It was a legendary, bloody battle in 1967 that led to the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control after it had been captured by the Jordanians in the 1948 War of Independence. Despite the battle’s historic significance, the site was neglected and originally planned for development into a residential neighborhood. Seven families of fallen soldiers refused to allow that to happen, and a new honor wall with seven plaques, one for each family, recognizing their tireless work to turn Ammunition Hill into the storied heritage site that it is today, was unveiled this Hanukkah in a moving ceremony that brought together those founders, their families, veterans of the battle, and the community at large.
The site, hosting tens of thousands of visitors a year, is supported by Jewish National Fund-USA and is now home to a museum, guided tours, a Wall of Honor to Jewish soldiers from around the world, and a moving memorial hall to those who fell in battle and those who remain with us Katri Maor, the CEO of Ammunition Hill, described the site’s current significance, “The founders’ work brought recognition to the legacy of the Six Day War as a central milestone in the establishment of the state. This is a place where we will continue to educate the generations to come.”
The wall recognizes the indomitable will and hard work of the seven founders, Natan Shnur, Mira Frenkel, Oded Miodovsky, Avraham Kahana, Nuriel Binyamini, Yitchak and Shoshana Feniger, and Moshe Magril. The wall was inaugurated as part of a larger redesign of the site’s entrance hall, a major improvement sponsored by Jewish National Fund-USA partner (donor) Robert Glimcher of Pittsburgh, which is nearly complete and will be launched with an official opening ceremony this spring. Glimcher’s commitment to creating a top-rate facility for Ammunition Hill, with the hopes of bringing more visitors and providing an improved experience, demonstrates how far the Founders have come from their first efforts just to get the site recognized for its importance. Speaking of the Hanukkah unveiling, Glimcher shared how meaningful this part of the entranceway is, saying, “I’m honored to be involved in something that commemorates the memory of those who fought and fell in this battle.”
For Larry Russ, a Los Angeles-based lawyer who contributed to the establishment of a 3D Diorama of the site and the preservation of the battlefield, the reinvented entranceway and its Wall of Founders are vital to giving the site the respect it deserves. He shared, “The continued expansion and enhancement of this important heritage site honor the resilience of heroes, men, and women of all ages, who bravely gave their lives to protect their beloved country of Israel.”
For the families themselves, and the staff of Ammunition Hill, many of whom are also families of fallen soldiers, the Wall is a testament to the commitment to remember the sacrifices their loved ones made. Each unveiled plaque bears the founders’ names and who they lost, so that visitors for generations to come will be able to recognize the cost that was paid on this site, for those who died and for those who loved them. “The fact that Ammunition Hill has become an inextricable part of Israeli society gives me a sort of comfort,” shared Nuriel Binyamini at the event, “A comfort that our loved ones, who we miss painfully to today, live on and their legacy reverberates still.”