Yom Yerushalayim

Yom Yerushalayim Music

Hello all,

A theme that runs through so many of Jewish prayers is the desire to return to Zion, the place of the Beit Hamikdash, and to Yerushalayim, G-d's city. Three times a day we pray - 

"ולירושלים עירך ברחמים תשוב" and in Birkat Hamazon we say - 

"רחם נא ...ועל ירושלים עירך ועל ציון משכן כבודך". In Kedusha on Shabbos we recite 

"מתי תמלוך בציון... תתגדל ותתקדש בתוך ירושלים עירך". All of our fasts (besides Yom Kippur) are over the loss of Yerushalyim and its Temple, the Beit Hamikdash. It is no wonder Yerushalayim is very dominant in Jewish prose and music.

In honor of Yom Yerushalaym this coming Wednesday, I bring you some popular songs about the yearning to return to Yerushalayim and the beauty of Yerushalyim. The Gemara Kidushin 49B tells us about the beauty of Yerushalayim that:

"עשרה קבין של יופי ירדו לעולם, תשעה נטלה ירושלים ואחד כל העולם כולו. אין לך כיופיו של ירושלים"

(Ten portions of beauty came to the world, Yerushalyim took nine and the rest of the world took one. There is nothing like the beauty of Yerushalayim) 

CLICK HERE to hear ירושלים של זהב written by Naomi Shemer. This song became the symbol of the Six-Day War during which the old Yerushalayim was finally returned to Jewish sovereignty.

CLICK HERE to hear ירושלים אורו של עולם, sung by Avrohom Fried. This song speaks about Yerushalyim being at the center of the world, emanating G-d's light to the the entire world.

CLICK HERE to hear a pop Hebrew song, ירושלים את ירושתנו, by MBD.

CLICK HERE or HERE (a second version) to hear מעל פסגת הר הצופים. This song was especially relevant at a time when The Jordanians controlled the old city and one could only see the old city from Mount Scopus (hence its name: הר הצופים).

CLICK HERE to hear ולירושלים עירך written by Abie Rotenberg in Dveykus 3.

CLICK HERE to hear ולירושלים עירך composed by R' Shlomo Carlebach.

CLICK HERE to hear another version from R' Shlomo.

CLICK HERE to listen to Cantor Moshe Kussevitzki singing ולירושלים עירך, one of the most famous Cantorial masterpieces. 

CLICK HERE to hear R' Ben Tzion Sheinker teaches his famous ולירושלים עירך which he wrote after the Six-Day War in honor of the reunion of the Holy city.

CLICK HERE to hear the song ירושלים הרים סביב לה written by Abie Rotenberg.

גוט שבת

Chazzan Zevi