During the 1967 Six-Day War, against all odds, Israel fought for her life on all borders with Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Not only did the fledgling Jewish state survive the onslaught, but it also gained control over Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Sinai Desert, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. I was only 7 at the time, but years later I learned just how significant those six days were.
In the moments after Israel’s miraculous victory, few could know the long-term impacts it would have. That triumph transformed the landscape of Israel and the entire Middle East – and changed the lives of Jews worldwide. Suddenly, returning to the holiest of holy sites – Jerusalem’s Western Wall – stopped being a dream; any Jew today, upon landing at Ben-Gurion Airport, can find him or herself praying at the Kotel within hours. And the Jewish diaspora worried less and could sleep easier knowing that the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces passed the ultimate test, and the state of Israel was here to stay.
I’ve been to Israel 54 times, but my most vivid memory is traveling through the Banias, near Israel’s Mount Hermon, which the IDF’s Golani Brigade captured in the 1967 war.
Fifty years later, the IDF’s brave young men and women still put their lives on the line every day to keep Israel safe. My organization, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, supports well-being and educational programs for these soldiers. Just as the men and women of the IDF protect us, we stand behind them.
On June 7, 1967, Israeli photographer David Rubinger, who passed away in March, took what is regarded as the iconic photo of the Six-Day War. “Paratroopers at the Western Wall” shows three war-weary IDF paratroopers looking up at the Kotel after having just won the battle for Jerusalem.
This month, the FIDF is partnering with the Cleveland Jewish News Foundation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War by reuniting those three paratroopers, Zion Karasenti, Haim Oshri, and Yizhak Yifat, whom Rubinger’s lens turned into unintentional symbols of Israel’s – and the Jewish people’s – miraculous victory. By bringing these heroes to Cleveland, we can take a fresh look back at that crucial historical moment and reconnect us to our core mission of supporting the men and women of the IDF.
We invite you to join us for this wonderful opportunity. To purchase tickets for the “Six-Day War Commemoration Dessert Reception” June 5 at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights or to support FIDF, visit fidf.org/ohio-6-day-war. Funds raised at the commemorative event will go toward FIDF’s educational programs for IDF soldiers. To learn more, visit fidf.org.
Lane Schlessel is the director of the Friends of Israel Defense Forces Ohio chapter.