på

PARATROOPERS AT THE WESTERN

WALL

English Project
BY: Eliyahu Barshteyn
7/12/2018
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction Page 3

Descriptive Essay Page 3

Research Page 3

Diary Entry Page 4

Personal Reflection Page 4

Introduction:
At first, I didn’t know what picture to use for this project, but I knew that I wanted an
Israeli picture. This was the first photograph that came to my mind, so I chose it. Taken by
Israeli photographer David Rubinger, on June 7, 1967, it shows three IDF paratroopers standing
in front of the Kotel (Western Wall) shortly after it was recaptured by Israel.

Descriptive Essay:
A couple days after the ‘Six Day War’ (when the Kotel was recaptured), David Rubinger
was at the Kotel, with his camera, and happened to see a group of paratroopers walking by, so
he decided to take a picture of them.This turned out to be, one of the most famous pictures in
modern Israeli History, depicting a happy and awe inspiring moment, where 3 Israeli
paratroopers, dressed in battle gear, are walking next to the Kotel looking up at it. This was a
happy time in Israel, having survived being attacked by 4 surrounding enemy countries, having
recaptured Jerusalem, and now they truly felt safe (knowing they could fight and beat their
enemies).
I chose it because I think it’s a beautiful photograph, that shows what life in Israel was
like. It makes me think of how Jews were willing to live in danger, so they could have their own
country back, and call themselves a nation. How they tried so hard to come to Jerusalem and
stand at the Kotel, and finally after many many years, were able to do so. I have great respect
for them, since its because of them, and the soldiers, that there is an independent Israel for me,
and so many other Jews to come to.
I want the reader to feel how lucky we are to be able to live in Israel, and it’s all thanks to
those, and many other people, who were willing to fight for that right.

Research:
Who was David Rubinger, and what made him decide to become a photographer, and to
take this picture?
David Rubinger was born in Austria in 1924. When the Nazi’s anexed Austria, he fled the
country, with the help of youth aliya, and eventually ended up in Palestine. During World War II,
Rubinger served in the Jewish Brigade of the British Army, and while he was on leave, was
given his first camera, and thus discovered that he liked photography.
After the War, David and his wife Anni moved to Israel. When he arrived he opened a
photography business in Jerusalem, and worked in it until 1951, when he was offered a
photojournalism job at HaOlam HaZeh. Later he worked for Yehdiot Acharonot, and The
Jerusalem Post, and finally for the remainder of his career, between 1954-2004, he worked for
Time-Life, as their primary photographer of the region.
As Time-Life’s main photographer in the region, Rubinger covered all of Israel’s wars,
including ‘The Six Day War’ where he captured the famous “Paratroopers at the Western Wall”.
He was also given almost unlimited access to government leaders, and to the Kenneset, where
he was able to take several memorable photographs. He was awarded the Israel Prize, for
communications in 1997, and for photography in 2000 (the first year this prize was awarded).
David Rubinger died on March 2, 2017, and will be remembered as the greatest Israeli
photographer.

Diary Entry
paratrooper Haim Oshri:

June 7, 1967.
I’m writing this entry because today was a very special day. After a hard and gruesome
fight, we finally recaptured Jerusalem from the Jordanians, and at long last the capital
and holiest city was back in our hands. The first thing everyone wanted to do was to go
see the Kotel, including my battalion, so that’s what we did. It was an awe inspiring
moment, standing at the holiest place on Earth, feeling so happy and elated, finally we
have proven to our enemies that we are stronger and greater than them, and shown
them what happens when they attack us. I hope and pray that Israel will remain an
independent Jewish state, and that we can continue living peacefully in our own land.