While you might be getting excited for next week’s Shavuot extravaganza (since when does receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai not count as an extravaganza?), you probably forgot about today’s Jewish holiday–Yom Yerusalayim (Jerusalem Day). It’s easy to forget the day. It’s not mentioned in the Bible, the Talmud or any classic Jewish book. In fact, the holiday has only been around since 1968, when the Israeli Knesset designated the anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, captured in the 6-Day War, to be a national holiday.
With the holiday in mind, I’ve compiled my favorite Jerusalem videos of the moment. Enjoy and chag sameach.
1) Jerusalem Time Lapse Video:
2) Matisyahu–Jerusalem:
3) Jerusalem in 1967:
4) Ofra Haza–Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold):
5) Jerusalem 2111: Last Stand (this one’s a little different…):
Knesset
Pronounced: k’NESS-et, Origin: Hebrew, Israel’s parliament, comprising 120 seats.
Shavuot
Pronounced: shah-voo-OTE (oo as in boot), also shah-VOO-us, Origin: Hebrew, the holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, falls in the Hebrew month Sivan, which usually coincides with May or June.
Talmud
Pronounced: TALL-mud, Origin: Hebrew, the set of teachings and commentaries on the Torah that form the basis for Jewish law. Comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara, it contains the opinions of thousands of rabbis from different periods in Jewish history.
Torah
Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses.
