Toronto to celebrate 40th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification

BY DANIEL HOROWITZ--
UJA FEDERATION--
Forty years ago, on June 11, 1967, Dan Meridor fought as an Israeli Defence Force tank commander with the 7th Brigade in the Sinai during the Six Day War. Merdior was there when the city of Jerusalem was liberated and reunified, ending 19 years of separation between predominantly Arab and Jewish sections of the city.

On June 11 this year, Meridor, a former minister in the Israeli government, and the current chairman of The Jerusalem Foundation, will be the keynote speaker at Jerusalem – Ours to Share, a special celebration at Beth Tzedec Congregation celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the city’s reunification.

“Although I was in the heart of the fighting, I do remember the Wednesday when they announced on the radio, that Jerusalem had been liberated,” Meridor told Jewish Toronto in a telephone interview. “I remember sitting on the tank in the desert, and everyone was in tears. The reunification of Jerusalem was one of the most exciting and moving days of my life. To this day, whenever I cross the Jaffa Gates into the Old City, it is very exciting.” Sponsored by the Canada-Israel Committee and UJA Federation, Jerusalem – Ours to Share –will celebrate the city’s unique place in history for all faiths through music and film.

“This event celebrates the magic and majesty that is Jerusalem,” said UJA Federation board chair David Engel. “Jerusalem is a city that has been revered for thousands of years, a city that symbolizes the yearning for peace of everyone in the Middle East.”

“Jerusalem symbolizes the redemption of Jewish people and Jewish independence,” says Meridor. “Also, it is a beautiful city – over 3,000 years old. It is an impressive combination of modern and old, which is rare. It is a city of diverse population where so many cultures merge with different expectations of what Jerusalem should be.”

Jerusalem – Ours to Share is sponsored by the Canada-Israel Committee, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and the Jerusalem Foundation.