Going Up To Jerusalem - We Are All Commando 13

by Jerry Waxman

We happened to go to Jerusalem yesterday. We began to wander toward the market. Suddenly we saw a mighty big procession, with singing, chanting, drum beating, and lots of flag waving. I found out that it was a yearly thing, Aliya le-Yerushalayim -- going up to Jerusalem.

Aliya to Jerusalem




Early tractor Oliver 1947Groups of youths paraded down the street in front of us. They were jubilant, waving flags and carrying signs. These were youths from the settlements. They were joined by tractors of more than 60 years ago. They all had a part in building up Israel as a Jewish state. They all see Jerusalem as the center of Israel life, the Jewish capital since the time of David.

Concert in Jerusalem The marchers all assembled in a huge park for an evening of music and fun. Some musicians were already playing music. There was a fast Chassidic piece -- klezmer music -- and then they went to more modern favorites.

This year Jerusalem Aliya carried an air of defiance. At a time when around the world there are rallies and protests against Israel . . . when there are new calls to boycottIsrael products, and condemn all of Israel in general, and its defense forces in particular . . . the settlement youth proclaimed solidarity with IDF. They carried signs saying "We are all Shayetet 13" (the commando unit that boarded the Gaza flotilla two days earlier.")

At the park, a woman explained to me the significance of going up to Jerusalem every year at about the time of Shavuot. Our holidays all carry messages of building up the land of Israel, and being a united people. The families of the settlements link their lives to the capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem. When I told her that we came from Sderot, her eyes widened and she welcomed us as part of the cause - uniting and protecting the land of Israel.

Girl with flag in Jerusalem There may not be much to be proud of, living in the Negev. But to live where enemies shoot rockets because they don't want you there is an act of defiance. To live in the settlements, where so much of the world believes you don't belong, is an act of defiance. To do your duty as a soldier and protect the borders even while much of the world calls you a criminal, is an act of defiance. It was good -- no, it was fantastic -- to see youths of all ages, despite all that the world is saying about them, marching in solidarity and with pride



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