Later this week is Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day. This holiday, one of the most recent to be added to the calendar, is celebrated on the 28th day of Iyyar, six weeks after the Passover seder and one week before the holiday of Shavuot. While Jerusalem has been considered the capital of the Jewish people since King David captured it around the year 1000 BCE, there had never been a special day to celebrate the city. That changed once the Israeli army reclaimed the ancient, eastern part of the city on the third day of the Six Day War in 1967. Because of its young age, there are not many customs or traditions to make the holiday unique, but Israelis do tend to flock to the city for a "pilgrimage" day - some even hike up to Jerusalem!
While it is a little difficult for Jews in the Diaspora to make an impromptu visit to this holy city as a show of solidarity, we can still find interesting ways to mark this holiday. One possibility - create a Jerusalem menu. Some items you might want to include:
Israeli Breakfast Recipes - this isn't something you'll find at Denny's!
Yerushalmi Kugel - a delicious noodle kugel
Zaatar - mix up some of this iconic Israeli herb which dates back to Biblical times
Kufteh Berenji - Herbed Meatballs with Rice
Israeli Salad - it just wouldn't be an Israeli menu without it!
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