Yom Yerushalayim at SFW

On Yom Yerushalayim, we were treated to a variety of shiurim each one intended to amplify and highlight a different component of this special day. 

The day began with a powerful sicha from Lt. Colonel (res.) Tzvi Kasspi about personal recollections growing up in the Old City of Jerusalem, joining the army and fighting for the IDF in 1967 as part of the brigade that secured Latrun. His stories were sometimes painful, especially when he recounted the losses his unit incurred during the fighting. But his narrative was primarily uplifting. For example, describing what it felt like to witness the reunification of Jerusalem, was particularly unforgettable. Mr. Kasspi has lived in, worked with and fought for Sha’alvim since 1955.

We were also treated to a shiur from Rabbi Assaf Bednrash (Ruth Buchbinder Mitzner Chair in Talmud and Jewish Law at YU’s Gruss Israel campus and husband of our very own Mrs. Leora Bednarsh) about the unifying power of Yerushalayim in Halacha and Machshava. Through detailed sources, Rav Bednarsh wove a philosophical perspective of Yerushalayim and the mikdash and the kedusha that still pervades our holy city and holy land! 

Lastly, we heard a sicha from Rabbi Yamin Goldsmith outlining the historical and geopolitical context of the Six Day War. The sicha also highlighted a few of the miraculous events of the war and their ramifications. The sicha concluded by looking at the sacrifices that were made by our brave soldiers 45 years ago. We looked at one person in particular, the medic Shlomo Epstein and the person he saved, Yosef Chaguel, whom Rabbi Goldsmith had the privilege of meeting.   

The day continued by joining the more than 50,000 people who came to the streets of Yerushalayim to celebrate this wonderful day!