A couple weeks ago Israel commemorated Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), the day in June 1967, during the Six Day War, in which the IDF advanced upon the walls of the Old City to take back control of the city and Temple Mount from the Jordanians. Together with Israel’s Independence Day (May 14, 1948), Yom Yerushalayim stands as a testament to God’s Abrahamic Covenant with Israel.
Israel commemorates special days according to the Hebrew (lunar) calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, the Six Day War began 53 years ago today, June 5, 1967. Though totally out-manned and out-gunned in those early wars, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is one of the world’s most formidable military forces today. Service in the IDF is mandatory for men (3 years) and women (2 years), and the vast majority are keenly proud to serve because they understand what it took to revive (and now defend) their nation.
Here is an example of a proud IDF commander who made a commitment to his grandmother (“savta” in Hebrew), a Holocaust survivor. As we remember Jerusalem Day in honor of our Israeli friends, I hope you are blessed by his story. Enjoy!