MC: good evening everyone, welcome to the ‘Yom Yerushalaim’ celebration.

This year we are celebrating 42 years of the reunification of Yerushalaim.

 You are about to have a journey in time meeting different people at different important times in the history of the Jewish nation and Yerushalaim.

So plz fasten your seat belt and enjoy…

Nitzanim  -  Avraham

            Opening – reading from Bereshit 23. – The commandment to take Yitzchak…

Yitzchak: so dadi where we going to?

Avraham: we are going to the place Hashem will show us.

Y: yes I heard that but where it is?

A: son I don’t know, all I know is that Hashem said that he will show me.

Y: o.k. dad so why we going this way and not the other way?

A: well son I do have a feeling where the place is about, but I don’t sure yet.

Y: come on Dad you know more then you telling me. You know where we are going.

A: I have to admit that this is true I know more then I tell you but you have to believe me that all I have been told about the location is to go to the land of Moria to one of the mountains.

Y: I understand, you been told to go to the land of Moria and on one of the mountains you will need to do what?

A: That what I don’t really open about with you. I need to scarifies some thing there

Y: what we will scarify there? we didn’t take any ram or goat with us.

A: we will see when we will get there, my son, my son.

Stranger: hey guys where are you going?

Y: we don’t really know, father been told to go to the land of Moria so we are going. We are walking for two days and we are still walking.

S: who is this fine boy walking with you?

A: this is my son Yitzchak and we are going on o journey to the land of Moria

S: I wish you good luck. And long life.  

A: thank for the wishes, about the long life I am not so sure (whispering to the stranger) see, I am going to scarify him to g-d.

S: so you probably going to Mt. Moria this is the most holy place in the area.

Y: Is that true dad?

A: It is the most holy place indeed.

Y: why that?

S: On one of the mountain there is the foundation stone, the place where from Hashem started to create the world

Y: so how far is that?

A: one more day.

S: but how will you know on which mountain, there are so many of them.

A: Hashem said that he will tell me.

Y: that is so cool, we are going to the most holy place in the world, and I need to tell that to Ima (mum).

            MC:  reading verses from Bereshit (the end of the story.

Slideshow – Ir David

Ariel - King David

David: well friends we succeeded, all of Israel except me as the king, now we need to decide where we will build our capital. Any suggestions?

Minister of defence: I think we should stay in Hebron our army is well prepared here and all the soldiers are familiar with the area.

Minister of tourism: I think we should put it some where in the north where it’s green and  have plenty of water, you will see lots of people will come.

The Prophet: I think you should choose Jerusalem it is the most holy place in the world.

Minister of defence: but we will need to conquer it from the Jobsites, who control it and I don’t think that another war it is good idea.

Minister of agriculture: and also there is a water problem there, very few water sources.

King David: and lest forget that the people of Hebron helped me a lot in the last 7 years.

The Prophet: but the capital of the union Israel kingdom should be where the heart of the land is, - Jerusalem, and don’t forget the Jerusalem doesn’t belong to noon of the tribes.

Minister of tourism: that because no one wanted it. long ago it wasn’t a popular place.

Minister of agriculture: to my opinion this is a great advantage my dear Prophet, that way no one can say that He owns the Capital, just like what the ozies did with their Canberra, and the Americans with Washington.

Minister of defence: I don’t agree we can have spiritual capital which can be Jerusalem if you insist but the national capital should be Hebron which is the capital of our tribe – Judah 

The Prophet: no, we can’t have that we are one nation and our spirituality and our nationality goes together.

Kind David: all right Gentlemen I heard all of you I do think we will need to move from Hebron to Jerusalem. That way we will sit in the most holy place in the land where Abraham our father almost scarified Yitzchak. And also we will sit in a place which all Israel can relate to as a capital city not only one tribe.

 Yoav prepare the army we are going to Jerusalem.

The Prophet: My king that will be excellent, but don’t forget we also will need to move the ARK from Givah to Jerusalem.

King David: yes we will do that but first we need to conquer the city. And rebuild it.

MC: King David conquered the city from the hand of the jobsites and built it as his capital city. He prepared all that needed to build the holy temple, which been built by his son, King Solomon. From the days of King David we meet Yerushalaim as the capital city of the Jewish nation. Since then Yerushalaim was the heart of the people as the centre of the economic, culture and spiritual life.

Slideshow-

 Yerushalaim was destroyed by the Babylonians and rebuilt by Nechemya during the Persian empire around -500.

The temple and Yerusahlaim was again under attack at the time of the Romans. The year 70 CE will be remembered as the year of the second temple destruction.  for 60 years the remain Jews of Yerusahalim waited for opportunity to re-establish a Jewish kingdom.

The day had come and a new leader show up, his name was Shimon Bar Kozibah, but everyone called him Bar Kochvah …

Shilo - Bar kochbah

A: (reading a newspaper) 1000 dead in Tor Malkah, 5500 near Beit horon, lots of wonded.

B: It seems that we are losing it.

C: remind me why we started this war, what was so bad when the Romans where here. At least we had lots of Kosher meat.

B: you forget what they did to our temple, that they made it a temple for there gods. You forget that they forbid us study our holy Torah

A: I don’t understand, you prefer to be and there regime than be a free man.

C: no, but if we don’t have a chance to win, maybe it is better not to start a fight. You know like dad explains to us, when you walk in school and you see the big booly step aside.

B: but we are talking here about a nation not about how to protect your self in school. Do you remember that we as a Jewish nation have something to do in the world?

A: that is right we didn’t come here just to be slaves to the Romans, we here to serve Hashem, to free Jerusalem.

C: (taking from his pocket a coin) now I understand the coin, this the new coins Bar Kocbah made and it is written on the back “LE’GEOULAT YEROSHALAYIM” to the freedom of  Jerusalem.

B: that your answer: why we start this war? – To free Jerusalem to become an independent nation, to be responsible for our faith and destiny.

A: it is true that our chances are not so strong but in the mean while Bar Kochba is doing good job we are independent and the Romans afraid from us.

C: but if he loses, we all will die or go to exile and then what will be left.

B: if we won’t fight them, what will be left from us as a nation, without Jerusalem, with out our torah, without anything which is ours?

 A: Bar Kochbah is not a great tsadik but he understand that without Jerusalem Without our spiritual and holy place we as a nation are nothing.

B: I am sure that his fight for Jerusalem won’t be forgotten for many many years no matter if he will win or lose his legacy of freedom and fight will remain in the Jewish nation for generations.

MC: and indeed the end of this revolt was destruction of what remain from the jewish life after the destruction of the 2^nd temple. The Jews were exiled and become slaves in Rome, the centre of the Jewish world moved to Babylon. The remains started new life in the Galil, were the Yerushalmi Talmud was written.

Bar Kochbah legacy was en example for devotion to freedom and independent.

For many years during the exile Jews could only dream about Jerusalem, to yearn pray and wish to go back to Jerusalem to Zion. One of those dreamers was R’ Yehudah Ha’Levi.

R’ Yehudah Ha’Levi, was a famous Rabbi in Spain he also was well known philosopher and physician. He wrote many pomes which we use during Shabbat and different services.

We will join him now in his study.

Lehava - R’ Yehudah Ha’Levi

Servant: I don’t get it my master why are we packing?

R’: I told you we are leaving, we are going on a journey.

Servant: but you are not so young and the roads aren’t safe.

R’: we will mange, I am leaving this place, if you want to come with me good if not you can stay here just finish packing please.

Servant: I do want to go with you but where we going?

R’: to Zion to Jerusalem.

Servant: A R E you serious about that, it is very very very far away and very dangerous, Who knows maybe there is wired diseases there.

R’: I am going and its final.

Servant: Master Samuel come to see you, I hope he will change your mind.

R’: let him in, let him in, my dear friend Samuel.

Sam: Shalom Shalom, R’, how are you doing? What are all this suitcases around the house.

R’:  I amleaving I am going on a journey to Zion.

Sam: Wow R’ that is very unpredictable, so quickly without telling anyone.

R’: unpredictable, didn’t you read my pomes are you not familiar with my writing?  

Sam: what do you mean? Of course that I know your writing and pomes I am your number one fan.

R’: I will read to you again one of my favourite pomes:

Someone will read the poem –

My heart is in the east

My heart is in the East, tho' in the West I live,
The sweet of human life no happiness can give,
Religion's duties fail to lift my soul on high;
'Neath Edom Zion writhes, in Arab chains I lie!
No joy in sunny Spain mine eyes can ever see
For Zion, desolate, alone hath charms for me!

R’: And you know that I mean what I write and I write what I mean isn’t right?

Sam: yes but actually to go there, it is dangerous and risky and who knows what can happen to you.

Servant: that what I told him but he didn’t listen to me.

R’: I won’t listen to you either Samuel, I decided to go and I will.

Sam: but why to Zion why to Jerusalem?

Someone will read:

Oh! City of the world

Oh! city of world, most chastely fair;
In the far west, behold I sigh for thee.
And in my yearning love I do bethink me
Of bygone ages; of thy ruined fane,
Thy vanished splendor of a vanished day.
Oh! had I eagles' wings I'd fly to thee,
And with my falling tears make moist thine earth.
I long for thee; what though where once uprose
Sweet balsam trees the serpent makes his nest.
Oh! that I might embrace thy dust, the sod
Were sweet as honey to my fond desire.

R’: that is my latest one. I have a very strong desire to see Jerusalem to be there to fell the old stones I can’t stay here.

Sam: I wish I would fell the same like you, Farewell my dear mentor.

R’: farewell my dear friend may Hashem will be with you. (to the servant) Are you coming?

MC: so he went on the Journey and finely he came to Zion to Israel, He didn’t live there long, according to the common story when R’ Yehudah got to the western wall the “Kotel” he was ran over by Muslim horse rider.

His poems and yearning for Jerusalem become part of the Jewish people yearning for Jerusalem, his journey inspired many pilgrims during the long years of exile.

For Many years the Jewish people were separated from their city, and land, even when they were allowed to approach the Kotel, it was always not as they own the place but as guests and visitors.

At 1947 the UN decided to establish two new states the Jewish one and the Arab one, Jerusalem was to be an international city, where all is equal and can go to there holy places. The Arabs refused and the war begun, at the end of the war The Jewish state won, but the old city of the Jerusalem where the heart is was under the hands of the Jordanians. The Jews were banded from reaching their holy places.

Slideshow -The reunification

Mc: paragraph “Im eshcachevh Yerushalaim”

This peula has a first & second peulot call-

"opening activity for yom yerushalaim"

"yom yerushalaim- character activity"