In 1967, on the 28th of Iyar in the Hebrew calendar, Colonel (Motta) Gur, leading the 55th Paratroopers Reserve Brigade, fought their way to the Kotel. He famously proclaimed to his company commanders, “The Temple Mount is in our hands!”

Gur’s excited declaration soon became a cry of historic redemption. General Rabbi Shlomo Goren, chief chaplain of the IDF, sounded the Shofar at the Western Wall signifying its liberation. The iconic Rubinger photo of the three young paratroopers looking up at the Western Wall’s ancient stones is etched into our collective memories.

The IDF soldiers had won out dramatically over Egypt, Syria and Jordan. And the world was in awe of Israel’s fighting spirit. Today, “The Temple Mount is in our hands!” is remembered on Jerusalem Day celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people.

To Israelis and Jews all over the world, this was a joyous and momentous occasion. Afterall, the Temple Mount is the physical and spiritual locus of where we pray every day. We were finally in possession of something precious that for so long was kept from us.

Colonel Gur’s excited observation of “…in our hands” can also be thought of as a statement of responsibility. Maybe he meant that it is now incumbent on his generation and all future generations to protect it.

Success in safeguarding the Temple Mount, Israel and Judaism should be the critical measure of all guardian’s success.

Let’s consider how both the Israelis and the American Jewish diaspora has fared in this solemn task. It might inform our future actions and influence who we chose to lead us.

Let’s........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)