The Jerusalem streets are filling with the usual traffic disruptions as September begins.
The construction cranes, rising buildings, and light rail track digging feel endless.
Changes that seemed slow to begin are now progressing.
One surprise was the hotel construction on Jerusalem’s Ahad Ha’am Street.
Keren Hayesod Street has been a mess with light rail construction, so I avoided Ahad Ha’am Street and missed the hotel’s progress.
When I stayed at the President Hotel in 1981, I gave it a one-star rating for its less-than-luxury condition.
The old Jerusalem President Hotel had fallen into depths of disrepair in recent years.
But has been reborn with Social Space into a popular site.
Inside, spaces for culture, art, dance, and more.
With September, school has started for thousands of students, and the traffic that goes with it.
With Rosh Hashanah approaching, the pomegranates are appearing.
Only be warned: if you buy one too far in advance in a supermarket from a Muslim checkout girl, you could get charged for a Pink Lady Apple. The cost of an apple is more than that of a pomegranate.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation has been busy with Sefardi Selihot prayers each midnight for the month of Elul. Now the Ashkenazi custom of saying Selichot the week before Rosh Hashanah has begun. To clear the Kotel, Western Wall, space for the tens of thousands of people, tables and chairs are stored in the Wilson’s Arch space.
Large crowds for musical Selichot were at Binyanei HaUma, the Jerusalem International Conference Center, with Yisrael Meir and Yeshurn Synagogue for Shulem Lemmer, as well as many other Jerusalem synagogues after Shabbat.
Before Yom Kippur, more Selichot are planned. One at the National Library of Israel is to be for women only.
The year ends at sunset on September 11, 2026, and Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins.
May it be a good and healthy new year for all!
Hope to see you next year or better this year in Jerusalem!