Yom Yerushalayim at Bruriah was a day filled with celebration, education and interactive experiences. Perhaps most impactful was the powerful keynote by JEC supporter and board member Danny Kahane, who fought as a member of the IDF during the 1967 Six-Day War.

As students sat together for a seudat hoda’ah in commemoration of the miraculous day, Kahane spoke of his experiences during those miraculous six days as a soldier fighting in the Sinai and shared what it was like growing up in a Yerushalayim that did not have access to the Kotel or the Old City. He conveyed with deep emotion how much we have to be grateful for and how we must never take this miracle for granted.

Batya Feman of Teaneck, Bruriah’s incoming vice president of AISAC, was emcee for the event and Michal Herman of Bergenfield, Bruriah’s newly-elected incoming G.O. president gave the Dvar Torah.

The program also included several videos about the 1967 victories, as well as a piece by Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on the “Love Affair Between the Jewish People and Yerushalayim.”

“It was great to hear from Mr. Kahane. His firsthand experience made the history of Israel come to life,” said sophomore Adina Strong of Hillside.

“Yerushalayim is, and always has been, the heart of the Jewish people. We are so lucky to live in a time our ancestors only dreamed of, when we have sovereignty over our holiest sites. We, as a school, paused to recognize the nisim of the Six Day War and to collectively say, ‘Hodu laHashem ki tov! ki l’olam chasdo!’ You could literally feel the love for Yerushalayim in the room. It was very special,” noted Ellen Azizollahoff, coordinator of the program. “So many students came over to me afterwards to thank me and say how much they enjoyed the program,” she continued. “One 11th grader commented, ‘The seudat hoda’ah really made it feel like a “chag.” It was so clear why we should be celebrating and thanking Hashem.’”