Historical Summary

 

"Jerusalem of Gold" appeared at the right time and in the right place, with truly miraculous timing. As if by historical order – May 1967, the city of Jerusalem was still divided with a wall at its heart, part of the border separating the western part of the city under the sovereignty of the State of Israel, from the eastern part, under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Jordan, then an enemy state.

In the "Binyanei Ha'Uma" (International Convention Center) auditorium, located in the Israeli part, an important, almost national, cultural event took place called: Israel Song Festival. Within its framework, 12 songs and their performers competed for the top three places that would ensure them national recognition in Israeli culture.

 

Naomi Shemer's song did not participate in the competition. It was written in advance to be performed in the second part of the festival, an artistic segment, a kind of intermission – where singers perform while votes are counted backstage for the competing songs.

The Mayor of Jerusalem, hosting the festival, requested at least one song about the city he headed. Shemer accepted the request and wrote a song of longing for a city that was once full of glory, and under the existing circumstances, only remnants of its splendor remained. The words and the poignant melody were like a prayer for better days.

For the song's performance, Shuli Nathan was chosen – a young and relatively unknown singer. She took to the stage with a guitar and a bell-like voice, singing without an orchestra or accompanying musicians. Just her and Jerusalem of Gold. Immediately upon its first playing, the song was well-received by the audience, who stood on their feet and honored the singer with stormy applause. Even then, at its premiere, thousands of viewers in the hall could hum along with the singer to the chorus, as if they already knew the words and melody. As if they had heard it before. As if it was written for a passionate mass singing.

 

A few weeks later, at the end of the Six-Day War, the IDF returned the Western Wall and all parts of East Jerusalem to Israelis. The city of Jerusalem ascended to the height of our joy – its two parts were unified into one, and all its historical and sacred sites became accessible again to Jews in Israel and around the world.

Immediately after the war, when the song was already widely popular, Naomi Shemer updated its lyrics, adding another verse with optimistic lines that commemorate the city's return to the Jewish people. The necessary changes added a historical dimension to the song, which became part of the euphoria and victory albums, securing its place in the Israeli pantheon.

Since then, for six decades, it has topped the charts of Hebrew songs of all time, accompanying national events in Israel and around the world, and has garnered numerous titles, including: the best-selling Israeli album, the most widespread original Hebrew song in the world, and the most translated into other languages.

 

In the course of the years, there have been calls to replace the national anthem and place "Jerusalem of Gold" at the forefront, but this is not going to happen in the foreseeable future. Because, with all due respect, "Hatikvah" is much older, forged on the very foundations of the state's building, and it is as much a part of it as the Declaration of Independence, the Western Wall, and the Knesset.