Shavuot at the Kotel in 1967
Was it really true? Were our soldiers standing at the Kotel? Had I really heard Rav Goren recite sheheheyanu and blow the shofar there? And could I be there too?
- Gabi Tzav
- ג' סיון התשע"ו
פלאש90
I had lived the incredible tension leading up to the Six Day War: the fear of death and destruction and the unknownduring the war, and then the elation at its fast end with the capture of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The pinnacle, of course, was the liberation of the Kotel Hamaaravi. It had been in the hands of the Jordanians for 19 years, during which Jews couldn’t even merit a glimpse of the place from which the Shechina had never moved.
It was surrealistic. Shavuot was coming up. And it didn’t take long before the barriers that had divided Jerusalem came down. Earth movers came and cleared the concrete blocks that had been the demarcation line between the old and the cities. The narrow passage at the Kotel was widened to accommodate all those that would come to pray. And they did and I did, too, along with some 200,000 others.
The throngs started coming early that morning -- those who wanted to daven netz-- and thousands followed. My friends and I strode down a narrow path lined with soldiers (one of our group’s leaders among them) who directed us through the former no-man’s land below the Yemin Moshe neighborhood up Mt. Zion through Shaar Haashpot. The foot traffic was one-way only. From there we were led to the Kotel. . . allowed to stay a few brief moments, cry a few tears and say a few prayers and then steered out of the Old City back into familiar territory.
Reminiscent of the aliya leregel during the time of the Beit Hamikdash, there were representatives of the entire Jewish people in the crowd. I truly can’t describe our euphoria, the tears, the prayers, we were really like dreamers. We had witnessed countless miracles during the war and being at the Kotel was our reward. And we knew then and there that Jerusalem was home and it has been mine ever since.
Many of even the most-jaded Israelis used the word “miracle” when speaking about this war. Were talking about mashiach being at hand. Were sure that the Arabs had taken such a beating that they truly would never start up with mighty Israel again. G-d had other plans. . .There have been quite a few wars since. And mashiach is still on his way.
The pinnacle, of course, was the liberation of the Kotel Hamaaravi. It had been in the hands of the Jordanians for 19 years, during which Jews couldn’t even merit a glimpse of the place from which the Shechina had never moved.
It was surrealistic. Shavuot was coming up. And it didn’t take long before the barriers that had divided Jerusalem came down. Earth movers came and cleared the concrete blocks that had been the demarcation line between the old and the cities. The narrow passage at the Kotel was widened to accommodate all those that would come to pray. And they did and I did, too, along with some 200,000 others.
The throngs started coming early that morning -- those who wanted to daven netz-- and thousands followed. My friends and I strode down a narrow path lined with soldiers (one of our group’s leaders among them) who directed us through the former no-man’s land below the Yemin Moshe neighborhood up Mt. Zion through Shaar Haashpot. The foot traffic was one-way only. From there we were led to the Kotel. . . allowed to stay a few brief moments, cry a few tears and say a few prayers and then steered out of the Old City back into familiar territory.
Reminiscent of the aliya leregel during the time of the Beit Hamikdash, there were representatives of the entire Jewish people in the crowd. I truly can’t describe our euphoria, the tears, the prayers, we were really like dreamers. We had witnessed countless miracles during the war and being at the Kotel was our reward. And we knew then and there that Jerusalem was home and it has been mine ever since.
Many of even the most-jaded Israelis used the word “miracle” when speaking about this war. Were talking about mashiach being at hand. Were sure that the Arabs had taken such a beating that they truly would never start up with mighty Israel again. G-d had other plans. . .There have been quite a few wars since. And mashiach is still on his way.
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