The Six Days War — Fifty Years Ago Today (June 5, 1967)

Fifty years ago today, 5 June 1967, according to the Gregorian Calendar, the Six Days War began.  At the time my wife Mary and I were students at the Institute of Holy Land Studies (now the Jerusalem University College) which then was located in a Christian Missionary Alliance building on 55 Street of the Prophets.  Much has been written about this war (see below for a great book on the subject) but I thought I would share eight pictures that I took at that time.

The spring class of 1967 at the Institute of Holy Land Studies (now “Jerusalem University College”) at 55 Street of the Prophets in then west Jerusalem.

In the center middle Gorgina “Snook” Young and behind her, to the right, Dr. G. Douglas Young (founder and visionary of the Institute of Holy Land Studies). Carl Rasmussen (red shirt on left) content provider to this site, and his wife Mary, blue dress front left.  Below and to the right of Dr. Young, Dr. Donald Dayton. Back left, Dr. Paul Ferris and below him to the right his wife Lois.

There were no “bomb shelters” in our area so we gathered in the lowest level of our three–story building.  Most of the other houses in the area were one–story tall, so the neighbors gathered in our building for protection.

The well-dressed lady with the poodle is Gorgina “Snook” Young, the wife of the founder of the IHLS, Dr. G. Douglas Young in our “shelter.”

The first night of the war the shelling was rather intense in our area.  Some plaster was falling off the walls but we were never directly hit.

Makeshift sleeping conditions in the basement.  My wife Mary is on the right side of the image.  The dresser is positioned to help prevent shattering glass from hitting the area.

Jerusalem city buses (that had transported troops who were fighting in the Old City and elsewhere). Note the blacked out headlights.

The Israel Defense Forces had called up all kinds of civilian vehicles to transport troops.

Looking down at one of the army vehicles outside our building.

During the war some of the Israeli troops rested during the daylight hours.  We offered them refreshing juice (mitz).

My wife Mary at the entrance to the YMCA in “West Jerusalem.”

The “joke” in Mary’s family is that two of her brothers served in the USA military, but Mary has been though 2 wars (yes, we were in Israel for the Yom Kippur War).

Sandbags in the windows of the hospital next to our school.

Sidelight: during the (1967) war Mary and I went to help at a hospital called Misgav Ladach.  Later, in 1977, our third son Andrew was born in that same hospital!

For a well–researched (and written) book on the war see Oren, Michael B. Six Days of War — June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

And for a recently disclosed Israeli Go Nuclear Option see Here  (I am glad we missed this one!).

Advertisement