On Wednesday morning, 1,500 English-speaking olim (immigrants to Israel) participated in a festive Jerusalem day musical prayer.
The event was run by OU Israel in conjunction with the Jerusalem municipality, to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the liberation of Yerushalayim in the Six Day War. It was attended by Executive Vice President of the OU Rabbi Moshe Hauer, who came from New York; Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Arie King; Director of the Israel Heritage Department of the Jerusalem municipality, Yehuda Naftali; and Executive Director of OU Israel, Rabbi Avi Berman.
The prayers were led by Rabbi Noam Koenigsberg at the Haas Promenade in Armon Hanatziv, which overlooks the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. This year is the ninth year that OU Israel has held this special event, one of the organization’s many programs throughout the year to help English-speaking olim have successful absorption experiences.
Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Executive Vice President of the OU, commented: “Fifty-seven years ago, with G-d’s kindness, we merited the liberation of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) and the return of the Jewish people to the Old City and the Kotel (Western Wall)."
"Today, we stand here at the Armon Hanatziv Promenade from where we can see the location of the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple) and we thank G-d for the victory of the Six Day War, and we pray that with His help we will win this war. May it be that next year we will be able to pray together with those who had been taken hostage and with all of Klal Yisrael (nation of Israel) at the Holy Temple."
Rabbi Avi Berman, Executive Director of OU Israel, added: "I stand and look at the city of Yerushalayim during this festive prayer and see three things that deeply move me."
"First, the site of the Temple that we all pray will be rebuilt soon. Second, the skyline of Yerushalayim and all the cranes building the city, reminding us of the verse 'G-d builds up Yerushalayim; He gathers the dispersed of Israel.' Third, to see over 1,500 people in the crowd, including so many recent olim, who all came today to give thanks for this miracle of the ingathering of exiles. This is an uplifting time for me every year."