Ten years ago in June, three teenage yeshiva students – Eyal Yifrah, Gil-Ad Shaer, and Naftali Fraenkel – were thumbing for a lift home when they got into a car that they believed was being driven by an Orthodox Jew and his companion. But the two people who picked them up were terrorists in disguise. One of the teenagers managed to get a message to his parents via his cell phone but that was the last they ever heard from him.Just as the nation is eager to bring home the hostages abducted by Hamas now, the nation was no less anxious to discover the fate of the three boys, and prayer meetings for their safety were held in Israel and around the world.Unfortunately, the prayers were to no avail. The boys were murdered soon after they were kidnapped.
But there had been such a united outpouring of love and concern for the families of the three that Nir Barkat, who was the mayor of Jerusalem at the time and who is now the minister of Economy and Industry, was impressed by the show of unity.Together with the three families, he sought to turn that demonstration of unity into something permanent, and thus the National Day of Unity with its accompanying Jerusalem Unity Prize was established at the President’s Residence. Since then, this has also been passed into law.
Each year, a number of volunteer organizations are awarded the Jerusalem Unity Prize by the President of the State in recognition of what they have done to advance unity and harmony within society.This time, in contrast to previous years, it was impossible to avoid the morale-boosting message and rally cries which have pervaded the public discourse since Oct. 7.President Isaac Herzog, Barkat, and Education Minister Yoav Kisch each utilized expressions such as, ‘United we are strong, divided we are weak,’ or variations that contained a similar message. It was also given that jubilation over the rescue and return on Saturday of four hostages was proof of Israel’s resilience and of Israel’s strength in working together.The theme of the ceremony as translated by the president’s English language spokesman was Caring for one Another, but the literal translation from Hebrew was, Brother envelops Brother.
Prize categories all war-related
THE PRIZE CATEGORIES were all war-related: Strengthening the South, Strengthening the North, and Strengthening the Home Front, Reservists, and Diaspora.Both Herzog and Kisch referred to the previously fragmented society which had caused Hamas to think that Israel was weak and therefore launch its murderous attack.Israel’s clear and decisive response had been, “Together we will win.” That continues to be the response along with, Am Yisrael Chai, (The people of Israel live).Herzog also emphasized that the return of all the hostages is Israel’s top priority.While rejoicing over Saturday’s successful rescue operation, Herzog did not forget that it cost Arnon Zmora his life, whose name, the president said, has been added to the pantheon of Israel’s heroes.The recipients of this year’s awards were Aharai, which encourages youth leadership and promotes civic participation in social welfare and community inclusion projects in peripheral and marginalized communities; Kerem el-Druze, a pre-military academy in which young members of the Druze community are trained to become dynamic leaders who can impact and influence their communities and society as a whole; the Yedidim Organization, whose volunteers help anyone in any kind of non-medical situation, though even then, if no ambulance is available, it will drive a sick person or victim of an accident to the hospital.Yedidim is particularly well-known for people who don’t know how to change a flat tire or who don’t have a spare, or who are experiencing engine trouble on the highway.Reservists operating under the banner of Heroes for Life, help discharged soldiers and their families and communities in a myriad of ways.A Jewish Agency enterprise that works with 75 Diaspora communities, known in English as Partnership2Gether Global Network, and which operates through shared endeavors and the strengthening of Jewish identity, was also in attendance.Special recognition was given to the Menomadin Foundation, which promotes social resilience through education, social welfare, and community engagement.Another recipient of special recognition was singer Omer Adam, who, in addition to entertaining the troops in the South, North, and elsewhere in the country, has opened a special club for soldiers fighting against Hamas and Hezbollah.Ofir Shaer, the father of the late Gil-Ad, spoke of how a personal crisis in Israel such as his own and those of the families of the hostages, evolves into a national one.