JERUSALEM, Israel | Aish hosted officers and commanders from the Jerusalem Policeโs Merhav David sub-district on Monday for a special ceremony honouring the men and women responsible for protecting the Old City and some of Jerusalemโs holiest sites.
The gathering at the Dan and Hytman Family Aish World Center combined a New Yearโs toast and formal lunch with the presentation of new ranks and certificates of excellence to members of the command.
Merhav David is responsible for policing the Old City, including areas surrounding its major religious sites. Millions of Jews, Christians and Muslims visit the area each year, including millions of Jewish worshippers and visitors who make their way to the Western Wall.
Aish said it has developed a longstanding working relationship with the Merhav David command and the commander responsible for the Western Wall, encompassing both security and Jewish educational initiatives.
Among those attending the ceremony were Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, Rabbi of the Western Wall; Suli Eliav, CEO of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation; Jerusalem District Police Commander Natziv Avshalom Peled; Merhav David Commander Deputy Natziv Dvir Tamim; police officers and their families; and officers recognized for their achievements during the past year.
Yehuda Weinberg, son of Aish founder Rabbi Noah Weinberg, said hosting the gathering reflected the organizationโs appreciation for those entrusted with protecting Jerusalemโs holy places.
โMerhav David is the police district entrusted with protecting the holiest sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. The brave force watches over millions of visitors of every faith who come through its gates each year, chief among them the millions of Jews who make their way to the Western Wall,โ Weinberg said.
โAish has always worked hand in hand with the Merhav David command and with the commander of the Western Wall, whether the task before us was security or education, and we consider it a privilege to open our doors to the men and women who carry that responsibility.โ
Weinberg said the gathering also reflected a principle his father established when he founded Aish in Jerusalem in 1974.
โMy father built Aish on the belief that the Jewish people are one family, and there is no clearer expression of that belief than watching our own campus fill with the officers who protect our holiest sites,โ he said.
โThis was our way of saying thank you, not for one act of service but for a devotion that never takes a day off.โ
Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO of Aish, said the organization wanted to recognize the daily responsibilities carried by the officers assigned to the Old City.
โThe men and women of Merhav David and the Israel Police stand at the gates of our holiest places every single day, in every kind of weather and under every kind of pressure, so that the rest of us can walk through those gates in peace,โ Burg said.
โHosting this celebration was a small way of expressing a debt we could never fully repay.โ
Burg said Aishโs relationship with members of Israelโs security forces extends beyond its work in Jerusalem.
Aish operates a hesder yeshiva in Tel Aviv, where students combine Torah study with military service. According to Burg, alumni from Aish programs, including its Spanish-language program and the Suzana and Ivan Kaufman Aish Institute for Womenโs Education, also serve throughout Israelโs security services.
โWe see this as one family: those who learn, those who guard, and those who guide,โ Burg said. โWe intend to keep strengthening this partnership, because the safety of Jerusalem and the vitality of Jewish learning have always depended on each other.โ
During the ceremony, officers who distinguished themselves over the past year received certificates of excellence.
The event also included a toast ahead of the Jewish New Year, with officers, commanders and their families sharing a meal prepared by Aish staff in their honour.
Aish is an international Jewish educational organization headquartered in Jerusalem adjacent to the Western Wall. Through educational programs, digital content and immersive experiences, the organization works to strengthen Jewish identity, education and connection among Jewish communities worldwide.
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