Jerusalem Day

Jerusalem Day ( , Yom Yerushalayim ) is an Israeli national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City in June 1967. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared Jerusalem Day a minor religious holiday to thank God for the 6-day victory and for answering the 2,000-year-old prayer of "Next Year in Jerusalem". The day is marked by state ceremonies, memorial services for soldiers who died in the battle for Jerusalem, parades through downtown Jerusalem, reciting the Hallel prayer in synagogues, lectures on Jerusalem-related topics, singing and dancing, and special television programming. Schoolchildren throughout the country learn about significance of Jerusalem, and schools in Jerusalem hold festive assemblies. The day is also marked in Jewish schools around the world.

Jerusalem Day ( , Yom Yerushalayim ) is an Israeli national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City in the aftermath of the June 1967 Six-Day War . The day is officially marked by state ceremonies and memorial services. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared Jerusalem Day a minor religious holiday to mark the regaining of access to the Western Wall . While the day has lost its significance for most secular Israelis, the day is still very much celebrated by Israel's Religious Zionist community with parades and additional prayers in the synagogue. The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion . Although part of Israeli secular calendar, it has lost almost all meaning for most Israelis. Attempts to revive the day for the Israeli general public have failed miserably. It is an expression of Jewish antagonism and xenophobia, a chance to hold arcane ceremonies of allegiance and to nurture nationalistic and religious myths. As it grows more routine, the day is drowning in a deep yawn of boredom; perhaps it is no coincidence that the only secular groups that celebrate in the streets of Jerusalem - other than religious zealots on parade - are members of the "pioneer" communities, the kibbutzim and moshavim. Change & Renewal: The Essence of the Jewish Holidays, Festivals & Days of Remembrance . At its inception, Jerusalem Day was a glorious day. This feeling was to a great extent bound up with the Six Day War and its outcome, which for a while produced an exalted feeling of release from dread and anxiety to liberation, well-being, and greatness. Over the years, however, the aura of the day has dimmed. The Divided People: Can Israel's Breakup be Stopped? . In the first years after the 1967 war, and the reunification of Jerusalem, this was a holiday for virtually all parts of the nation. [...] Today, as Jerusalem's symbolic value for many of the secular has been flagging, this transformation has been reflected also in the celebration of this day: fewer and fewer secular people still observe the occasion, and it has turned into a festive day of symbolic significance for the religious. Jerusalem Diaries: In Tense Times . Today, the day commemorating the 34th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem was observed by a shrinking portion of the population. [...] Yom Yerushalayim was celebrated mainly by the national religious community. This was apparent at events all over the city. [...] Clearly a majority of those taking part were observant. This was the day of the knitted kipa. It seems that secular Israelis ave tired of expressions of nationalism.

The day is officially marked by state ceremonies and memorial services. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared Jerusalem Day a minor religious holiday to mark the regaining of access to the Western Wall . The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion .

Israeli national holiday This article is about the Israeli national holiday. It is celebrated annually on 28 Iyar on the Hebrew calendar , and is marked officially throughout Israel with state ceremonies and memorial services. A notable celebrations that marks the holiday is a flag-flying parade known as the Dance of Flags . The Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared Jerusalem Day to be a minor religious holiday, as it marks the regaining for Jewish people of access to the Western Wall . The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion .

Israeli national holiday This article is about the Israeli national holiday. It is celebrated annually on 28 Iyar on the Hebrew calendar , and is marked officially throughout Israel with state ceremonies and memorial services. A notable celebration that marks the holiday is a flag-flying parade known as the Dance of Flags . The Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared Jerusalem Day to be a minor religious holiday, as it marks the regaining for Jewish people of access to the Western Wall . The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion .