Naomi Shemer wrote “Jerusalem of Gold” just three weeks before the Six-Day War, expressing a longing for a Jerusalem under Jordanian control that Jews could not even visit. When IDF paratroopers broke through the Lions’ Gate and reached the Western Wall on June 7, 1967, they were overcome — praying, crying, blowing the shofar. In that raw, unforgettable moment, IDF Chief Cantor Shlomo Goren led the soldiers in spontaneous singing, including Shemer’s song, instantly changing it from a song of longing into one of homecoming.

 

As we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) today, please enjoy this 1:39 video that beautifully captures the emotion of that moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bin-TNz5DKA.