Jewish communities around the world marked Yom Yerushalayim earlier this week. It is a minor holiday all things considered and, in some places, hardly acknowledged at all. Jerusalem Day celebrates the unification of Jerusalem, which took place at the conclusion of the Six-Day War in June of 1967. This war shaped – and continues to shape – the landscape of Israel geographically, politically, religiously and socially. Maybe you remember the history: Israel was engaged in a fight for its survival from the moment David Ben Gurion declared statehood in 1948. During that gruesome effort, which claimed 1% of Israel’s population, Israel lost East Jerusalem and the West Bank. (The West Bank of course refers to the western bank of the Jordan River). Incidentally, Israel also gained significant land, such as Jaffa and Gaza, which they had not previously held.

As a result of the War of 1948, for nineteen years, Eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank were controlled by the Jordanians. They destroyed nearly sixty synagogues in East Jerusalem and desecrated Israeli cemeteries, including the venerated Mount of Olives. Many of us know the stories of displaced peoples yearning to come back to their homes one day, as was the case at Kibbutz Kfar Etzion, among other sites all throughout the region.

When Israel’s neighbors attacked nineteen years later, attempting to decimate Israel outright, the still-nascent IDF held its ground, repelling armies from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. At the end of the fighting, not only was Israel still standing, but it had taken back East Jerusalem and the West Bank, which would heretofore be considered disputed territories. Taking back East Jerusalem meant, among other things, that Israel had access to the Western Wall once more. Maybe you’ve seen grainy black and white pictures of soldiers and families praying there for the first time. The Wall was and is a place of high symbolism for our people, the retaining wall outside the great Temple that stood until the year 70 AD. The Wall speaks to our survival, our fortitude and also our centuries old relationship with Jerusalem.

Should Israel revert to the “pre-1967 borders” for the sake of peace? What would it mean if East Jerusalem and the West Bank were no longer Israeli? Should they be part of a new nation, called Palestine, along with the Gaza Strip? What would that mean for both peoples? Might it lead to civility? Are we truly “occupying” those lands or are they rightfully Israeli? (Would you say the same about the long list of other nations that came to claim their lands through war?)

I point all of this out for a few reasons. One, it’s a reminder that Israel’s past is tricky and highly layered. It’s not easy. It’s not simple. It’s far from straightforward. Anyone who claims to have an easy answer is either highly misguided or lying.

I also point it out because we have an obligation to know the story. In an age of Tik Tok and lazy talking points, we have a responsibility to know our past.

I also point it out to note that there are always competing narratives. I have no doubt that Palestinian faith leaders would offer a different explanation as to how the current situation in the West Bank and Gaza came to be. History is never monolithic. It is often told by the victors, but this does not mean there’s only one version of the story to tell. Let’s challenge ourselves to view things from as many vantage points as possible (in all things).

I pray for more peaceful days for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. I pray that the 58 remaining hostages will be returned home very soon. I pray that, in the words of our tradition, ‘nation will no longer lift up sword against nation, nor learn any more of war.’

PLEASE join us for Friday night services as we welcome a terrific group of young Israeli scouts. Their music and presence will no doubt be wonderful and highly moving.