Rabbis Rice: Yom Yerushalayim

     "This morning, the Israel Defense Forces liberated Jerusalem. We have united Jerusalem, the divided capital of Israel. We have returned to the holiest of our holy places, never to part from it again. To our Arab neighbors we extend, also at this hour, our hand in peace. And to our Christian and Muslim fellow citizens, we solemnly promise full religious freedom and rights. We did not come to Jerusalem for the sake of other peoples' holy places, and not to interfere with the adherents of other faiths, but in order to safeguard its entirety, and to live there together with others, in unity."

- Israeli General Moshe Dayan

     Yesterday marked an important day in the history of the modern State of Israel. It was the 46^th time that the country celebrated Yom Yerushalayim or Jerusalem Day, which marks the reunification of Judaism's most sacred city. Between 1948 - 1967, Jews were barred from entering the Old City of Jerusalem and praying at the Western Wall. Under Jordanian control, the local Arab population provided no religious freedom and permitted Jews no access. The UN did not condemn them, and the world again remained silent, while we Jews remained unable to visit our holy places.

     In 1967, facing war with Syria and Egypt, Israel sent a message to Jordan: " Stay out of this war. We don't want to fight you....we will not attack!" Jordan sent a clear message back by choosing to fight, and subsequently attacking Israel. Like the Egyptians and the Syrians, the Jordanians fell in a matter of a few days. What was known as the West Bank of the Jordan river, was conquered. Jews were once again allowed to touch the sacred stones of the Wall. But Israel did not do what the Arabs prior had done. Though they found our holy places desecrated, Israel protected the Arabs. Centuries old Jewish grave stones were turned into bathrooms, smashed and crumbled, and so Israel rebuilt them. Israelis reunited Jerusalem, while also granting Arabs access to their holy places.

     Today, Israel's capital is anything but united. One of the oldest cities in the world, it is a diverse municipality that is home to over 800,000 people. Sacred to Jews for roughly 3,000 years, the 2000 Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem lists 1204 synagogues, 158 churches, and 73 mosques within the city. Yet despite efforts to maintain peaceful religious coexistence, some sites have been a continuous source of friction and controversy. This is in part due to the fact that Jerusalem is a city of overwhelming emotions. It is a city that promises a religious and spiritual experience every time you visit. And it is the city in which we first met. Have you met her? Have you put your hands on her sacred stones? Consider a journey to our homeland in the next year or two, to experience her for yourself!