Mervot Betar. Tel Chai!

Batya said...

Tel Chai!