Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem” – Special for Chanukah 🕎
Every Friday, we share a photo of Jerusalem from the past, alongside the visible miracle of today’s ever-developing Jerusalem.
Today, as we mark the conclusion of Hanukkah and the approaching Sabbath, we’ve chosen an image that most profoundly illustrates the miracle of the Jewish people’s return to their land—the revival, the rebuilding, and the growth we witness all around us, as a given reality.
In the photo: A menorah in Kiel, Germany, in 1931, with the Nazi regime’s flag in the background.
“For in every generation, they rise against us to annihilate us.”
If a time machine had shown the family who placed that menorah in their window, amidst the surrounding darkness, what the State of Israel (not yet established at the time) would look like 94 years later, it would have been beyond miraculous and incomprehensible to them.
And today, despite everything—we are here, with pained hearts yet shining light.
Berlin, the capital of the Nazi regime, now trails far behind Tel Aviv, named by The Economist as one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Jerusalem is flourishing with unprecedented construction and employment.
We have long become a global high-tech powerhouse, and the shekel is one of the strongest currencies worldwide.
Certainly, much remains to be fixed—mutual responsibility, national unity, the cost of living, and exemplary leadership, to name a few.
But still, and despite everything—
The Jewish people are extraordinary, with some of the most remarkable and good-hearted individuals in the world. Together, we form one vibrant, living tapestry.
Since October 2023, we have paid the ultimate price, with the blood of our finest sons and daughters, to ensure that we may continue to live here, in the small villa we have build amidst the jungle, as free people and proud Jews.
Even in these chaotic times, when regimes and organizations collapse silently within moments, we are commanded to return to our true essence—unconditional love, love for our land, respect for others even when their views differ, and a shared destiny.
In actions, not just words.
They say that those who miracles happen to don’t always recognize them…
Shabbat Shalom to those near and far from Jerusalem.
May the hostages return safely to their families 🎗.
May we all turn to rebuilding our nation and creating an exemplary society, as we deserve and as the fallen heroes and their families who sacrificed so much would wish.
We should continue to witness and experience revealed and hidden miracles, and may peace return to Israel.
Photographer – Rachel Posner
