Yom Yerushalayim
Yom Yerushalayim, or Jerusalem Day, commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control during the Six-Day War of June 1967, when Jewish access to the Old City and the Western Wall was restored after nineteen years of division. In 2027 it runs from sundown on Thursday, June 3 to nightfall on Friday, June 4. It is observed with prayers of thanksgiving, the recitation of Hallel, and in Jerusalem the Rikkud Degalim, or Flag Dance, in which crowds march with Israeli flags to the Western Wall. A warm greeting for the day is Yom Yerushalayim Sameach, happy Jerusalem Day.
Jerusalem Day, commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control during the Six-Day War of June 1967, when Jewish access to the Old City and the Western Wall was restored after nineteen years of division. It is observed on the twenty-eighth of Iyar with prayer, thanksgiving, and celebration.
After nineteen years of a city cut in two, a people returned to the stones of the Western Wall.
Why It Matters
For nineteen years, from 1948 to 1967, Jerusalem was divided, and Jews could not reach the Western Wall or the holy sites of the Old City. In the Six-Day War, Israeli forces gained control of the Old City, and the day has since marked the renewed connection between the Jewish people and their historic capital. It is celebrated most fervently within religious-Zionist communities as a day of gratitude, while the wider meaning of Jerusalem remains a subject of deep significance to many peoples and faiths.
How It Is Observed
Many communities recite Hallel (psalms of praise) and special prayers of thanksgiving. In Jerusalem, the Rikkud Degalim, the Flag Dance, brings crowds of celebrants marching with Israeli flags to the Western Wall. Ceremonies, study sessions, and public gatherings recall the events of 1967. The day is marked especially, though not universally, and observance varies across Israeli and diaspora communities.
Rituals & Symbols
What to Say
Yom Yerushalayim Sameach, Happy Jerusalem Day
"Yom Yerushalayim Sameach" "happy Jerusalem Day" is the warm greeting, or simply "Chag Sameach" ("happy festival").
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may those who love you be at peace. May there be peace within your walls, security within your citadels.”Psalm 122:6
Common Questions
When is Yom Yerushalayim in 2027?
Yom Yerushalayim 2027 begins at sundown on Thursday, June 3 and ends at nightfall on Friday, June 4.
What is Yom Yerushalayim?
Jerusalem Day, commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control during the Six-Day War of June 1967.
What happened in 1967?
During the Six-Day War, Israeli forces gained control of the Old City, restoring Jewish access to the Western Wall after nineteen years in which the city was divided.
How is it celebrated?
With Hallel and thanksgiving prayers, the Flag Dance march to the Western Wall, and public ceremonies, most fervently in religious-Zionist communities.
Is it observed by everyone?
Observance varies. It is marked especially within religious-Zionist circles, while the broader meaning of Jerusalem remains significant to many peoples and faiths.
Sundown, Thu Jun 3 – nightfall, Fri Jun 4, 2027
Yom Yerushalayim falls on the twenty-eighth of Iyar and, like all Jewish days, begins at sundown the evening before. It is a day of celebration with no restrictions on work.
Yom Yerushalayim Sameach, Happy Jerusalem Day