Religious : : Religious Committee Report

Religiously speaking, June is a quiet month with historically no major holidays. That changed dramatically within our lifetimes!

We now celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, the reunification of Jerusalem, which occurred on June 7, 1967, during the Six Day War. th (Being technically precise, this holiday is observed according to the Hebrew calendar on the 28 of Iyar which happens to occur in May this year.)

Let’s take a quick moment to reflect on the Six Day War, June 5-10, 1967.

Prior to the war, The State of Israel was geographically perilous. Israel had a very slim waist – at its narrowest point it was only nine miles wide. This is a distance that both of us can easily run in less than an hour and a half. An attacking aircraft can cover this in about 50 seconds. Artillery spotters in Jordan and Syria could see Tel Aviv and Israel’s other major coastal cities with binoculars to direct bombardments. In Jerusalem, snipers on the Arab side of the barbed-wire divider frequently shot at Jewish civilians going about their normal activities.

The significance of the Six Day War is profound. Israel is now recognized as the dominant military player in the Middle East. Jerusalem’s religious sites, most notably The Western Wall, are revered by worshippers of the three major religions and are open to all.

We hope you will enjoy the month of June a little more now.

There are four Sabbaths in June.

You are most cordially invited to attend services either in person or online.

Warm regards,

Sandy Shapiro & Arnold Miller
Co-Chairs