“AMEN SONGS”: Yerushalayim Shel Zahav

Naomi Shemer’s “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” (“Jerusalem of Gold”) is more than a beloved Israeli song—it is a national and spiritual anthem, a love song to a city that holds the heart of a people. Written just before the Six-Day War in 1967 and transformed by the reunification of Jerusalem shortly thereafter, the song captures both longing and fulfillment, exile and return. Its melody is tender, its imagery poetic, and its impact lasting. In the refrain “Yerushalayim shel zahav, v’shel nechoshet v’shel or” (“Jerusalem of gold, of bronze, and of light”), Shemer evokes a vision that is both physical and mystical. On Yom Yerushalayim, we don’t just celebrate the return of a city—we celebrate the return of hope, faith, and the living connection between a people and its sacred center. The song reminds us that to say Amen – Be a Blessing is also to cherish our roots and to remember that every prayer for peace and wholeness echoes from Jerusalem outward.

This message finds powerful resonance in Parashat Behar–Bechukotai, where the Torah speaks of land, holiness, and return. In Behar, we are taught that the land itself must rest and that every fifty years, people are to return to their ancestral homes—a reminder that freedom, belonging, and restoration are central to the Jewish vision of justice and holiness. “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” embodies this yearning for return—not only in geography but in spirit. When Shemer added new verses after the Six-Day War, reflecting on the return to the Old City, the song became a modern fulfillment of ancient promises. Like the Yovel (Jubilee year), Yom Yerushalayim calls us back—not just to a place, but to a sense of purpose, identity, and sacred connection to our history.

In a time when Jerusalem is once again at the heart of conflict, “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” serves not only as a song of pride, but as a prayer. It calls us to see the beauty and fragility of the city, to protect it with both strength and humility. The blessings we speak over Jerusalem—whether in song, prayer, or action—are part of a larger calling to be a blessing ourselves. As we read Bechukotai, with its vision of reward for walking in God’s ways and its warnings about straying, we are reminded that the fate of the land and the soul of the people are deeply intertwined. Yom Yerushalayim and Shemer’s song invite us to renew our commitment to both—with love, with reverence, and with the hope that Jerusalem’s light will continue to shine for all.