Some 57 years after the Six Day War and the reunification of Jerusalem, Ammunition Hill – The Six Day War Heritage Center is launching a campaign to collect letters, photos, and objects that tell the story of the special connection between American Jewry and Israel. This initiative seeks to preserve and document the support shown by the Jewish community in the United States during the Six Day War for future generations.
The campaign also recognizes the unwavering support from American Jews during recent conflicts, such as the War of Iron Swords, amid rising antisemitic attacks in the US. The Jewish community has historically stood with Israel through times of crisis and joy, and the collection campaign aims to highlight this enduring solidarity, particularly focusing on the Six Day War.
“American Jewry and the government of the power that protects world democracy stood by the State of Israel from the day it was founded,” Katri Maoz, manager of the Ammunition Hill Heritage Site, told The Jerusalem Post. “On the eve of the Six Day War, the head of the Mossad met with President Lyndon B. Johnson and the latter sent him home with a blessing for the start of the war and immediately after it thousands of youths came to volunteer in the kibbutzim of the country. American Jewry stands firmly by the side of the State of Israel.
“As a center for the legacy of the Six Day War, the liberation of Jerusalem, and its unification, it is our duty to preserve and document for future generations this unique and exciting alliance. We consider the project of collecting the letters, photos, and objects that tell the story of our common path and that of American Jewry to be of great importance and call on the general public to take part in writing this important chapter in the glorious history of the connection between the two communities.”
The Battle of Ammunition Hill
The Battle of Ammunition Hill was one of the fiercest and most significant battles during the Six Day War, particularly in the context of the battle for Jerusalem. It took place on June 6, 1967, and was a crucial part of the larger effort to reunify the city, which had been divided between Israeli and Jordanian control since 1948.
The battle quickly devolved into brutal close-quarters combat. Israeli paratroopers had to fight their way through a labyrinth of trenches and bunkers, often engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the Jordanian soldiers. The fighting was intense, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. The Jordanians fought tenaciously, but the Israeli forces eventually managed to overrun the position after several hours of bitter fighting.
Connection to the current war in Gaza
The wonderful initiative also has a meaningful connection to the current war Israel is fighting against Hamas.
“We are the torch bearers of this amazing legacy, and it could not be more personal for us,” Alon Wald, head of operations at Ammunition Hill National Heritage Center, told The Jerusalem Post.
“We have an amazing program called Adopt a Liberator, which was the spearhead of this whole thing. We arranged for hundreds of kids around the country to go to the houses of liberators of Jerusalem and scan what they found in their drawers, and two of the people who were supposed to get involved in October are two of the people whose bodies were just brought back [from Gaza] - Chaim Peri and Yoram Metzger.
“That is when we realized how the clock is ticking and we don’t have time,” Wald said.
The idea for the collection campaign was inspired by Li-or Squire, the archive manager at Ammunition Hill, who discovered a poignant family letter while packing his grandmother’s house in Chicago. The letter described the tense period before the Six Day War, known as the “waiting period.” Li-or’s grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, had two cousins in Israel and sent them flight tickets to escape the looming threat. The letter expressed her belief that another Holocaust could occur, but her family in Israel chose to stay, despite the danger. This personal story highlights the deep connection and shared history between American Jews and Israel.
Ephraim David Miller, a rabbinic student at Yeshiva University in 1967, also exemplified this connection. He left a heartfelt letter to his parents before boarding a plane to Israel, expressing his commitment to the country during the war. Miller later immigrated to Israel, where he taught and started a family, embodying the close ties between US and Israeli Jewry.
“I was a student in Yeshiva University at the time,” Miller told the Post. “I identified with the situation of Israel, and from Passover, it was quite clear there was going to be a war. The Jewish Agency at that time called for volunteers to come help on the kibbutzim as workers were called up to the IDF reserves.
“I had no money to help but felt I could accomplish something by coming to Israel and trying to help on a kibbutz or wherever they needed help. I asked my parents if it was okay, as we were raised on the meaning of Israel. My parents went upstairs and they came down with tears in their eyes and said, ‘We allow you to go on one condition – that you don’t tell your grandparents where you’re going.’
“Before I left I wrote a letter to them, thanking them for the permission to go.”
The campaign at Ammunition Hill encourages people to share their personal stories and artifacts from this period, emphasizing individual narratives over those of generals and statesmen. Brenda Henley from Temple Emanuel in Greensboro, North Carolina, contributed rabbinic sermons from the time, including a moving declaration from an emergency meeting in 1967, where the Jewish community rallied to support Israel with large donations.
The campaign also seeks unique items like a lapel pin combining Israeli chutzpah and American Jewish emotion, symbolizing the blend of cultural identities.
Ammunition Hill invites individuals to share their documents, letters, and personal historical records from the Six-Day War to help tell the story of the connection between the two largest Jewish communities in the world. Submissions can be made by contacting Li-or Squire at Lior@g-h.org.il or reaching out on social media.