Jerusalem – 50 Years of Reunification (Israel 2017)

Jerusalem – 50 Years of Reunification – Souvenir Sheet
Issue date April 4, 2017 

The year 2017 marks fifty years since the unification of Jerusalem. The 50th anniversary of unified Jerusalem is a local, national and global event that is meaningful for the State of Israel, for the Jewish people around the world and for all the communities and peoples that cherish Jerusalem.

The fact that the capital of Israel and of the Jewish people no longer sits alone with a wall at its heart will be celebrated throughout the year.

Jerusalem is a metropolis that attempts to balance different beliefs and opinions, opposing tastes and habits. The Old City inside the ancient walls, the old neighborhoods outside those walls and the new neighborhoods built in this generation are all one city, special and unified.

From the time King David declared Jerusalem as the capital of his kingdom to the present day, daily life in Jerusalem has always existed alongside its stance as an object of desire and longing.

Fifty years ago the two parts of the divided city were united in a historic turn of events. During the subsequent fifty years, Jerusalem has also known heartache and suffering, but despite the hardships it has become one city.

The capital of the Jewish world fulfills its calling as the capital of the State of Israel and as the heart of the Jewish people, while also maintaining the places that are holy to people of all religions.

On the 50th anniversary of the unification of Jerusalem, the State of Israel is marking the historic event that took place in June 1967 with a series of events in Israel and abroad.

Jerusalem salutes its soldiers, embraces its residents, welcomes its guests and celebrates with all those who love it.

Hundreds of thousands of peoples from all around Israel and the world will march, visit and pray during the festivities. A wide range of participants will take part in the many various festivities, in the spirit of the diverse nature of Jerusalem — a vibrant city that is open to different opinions and to people of all backgrounds. The city combines the old and the new, tradition and innovation and has its own unique character.

A single thread runs from the excavations in the City of David through the digging of the foundations of the light railway: one central city where everyday life is intertwined with history.

Description of the Souvenir Sheet
Western Wall stamp
Jews at the Western Wall: photographers from the photography department of the American Colony, circa 1900. G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Washington DC.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem stamp
The water tower at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus campus – courtesy of the Hebrew University Archive.

Sheet Background
A section of the Temple Scroll; Israel Museum Photo Archive; Anemone and digital background — Shutterstock.

The light railway, the Knesset and the Shrine of the Book — Pini Hemo; Ammunition Hill and the Bridge of Strings ñ Meir Eshel; Lion Statue — courtesy of Ariel Events.