Month: December 2011

Tour de Jerusalem

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The first ever Tour de Jerusalem bicycle race was held on December 6, 2011

featuring both Tour de France winner Alberto Contador

and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat as riders.

Some bicycle enthusiasts arrived through Mamilla Mall

and then climbed the steps toward the Old City.

Time to call home and let Mom know, “I am riding with Alberto.”

Crowds gathered by Jaffa Gate

where the race was to begin.

Some of the cyclists came up the hill toward the Jaffa Gate

and others waited by the gate for their entrance.

When the race did not begin at the announced 4:30pm start time,

this was the scene inside of Jaffa Gate.

The race finally did begin and

the expert cyclists came off the mark quickly.

Of the thousands of spectators,

 these girls from Denmark, here to volunteer in a local soup kitchen,

were some of the most vocal when they spotted a rider they knew from home.

The riders were not the only ones who had to be careful on their hilly route.

Even with years of  infrastructure work the plaza needs more, so watch your step.

As the moon rose,

the first lap of the race was ending.

The walls of the Old City were a beautiful sight at sunset.

 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador won the first ever Tour de Jerusalem.

No surprise there and only one reported rider injury…

 this cycling event was a success.

Additional photos on The Real Jerusalem Streets Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.285448974831248.66555.152997821409698&type=1

Women in the News

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Many recent headlines feature women, one of the most prominent

 is Dorit Beinisch, President (Chief Justice) of the Israeli Supreme Court.

As President of the Supreme Court, she is the head of the Israeli judiciary,

responsible for managing the court system

and directly involved in selection of  all new Supreme Court judges.

On the real streets there are hundreds of women judges and lawyers,

who work in their profession and raise a family without making any headlines.

Recently, photos of women used in advertising drew negative attention

resulting in protest signs…with women in them.

While in Mamilla Mall there are photos showing women’s bodies

and famous faces in advertising campaigns,

 this sign for lingerie caught my attention…for what it did not show.

A small protest against the opening of this dance studio got a lot of coverage,

but a protest against domestic violence against women was ignored by the media.

I walked with the protesters until Mamilla Mall,

as it was on my way to a Jerusalem Web Professionals Meetup.

Women and men getting together to network, share ideas and help each other.

There are thousands of women in hi-tech and science doing great work,

many volunteer their expertise, but only a rare few make headlines.

It took until today for religious women to get positive headlines

 for serving in the army, some are proud to wear long, modest skirts.

There are women who after making aliya as lone soldiers, volunteer to help others.

  These young women worked hard to help feed over 300 lone soldiers in Tel Aviv

at Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by the Lone Soldier Center in memory of M. Levin.

Over two dozen women olim volunteered to make side dishes and desserts,

preparing everything from traditional cranberry relish to fresh pumpkin pies.

Thousands of women volunteer in educational support organizations such as

AMIT, Emunah, Hadassah, and WIZO, but they do not make headlines.

On International Volunteer Day a few special cases are honored.

The unseen faces, quiet and hard-working, the unsung heroes

are those who enrich everyone around them…

but they are not news.

Today might be a good time to say, thank you volunteers.

Not a Pretty Picture

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Police across the United States and around the world are entering and closing down

“Occupy” protest camps and tent cities.

 Around Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, there is major landscaping in progress,

but it is still “occupied” by homeless people.

The encampment

set up on a major thoroughfare

takes up a sizeable section of the park.

It is not a pretty picture.

Wood is ready to burn for heat and cooking,

a reminder that meteorological winter begins today.

Structures are covered with plastic to protect them from the rain.

Inside the park, fences have been installed,

a garbage bin is in place,

 as are a Tzedekah box to collect money

and primitive washing facilities.

Many passers-by complain about the appearance of the park.

The irony is that those tents in the sun can be a whole lot warmer

than the old stone buildings in Jerusalem that get no sun in the winter.

The tent dwellers may save a lot of money on daytime heating costs,

but it is not a pretty picture.

To end the week with something positive…

everyone can take part in Hamshushlim, an annual Jerusalem event with

hundreds of museums and restaurants offering reduced prices

and free entrance on Thursday nights in December.