It’s an iconic image etched into the hearts of Jews around the world: David Rubinger’s photograph of three Israeli paratroopers gazing up in awe at the Western Wall – Judaism’s holiest site — in the aftermath of the battle for Jerusalem on June 7, 1967. Some have called it Israel’s version of Joe Rosenthal’s famed World War II photo of U.S. servicemen lifting the Stars and Stripes on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Six Day War and the reunification of Jerusalem, the three Israelis, now in their early-to-mid 70s, will speak about their place in history on June 15 at an Owings Mills residence for a private reception sponsored by the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Baltimore Chapter (Mid-Atlantic Region).

The address of the residence for the “Legends and Heroes Thank You Event” is being kept private. The gathering will offer thanks to the sponsors of the ninth annual FIDF Baltimore gala on Sept. 17.

“The Legends and Heroes event on June 15th will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War, after which Jews once again had access to and could pray at the Western Wall,” said Dr. Gary Applebaum, president of the FIDF Baltimore Chapter. “We have the historic opportunity and privilege to welcome the three Israeli paratroopers immortalized in the iconic picture at the Kotel [Western Wall].”

Also speaking at the gathering will be Danny Danon, Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations. (David Rubinger passed away in March at age 92.)

The three Israelis – Zion Karasenti, Haim Oshri and Dr. Yitzhak Yifat — will be touring several American cities next month on behalf of the FIDF.

“The photo that includes me as a young soldier, holding my helmet in front of the Western Wall, has become a part of history, and has come to define my life since that moment,” Dr. Yifat said in a press release issued by FIDF. “I went from being an anonymous warrior to an unintentional symbol. By recreating that euphoric moment 50 years later, we underscore the endurance of our people, and the democratic Jewish homeland.”

Ari Dallas, the FIDF’s Mid-Atlantic executive director, said in a statement that the photo transformed the landscape of the Middle East and left an indelible impression on the collective Jewish consciousness.

“We thought it would be very powerful for our supporters to see the three paratroopers from the historic photo reunited here in Maryland,” he said. “Our commemoration will stress the importance of the Six Day War and the sacrifices that IDF soldiers made to ensure Israel’s survival.

“As they did 50 years ago, the brave men and women of the IDF still put their lives on the line every day to protect the Jewish homeland,” he said. “While their job is to look after Israel, ours is to look after them.”

For information about the event, contact Henry M. Rosenbaum, director of the FIDF Baltimore Chapter, at henry.rosenbaum@fidf.org or 410-878-7225.

Photo: After the battle for Jerusalem, Israeli paratroopers (left to right) Haim Oshri, Yitzhak Yifat and Zion Karasenti gaze up at the Western Wall on June 7, 1967, in the late David Rubinger’s immortal photo.

 

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