Jerusalem: The City of Peace

Jerusalem, the city of peace, has been the most treasured city of the Jewish people for thousands of years. However, Jews had largely been barred from entering the city and visiting their holiest sites by the Holy City’s various rulers, until 1967. When Israel miraculously won the Six-Day War, Jerusalem was liberated and unified under Israel’s sovereignty. Since then, people of all faiths and backgrounds have been able to visit their holy sites freely.

On Sunday evening, our Jewish friends in Israel will begin celebrating Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day. The newest holiday on the Hebrew calendar, Yom Yerushalayim—Jerusalem Day—commemorates this significant moment. Jews in Israel show solidarity with their most precious city by making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. While the holiday is not widely observed by Jews living outside Israel, nonetheless it has become a recognized celebration within the Jewish state. It is common to quote Psalm 122:3 on Jerusalem Day which refers to Jerusalem as a “city that is bound firmly together” (ESV)— a united city.