Today is Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, when we commemorate the reunification of Jerusalem following the Six Day War in 1967. Today, throughout Israel, there will be a variety of state celebrations and memorials for those who gave their lives to make this reunification possible. Perhaps most significantly—if not famously—the reunification of Israel allowed for Jews to once again access the Western Wall, our holiest site of communal prayer.
Some of my earliest memories are related to Jerusalem: mystical stories told in Hebrew School and at the synagogue about this sacred place, family lore about how my dad’s Bar Mitzvah was almost canceled because it was the week of the Six Day War (thankfully, the war ended before Shabbat and my dad and his family were able to celebrate), and a place that—for me—always held (and still holds) great potential for peace, understanding, and hope, even amidst centuries of strife. And as much as I love my life now, I will always remember the year I lived and studied in Jerusalem to be the best year of my life. It is a place for exploration, for questioning, for growth, for journeying, for connection.
Today, on this Yom Yerusalayim, let us pray for continued peace in the sacred city that holds so many memories for our people and for other peoples of faith. May it be a place for religious exploration rather than rockets. May it be a space for unification rather than estrangement. May our beautiful, imperfect Jerusalem, even amidst its messiness and struggles, always be a symbol for hope.
Yom Yerushalyim sameach v’Shabbat Shalom—may we find strength from the Jerusalem stones, each illuminated with mystical, sacred, powerful, and hopeful light.
—Cantor Emma Lutz