34 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
JUNE 2, 2017
SIX-DAY WAR
50-YEAR COMMEMORATION OF THE
SIX-DAY WAR
SIX-DAY WAR
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JUNE 2, 2017
Six-Day War
June 5, 1967
Battle Reports/Highlights From the Front Lines
7:45 a.m.
Noon
As enemy forces begin to mass at the borders, Israeli air strikes begin, targeting Egypt as a priority. The Six Day War officially begins.
After a successful surprise attack, Israel begins air strikes on Jordan and targets Syrian air force bases.
IDF paratroopers from iconic Six-Day War photo to be reunited ED CARROLL | STAFF REPORTER @EdCarrollCJN ecarroll@cjn.org |
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dessert reception at Landerhaven will feature three paratroopers appeared in a famous photograph by the late David Rubinger at 7 p.m. June 5. CLE Remembers: 50th annivesary of the Six-Day War is a collaboration between the Cleveland Jewish News Foundation and the Ohio chapter of Friends of Israel Defense Forces and commemorates the SixDay War, which was June 5-10. Paul Singerman, president of the CJN Foundation Board of Directors, said the event was the brainchild of Rabbi Matt Eisenberg of Temple Israel Ner Tamid in Mayfield Heights. Singerman said he thought it was a great idea and thought who better to partner with than FIDF for such an event. “(FIDF) were terrifically supportive and
the event sprang from that,” Singerman said. Irwin Haber, chairman of the Ohio chapter of FIDF and national FIDF board member, said the event will feature the national anthems of Eisenberg both Israel and the United States, and FIDF will show a special video. In addition, he said Zion Karasenti, Yitzhak Yifat and Haim Oshr, the three iconic paratroopers, will be on stage and honored Haber as the heroes of the Six-Day War. “All money raised is going to the
education pillar of the FIDF to help the soldiers continue their education after their service,” Schlessel said. Singerman said organizers are hoping for between 300 and Singerman 400 attendees for the reception, which also will feature keynote speaker Kenneth W. Stein, professor of contemporary Middle Eastern history, political science and Israeli studies at Emory University in Atlanta. Haber met Stein during a Wexner Heritage Program a few years ago and thought it would be a good idea for him to speak at the event. “I think (those who attend) will get a greater appreciation of the war and its historical context, as well as understanding
Honoring the IDF Soldiers
WHEN: 7 p.m. June 5 WHERE: Landerhaven, 6111 Landerhaven Drive, Mayfield Heights INFO: $36, Dessert reception; Kenneth W. Stein, professor of contemporary Middle Eastern history, political science and Israeli studies at Emory University in Atlanta, will speak; and featuring “Paratroopers at the Western Wall,” who will be in attendance. REGISTER: fidf.org/ohio-6-day-war of the how and the why of the Six-Day War,” Singerman said.
Family fun day to celebrate Six-Day War Reunification of Jerusalem
ED CARROLL | STAFF REPORTER @EdCarrollCJN ecarroll@cjn.org |
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amilies can celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War and the Reunification of Jerusalem in a kosher family fun day at the Lillian and Betty Ratner School in Pepper Pike. The free event is open to the public and will feature dancing Israeli music, face painting and other family activities. There will be free kosher food, including Schlessel Pierre’s Ice Cream, cotton candy, popcorn and snow cones. The event is co-sponsored by Cleveland Jewish News Foundation and the Ohio chapter of Friends of Israel Defense Forces. CJN Foundation President Paul Singerman said the family fun day event will be a celebration of the reunification of Jerusalem and will be child-friendly.
WHEN: 1 to 4 p.m. June 11 WHERE:The Lillian and Betty Ratner School, 27575 Shaker Blvd., Pepper Pike INFO: Kosher family fun day celebrating Israel, free and open to the public “(Rock the House) will provide entertainment, dancing and music,” Singerman said. “It will be a fun time for families. It’s a free event and we’re expecting a big turnout.” Lane Schlessel, executive director for the Ohio chapter of FIDF, said events such as this help people remember the importance of the Six-Day War. “By us doing this it keeps it in the forefront of everybody’s mind how important the Six-Day War was,” Schlessel said. “This is a pivotal moment in history that changed the lives of Israelis and Jews around the world. We’re going to commemorate an event that changed the future of the state of Israel and the landscape.”
Temple Israel Ner Tamid religious school students donate to FIDF
At the beginning of the school year, the Temple Israel Ner Tamid religious school pledged to donate its tzedakah to Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces in commemoration of 50 years since the Six-Day War and the Reunification of Jerusalem. On May 14, Rabbi Matt Eisenberg, second from left, and students presented a check for $1,219.67. The project was led by educational director Edna Akrish and shinshin Itamar Meromi, bottom right. | Submitted Photo
On the cover
Zion Karasenti, from left, Yitzhak Yifat and Haim Oshri, the three Israeli paratroopers from the late David Rubinger’s iconic photo returned to the Western Wall at the exact time of day when they liberated the holy site five decades ago. | Photo / World Mizrachi Movement
36 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
June 6
SIX-DAY WAR
JUNE 2, 2017
1:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
Israel claims the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian cities of Ras el Naqeb and Jebel Libni are conquered by Israel. Jordanian forces are ordered to retreat from the West Bank.
In another tactical victory by Israel, the Egyptian army orders a general retreat.
Israeli historian Morris analyzes lasting effects of Six-Day War ALYSSA SCHMITT | STAFF REPORTER @AlyssaSchmitCJN aschmitt@cjn.org |
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lmost exactly 50 years after the beginning of the Six-Day War, Israeli historian and professor Benny Morris visited Beachwood at the Mandel Jewish Day School to speak about his analysis of the lasting effects of the war on Israel. His speech, “Looking Back at the Six Day War: Victory and Loss,” briefly went over the events during the war while mainly focusing on the causes and results for Israel and the surrounding Arab states. Morris, who teaches at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., started his speech May 24 with two reasons for the growing hostilities in the early 1960s between Israel and The Republic of Syria. The first was an ongoing dispute between Israel and Syria, regarding conflict in their militarized zones. The second stemmed from a lie from the Soviet Union to then-president of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser that said Israel was preparing troops on the boarder of Egypt and Israel. “This forced Nasser’s hand, that was the
explanation,” Morris said. “This Soviet allegation forced the Egyptians to send troops into the Sinai Peninsula in order to divert Israeli attention.” Egypt wouldn’t face any repercussion from going to war, Morris said, but the same wouldn’t be the case for Israel. “Israel mobilizing troops meant Israel economy was being weakened and this couldn’t be (withstood) for a long time,” Morris said. Morris briefly accounted major moments during the war including the major attack on Egypt’s airbase within the first hours of the war, which he said led to Israel’s victory. Once Israel won the war, it gained territory that could be used as a tool for peace, Morris said, a difficult agreement to make, especially when Arab states did not want peace. The war still casts its shadow today and although there was a great victory, the loss is equally as great, he said.
Israeli historian and professor Benny Morris discusses “Looking Back at the Six Day War: Victory and Loss” during a May 24 visit to the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School in Beachwood. | CJN Photo / Alyssa Schmitt
IDF finds supporters at church event ED CARROLL | STAFF REPORTER @EdCarrollCJN ecarroll@cjn.org |
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illo-Hill Baptist Church in Willoughby may not have been the most likely place to find an event honoring Israel and the Israel Defense Forces, but the approximately 60 people who attended a May 21 event showed their support for the country and the IDF. The event was co-sponsored by WilloHill Baptist Church with Calvary Fellowship Baptist Church, and featured guest speakers Rabbi Eli Seidman, director of pastoral care at the Jewish Association on Aging in Pittsburgh, and Steve Neptune, pastor at Gateway Church of Aurora. It also showcased a video
presentation on Friends of the IDF by Lane Schlessel, executive director of the Ohio chapter of the FIDF. “Every day, I get to wake up in the morning, go to work and not think of it as work,” Schlessel said as he introduced a video describing the work of FIDF. Seidman, a former U.S. Army chaplain, thanked the attendees in the church for their friendship, support and love. He spoke about his memories of the Six-Day War, as he was 13 when the war started, and told a story about the rebuilding of a temple in Jerusalem and what our roles should be in the construction. “Let us rebuild
Jerusalem by the way we live each day,” Seidman said. “May each one of us bring our own brick that will hasten the day when the messiah will come and rebuild the holy temple of Jerusalem, and may Israel celebrate many more years of independence and achievement.” Neptune’s presentation centered on why Christians should support Jewish people and the state of Israel in particular. He said there were compelling historical, political, theological and moral reasons to support Israel. “Can’t these people have a nation of their own, or is that asking too much?” Neptune asked the crowd, rhetorically. Neptune said the Christian church has misrepresented Jewish
Lane Schlessel, executive director of the Ohio chapter of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, speaks May 21 at Willo-Hill Baptist Church in Willoughby. | CJN Photos / Ed Carroll
people for centuries, and cited developments such as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, leading to scholars rethinking assumptions about the New Testament. In addition to the speakers, Mike Lefton of the Chester Christian
Center and musicians from the Willo-Hill and Calvary Fellowship Musicians sang both “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah,” as well as a medley of Israeli songs, including “Am Yisrael Chai” and “Lu Yehi,” which is loosely based on The Beatles’ “Let
Rabbi Eli Seidman, director of pastoral care at the Jewish Association on Aging in Pittsburgh, speaks about his memories of the Six-Day War.
It Be.” Pastor Dave Hackney of Willo-Hill and pastor Douglas Reeder from Calvary Fellowship, along with Seidman and Neptune, led a prayer and blessing before a dessert reception.
SIX-DAY WAR
June 7
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June 2, 2017
6:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Syrian artillery continues its barrage on several Israeli border towns.
In one of the most proud and historic moments in the war for the Jewish people, the Old City of Jerusalem is conquered and under Israeli military control.
At this point in the war, the conflict reached a point where the U.N. Security Council presented an initiative to hold a ceasefire. Egypt’s President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, declines. Israel makes an initiative to stop the conflict before it progresses further, as Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eskol proposes to King Hussein of Jordan that they also begin peace talks and an eventual ceasefire. Israel hears nothing back from Jordan or the king. The Egyptian cities of Bir al-Hasna and Al Qazima are claimed by Israel. Jordanian forces retreat from Israel. Israel begins bombarding the Syrian fortified city of Golan Heights.
The moment that changed everything captured on film LANE SCHLESSEL
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uring the 1967 Six-Day War, against all odds, Israel fought for her life on all borders with Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Not only did the fledgling Jewish state survive the onslaught, but it also gained control over Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Sinai Desert, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. I was only 7 Schlessel at the time, but years later I learned just how significant those six days were. In the moments after Israel’s miraculous victory, few could know the long-term impacts it would have. That triumph transformed the landscape of Israel and the entire Middle East – and changed the lives of Jews worldwide.
Suddenly, returning to the holiest of holy sites – Jerusalem’s Western Wall – stopped being a dream; any Jew today, upon landing at Ben-Gurion Airport, can find his or herself praying at the Kotel within hours. And the Jewish diaspora worried less and could sleep easier knowing that the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces passed the ultimate test, and the state of Israel was here to stay. I’ve been to Israel 54 times, but my most vivid memory is traveling through the Banias, near Israel’s Mount Hermon, which the IDF’s Golani Brigade captured in the 1967 war. It was the morning of Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, and suddenly, at 11 a.m., sirens blasted across the entire country, and all the vehicles came to a halt. We exited our vehicles and stood in silence to remember those who fell defending
Israel and Jews everywhere. Fifty years later, the IDF’s brave young men and women still put their lives on the line every day to keep Israel safe. My organization, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, supports well-being and educational programs for these soldiers. Just as the men and women of the IDF protect us, we stand behind them. On June 7, 1967, Israeli photographer David Rubinger, who passed away in March, took what is regarded as the iconic photo of the Six-Day War. “Paratroopers at the Western Wall” shows three war-weary IDF paratroopers looking up at the Kotel after having just won the battle for Jerusalem. This month, FIDF is partnering with the Cleveland Jewish News Foundation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War by reuniting those three paratroopers,
‘Yes, for this we came!’ RABBI ZUSHE GREENBERG
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hen I was an infant, my family left the former Soviet Union and in December 1966 we arrived in Israel. In the ’60s, Russian immigrants were a novelty in Israel. My parents told me many times how excited they were to be able to come to a country where you could practice Judaism in public without fear of the Secret Police. At that time, the stress and tension between Egypt and Israel was building up. Gamal Abdul Nasser, the president of Egypt, Greenberg intensified his rhetoric and threats against the Jewish state and all were worried about what the future holds for Israel, to the point that the country dedicated large parcels of land for cemeteries anticipating huge numbers of casualties. Many American parents whose children were studying in Israel brought them back to the states. The only source of strength for my parents at that time, was the optimistic voice of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneersohn. He continually reassured Jews Israel would be OK. To four students in the Yeshivat Torat Emet in Jerusalem, who asked whether to follow the advice of
the American embassy and leave the country, the Rebbe replied: “Continue to study with diligence. It is an absolute certainty that, ‘The Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.’ I await good news.” To another parent who expressed concern over his son studying in Israel, the Rebbe wrote: “There is absolutely no cause for concern … The verse, ‘I will grant peace in the Land’ will be fulfilled.” On May 28, 1967, there was a Lag Ba’omer parade at Chabad world headquarters in New York that was attended by thousands of children. In his remarks to the large crowd, the Rebbe addressed the tense situation in Israel, and he confidently assured everyone that Israel is a safe place and G-d will make great miracles for the people of Israel. Less than a week later, the war broke out. My parents and their six young children found themselves huddled in a bomb shelter together with their neighbors. My mother recalls how one woman looked at her and said, “Bishvil Zeh Batem?” For this you came (to Israel)? Six days later, the two met each other on the street. My mother looked at her with a smile and said, “Ken, Bishvil Zeh Banu!” Yes, for this we came!
Rabbi Zushe Greenberg is the spiritual leader of Solon Chabad.
Zion Karasenti, Haim Oshri, and Yizhak Yifat, whom Rubinger’s lens turned into unintentional symbols of Israel’s – and the Jewish people’s – miraculous victory. By bringing these heroes to Cleveland, we can take a fresh look back at that crucial historical moment and reconnect us to our core mission of supporting the men and women of the IDF. We invite you to join us for this wonderful opportunity. To purchase tickets for the “Six-Day War Commemoration Dessert Reception” June 5 at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights or to support FIDF, visit fidf. org/ohio-6-day-war. Funds raised at the commemorative event will go toward FIDF’s educational programs for IDF soldiers. To learn more, visit fidf.org.
Lane Schlessel is the director of Friends of Israel Defense Forces Ohio chapter.
Today’s news might warrant a commemoration 50 years from now. Stay informed about the events in your community with a subscription to the Cleveland Jewish News. Subscriptions start at $24.95
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38 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
June 8
6:30 a.m.
Noon
1:00 p.m.
The Palestinian city of Hebron is taken by the Israeli army.
Egypt accepts a ceasefire with Israel. Later in 1982, a greater degree of peace between the two nations was reached as the Sinai Peninsula would be returned to Egypt in exchange for the full diplomatic recognition of Israel.
Israel Defense Forces destroy bridges along the Jordan river to gain a further tactical advantage.
REVIEW
What they said
‘In Our Hands’ ‘docudrama’ celebrates historic event ED CARROLL | STAFF REPORTER @EdCarrollCJN ecarroll@cjn.org |
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SIX-DAY WAR
JUNE 2, 2017
he film “In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem,” which screened in theaters across the country on May 23 and June 1, depicts the courage and determination of the Israel’s 55th paratrooper brigade during the Six-Day War, but it isn’t anything too different from a television documentary you would see on The History Channel or similar channel. However, the Christian Broadcast Network’s “docudrama,” which uses archived film and news footage along with personal accounts and dramatic re-enactments, features beautiful photography and manages to find a unique angle to help paint the picture of Israel’s struggle to reclaim Jerusalem after 20 years of Jordanian occupation. One of the central characters is Col. Mordechai “Motta” Gur, who led the paratroopers in the capture of the Old City of Jerusalem. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t get a chance to interview Gur, who died in 1995, but it relies on re-enactments of firsthand accounts of conversations between Gur and his troops to paint a picture of a demanding and brilliant tactician. However, “In Our Hands” does provide some insight into Gur’s famous broadcast after taking back the Western Wall, “The Temple Mount is in our hands.” It’s definitely not supposed to be a fastpaced action movie, but “In Our Hands” does occasionally struggle with some pacing and organization. However, these are relatively easy enough to overlook, particularly later in the film, such as when “In Our Hands” takes an extended detour to follow the story of soldiers who helped a Muslim woman deliver her baby on the final day of the war. The anecdote shows the joy the troops have at seeing a new life amidst all the death of war, and
Encore screening of “In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem”
WHEN: 7 p.m. June 6 WHERE: Local movie theaters TICKETS: Between $12.50 and $12.88, depending on theater INFO: Visit inourhands1967.com for showing locations or to purchase tickets
The Cleveland Jewish News sought reaction from theater-goers at Richmond Town Square Stadium 20 in Richmond Heights and Crocker Park Stadium 16 in Westlake following the first nationwide one-night showing of “In Our Hands: The Battle For Jerusalem” which tells the story of the Israel Defense Force’s 55th Paratrooper Brigade.
“It was a wonderful movie, it depicted what happened with touching personal stories. … it was amazing.” Sonya Bahary, Cleveland
“(The film) was wonderful. The speaker at the end (executive producer Gordon Robertson) was very pro-Israel and heartfelt.” Mark Hibel, Cleveland
“To the best of my knowledge, it was historically accurate to what happened.” Mona Hibel, Cleveland
“We’re very blessed to have that movie shown to us, and thank CBN and whoever else was a part of it.” Joyce Kopf, Westlake
humanizing segments such as this make “In Our Hands” feel like less of a history lesson and more of a celebrated story.
“It was a beautiful movie. I think it does show that Israel belongs to the Jewish people, and we fought hard to get it. I bless all the soldiers who fought hard and sacrificed their lives to save Israel. The movie really gives a good illustration of how the paratroopers were involved in conquering Jerusalem.” Yoav Libovith, University Heights
SIX-DAY WAR
June 9
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June 2, 2017
7:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
6:30 p.m.
8:30 p.m.
Following a two-day indirect attack and a reversed decision by Moshe Dayan – after hearing through an intercepted message by Nasser that the Arab forces are near collapse – a full-scale infantry and tank-supported assault on the city of Golan Heights begins.
Israel Defense Forces starts its advance from Giv’at Ha’em and makes its way toward the Syrian border.
President Gamal Abdel Nasser blames the United States for his loss in a televised speech before announcing his resignation.
Nasser’s resignation is retracted after anti-aircraft fire and what has been now called a “spontaneous demonstration” by Egypt.
REVIEW “It was fantastic. A great history lesson, things we weren’t taught in school, (it) was so eye-opening to see what the Jewish people did to get Jerusalem back. It was very inspiring. And also their attitude towards their enemies, when they said ‘We don’t celebrate death, we celebrate life,’ I thought that was really good.” Ralph Liotta, Avon Lake
“It kind of reinforced in my mind the importance, not only of the city of Jerusalem but also the nation of Israel.” George Mason, Westlake
“It was very well done, I know the history very well, and it was very accurate. It was moving to see the soldiers who went through and lived through (the war) and experienced the capture of Jerusalem.” Rabbi Dan Olgin, Cleveland
“This film should be taught in every school. I was 14 when that happened. I heard about it, but we didn’t hear a whole lot about it in this country. It’s like people need to know the truth, and the truth is not being told in the media and the truth needs to be out there about Israel and their history and the fact that it’s their land and that God gave it to them and nobody’s going to take it from them.” Christine Rice, Avon Lake
“For people here and people who lived in Israel, I think they would both enjoy watching the movie and seeing the history. You’re awestruck when you see that a lot of people died for the country, and everyone’s a hero that put their life on the line so people can go to the (Western Wall) today. There were very good visual effects, and a lot of detail, it looked pretty real to me. That stuff goes on every day there, but this was history changing. I would say people should still try to see this movie when it comes out on DVD or digital download.” Samuel Rose, University Heights
“The film was wonderful. It demonstrated how God gave Jerusalem to the Jews. This belongs to the Jews, not to the gentiles, I firmly believe that. Just like they say in the movie, it’s really significant for the Jewish people. It’s not just a little interesting story, (rather) it shows how the Jewish people were brought back to the heart of Israel, to Jerusalem.” Bill Overton, Chardon
Compiled by Staff Reporter Ed Carroll and Irving I. Stone Editorial Intern Roman Macharoni.
To read additional content about the Six-Day War, visit bit.ly/6DayWar50th
40 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
June 10
JUNE 2, 2017
SIX-DAY WAR
2:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
What happened in Cleveland in 1967
After a full day of relentless battle, Syria begins retreating in Golan Heights, as the capital of Quneitra falls to the Israel Defense Forces.
After being advised by U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk that they were one of the strongest standpoints to end the conflict, a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Syria.
• Case Western Reserve University was established and created by the federation of the Case Institute of Technology and the former Western Reserve University, founded in 1826. • Carl Stokes was elected mayor of Cleveland, the first African-American mayor of a major U.S. city.
Timeline compiled by Irving I. Stone Editorial Intern Roman Macharoni
CHABAD-LUBAVITCH REBBE TELLS RABBI ALEVSKY ‘Do not worry. The war will be over in 10 days’ Rabbi Leibel Alevsky says Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War was “a miracle.” | CJN Photo / Alyssa Schmitt
ALYSSA SCHMITT | STAFF REPORTER @AlyssaSchmittCJN aschmitt@cjn.org |
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week before the Six-Day War began, Rabbi Leibel Alevsky was 28 years old and went to visit the Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe in New York City for his birthday blessing, unaware he would receive an unbelievable prediction. “Once a year, we could call for a private audience and receive a blessing for the rest of the year,” said Alevsky, who grew up in Israel before moving to New York City. At the request of his mother, Alevsky asked Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson if his sister, who lived in Israel with her mother, should attend boarding school in the coming days when tension was running high. “He said ‘Do not worry. The war will be over in 10 days,’” Alevsky said the Rebbe prophesized – and he believed the Rebbe. This was not the only time the Lubavitcher Rebbe made a prophecy urging his people to stay calm in the face
of disaster. Another example Alevsky recalled was during the Gulf War, when the Lubavitcher Rebbe told his people to stay put and not to worry. His followers obeyed and no injuries were recorded, Alevsky said. While American children who were at school in Israel traveled back to the United States to escape the war, Alevsky said those in Chabad schools stayed because they trusted their Rebbe’s prediction. “When he said not to worry, we trusted him,” Alevsky said. In the days leading up to the war, Alevsky said everyone in his community was scared for the people living in Israel. “We didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said. “No one expected Israel to survive.” It was during this time, said Alevsky’s wife, Devorah, the synagogues were full with people praying. Lubavitcher Rebbe promoted a campaign to help support the soldiers as a “positive action.” “(Schneerson) reversed the
momentum,” she said. “He started the tefillin campaign where people could pray every morning for the (Israeli) soldiers fighting in the war.” The world-wide campaign, which pushed the tefillin observance every morning by Jewish men over the age of 13, not only brought hope, but also assisted the Israeli soldiers in unthinkable ways, she said. Devorah Alevsky recalled stories describing a moment when Israeli soldiers began to put the tefillin around their heads and arms that led enemy soldiers to panic. “Enemy (soldiers) were running away,” she said. “The (Israeli) soldiers moved forward and caught them. They asked why they were running away and (the enemies) thought they had some sort of secret weapon when they saw the bands wrapped up around their arms and heads.” When war officially broke out on June 5, 1967, Leibel Alevsky said they weren’t aware of what was happening on the
Israeli side because news was only coming out of Egypt. “On the air was Egyptian news, we did not know Israel had dropped missiles on (an Egyptian airbase) until a few days later … (when) the Israel Radio was broadcast,” Leibel Alevsky said. Leibel Alevsky said he never doubted the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s prophecies. “It’s when you see something unusual happening and it’s hard to believe,” he said. “That’s a miracle.” Now 78, Leibel Alevsky, the Chabad regional director and executive director of Chabad of Greater Cleveland, still holds onto the trust he had for Schneerson. The Alevskys, of University Heights, brought the Chabad organization to Cleveland in 1972, where they have dedicated the rest of their lives to expanding the 17 Chabad Greater Cleveland chapters. Schneerson suffered a stroke that left him unable to speak in 1992 and he died in 1994.
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They remember … Lynn Barry
Lynn Barry of Lyndhurst arrived in Israel on April 2, 1967, at Kibbutz Beit Hashita to spend a year teaching English in a public school. When the end of May came around and the threat of war rose, her kibbutz began blacking out windows and doors, dug trenches and taught her how to handle an Uzi submachine gun. “We weren’t far from Jordan. I got a phone call from my parents to leave. Then I got another telegram and I kept saying, ‘I’m not leaving. I’m staying.’ But then it came down to I got scared.” Her parents sent her a ticket to go to Paris on June 1 to stay with her cousin working in the U.S. embassy at the time. She also thought it would be easier for her to re-enter Israel from France instead of the U.S once the war was over. “I felt badly. Because I was leaving and everyone was staying. But here I’m leaving. When I came back I was embarrassed, too, a lot of the time to say I had been there before the war but then left and came back. That I didn’t ride it out.” Although she wasn’t able to help during the war, she went to The Jewish Agency to start volunteering upon retuning to her kibbutz.
Roman Frayman
Roman Frayman of Beachwood was 28 at the time he heard about the tensions building around Israel. Being in Cleveland, he said he wanted to help as much as he could from about 6,000 miles away. “Everybody I know opened their wallets. We just reflected on what happened when people did not contribute. The bottom line is Israel needed money to survive, they needed the money to buy weapons. It’s something you just had to do. … Obviously, we didn’t go to Israel to fight in the war, but we did the best we could by donating money to help Israel.” As a Holocaust survivor, Frayman, 78, sees both his and Israel’s survival as a miracle. “It was like ‘thank god’ because they accomplished this with God’s help. God helps those who help themselves and basically in one word it’s a miracle … something that happens that shouldn’t have happened.” Now, because Israel survived, Frayman said every Jew could say they have a home. “Nobody in the ’30s and ’40s wanted to help the Jewish people. When I say having a home, every Jew in the world can say, ‘I have a home. It’s my home.’ Any Jew that wants to make aliyah in Israel is welcomed with open arms. This is why I say it’s so imperative that Israel survive because we have someplace to call home.”
bombed to smithereens, and she had relatives there” But soon the news would come that the Golan, the Sinai, Judea and Samaria, the Tomb of the Patriarchs, the Tombs of Rachel and of Joseph, were in Israel’s hand. “When I alighted from that small El Al plane on the tarmac of (Ben-Gurion) Airport on July 11, 1967 … the atmosphere was euphoric, and the first words on the lips of every person we met were, ‘Welcome home.’”
Joel Keller
In the days leading up to the Six-Day War, a then 28-year-old Joel Keller of North Ridgeville couldn’t keep away from his transistor radio while working at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cleveland.
“There were two of us, we were both (operating room) techs, and we were both following
– Compiled by Alyssa Schmitt
CLE Remembers 50th Anniversary of the Six-Day War
REUNIFICATION OF JERUSALEM
HONORING THE IDF SOLDIERS
MONDAY | JUNE 5, 2017 7 PM LANDERHAVEN
SUNDAY | JUNE 11, 2017 1 PM - 4 PM RATNER SCHOOL
DESSERT RECEPTION
FEATURING “PARATROOPERS AT THE WESTERN WALL” WITH GUEST SPEAKER KENNETH STEIN
PROFESSOR OF CONTEMPORARY MIDDLE EASTERN HISTORY, POLITICAL SCIENCE AND ISRAELI STUDIES AT EMORY UNIVERSITY.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Toby Klein Greenwald
War broke out when Toby Klein Greenwald was writing her 12th-grade final at Yavne High School for Girls, before she planned to spend a year in Israel. As tensions began to rise, she and her classmates would say an extra tehillim during Shacharit. It was during this time Israel kept silent on the news with information spewing from Arab sources that proved not to be true. “I remember an Israeli girl in our school wandering the halls in tears. She had heard that Tel Aviv had been
what was going on very, very closely because it was so disturbing. I feel very strongly as a Zionist and I felt that it was the worst thing that could possibly happen. These Arab armies in surrounding countries were bent on not only destroying Israel but decimating the population entirely.” Keller kept track constantly, running back and forth from the employee lounge to listen, but said he was unable to support Israel in the way he wanted. “I was too poor to make a donation someplace. I would have if I had any assets I could have sold. I feel so helpless. There’s a bonding we had, even though I’ve never been to Israel … It was just so nerve racking.” When Keller heard about the ceasefire, he said he felt an abundance of pride for Israel.
Paratroopers Brigade Sponsor
KOSHER FAMILY FUN DAY CELEBRATING ISRAEL FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Pediatric Place
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Pediatric Place
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Dr. Jan and Lisa Kriwinsky and family
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