Sharon A – Page 104 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

On with the Show In Jerusalem

August 16, 2020Sharon A

Jerusalem in August is usually not the most popular place to be.

It’s hot. It gets humid at night in Jerusalem.

It’s summer vacation time when residents go north to find cool waterways and nature trails. In past years, tens of thousands of Israelis flew overseas to foreign destinations for a holiday. With COVID-19, nothing is usual this summer.

But even during a pandemic in Jerusalem, the attitude is that the show must go on.

The Western Wall Plaza is divided up to meet the latest prayer limit restrictions and, as you can see in this image taken after Shabbat, the sections were filled.

Families are doing their best to keep children busy and safe. With hats, sunglasses, and masks it can be difficult to recognize friends.

Last week the clouds over Jerusalem were impressive.

For two days in a row, there was no rain, just massive clouds over the city.

Those white billowing clouds can make for colorful images at sunset.

By day even weeds growing wild make for a colorful image.

These are the slow days or the end of summer. Instead of attending crowded festival events and conferences with hundreds of participants, walking these nature trails in Jerusalem has been a daily activity. There is a man sitting and reading alone in the distance. There are a few runners, occasionally a person sitting alone on a bench meditating, even a young couple sitting together, with the girl wearing a hijab covering her face with her hands.

I refrain from taking photos of people to respect their privacy. But this guy I had to get.

Days of walking slowly, not rushing to a scheduled meeting, one can look and see a bird perched.

Look up, there are building cranes in most directions over Jerusalem streets. These working on the National Library and Jerusalem Gateway seemed to be in sync.

Oops, the water company was on site for a water leak.

The next day it was repaired and all was back to normal.

However, not all is quiet. The protests near the Prime Minister’s Residence continue. Members of the IPO played a concert and various culture groups also joined protesters.

Theaters have not been allowed to reopen. However, the 59th Israel Festival, originally set for June, has rescheduled for September 3-12. The “show must go on” for the annual Jerusalem event with local and foreign artists, events, and performances.

The 2020 Jerusalem Jazz Festival is planned for September 8-10.

The Jerusalem Municipality is holding a series of events at Jerusalem’s bars and nightlife businesses. Every Monday, during the month of August, the Shaon Horef events are happening.

Jerusalem School of Rock student performers were out entertaining the public. One of the many Jerusalem street actors passed by and danced to the beat for a bit on his way up Hillel Street.

A warm-up for August 20-21, the two-day family-friendly smoke-free, second annual Jerusalem Community Woodstock event. Featuring the best of the Woodstock era bands with music, food, camping out

The jamming to the “greatest music in rock history” is planned at Silo, a vegetarian eatery, off the First Station parking lot. At this Jerusalem Woodstock, don’t expect to find mud, smoking, or drugs.

The Israel Museum finally reopened after being closed for months due to corona.

The first visitors came on Thursday with masks, tickets, and special security.

The water is back on and flowing over the Shrine of the Book.

The Bloomfield Science Museum is to reopen this week.

Planning for the future, The Jerusalem Theater opened its 2021 membership season.

Here are some on my favorite Jerusalem flowers, the בוגונויליה – Bougainvillea.

Want to get out of Jerusalem and see more Israeli flowers?

See the latest wildflower walking tours HERE.

And to end on a positive note, the night shows at the Tower of David were fully booked! So they added more. Only Friday nights the lights and sounds are silent.

Rosh Hodesh Elul is Thursday and Friday.

Only one more month in the Hebrew year תש”פ.

In Jerusalem, the streets and shows are slowly happening again.

Wherever you are headed this week take care and stay safe.

The skis are opening up to tourists.

Hoping to see more visitors again on the Jerusalem streets.

Remembering Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz z”l

August 14, 2020August 14, 2020Sharon A

Knowledge is the key to growth in society, not wealth or power.

How do you create a lasting and egalitarian society?

“Giving people access to knowledge,” says Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

On Friday, August 7, 2020, the 17th day of Av, the funeral of Rav Adin Even-Israel z”l, more commonly known as Rabbi Steinsaltz z”l, was held in Jerusalem, Israel. He was buried in the Chabad section of the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the number of mourners allowed was restricted. Were it not for those restrictions, thousands would have come to pay respects in person in spite of the blazing sun on a Friday afternoon. These images are screenshots from a live broadcast.

During this past week of shiva, the traditional mourning week, also under coronavirus restrictions, many testimonials have been published. I, too, have also thought back to my encounters with the famed rabbi.

Back in 1995, Ezer Weizman was in the midst of his first term as President of Israel.

Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau was the Chief Rabbi, the Chief Rabbinate was still based in Heichel Shlomo.

Isi Leibler, (right) was the president of the Australian Institute for Jewish Affairs and led an ECAJ (Executive Council of Australian Jewry) leadership mission to Israel. One of the most memorable sessions of those full days was a talk by Rav Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz z”l. “Yichus,” the Rabbi told his audience, is like the potato: the best part of the plant lies in the ground.

A more recent encounter was at the 2015 International Book Fair at First Station in the Hangar, which had sparse attendance. Rav Steinsaltz sat to sign books at the Koren booth, largely unnoticed by the few people in the vast hall.

In October 2016, at one of the early 929 Bible Study groups at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence, hosted by President Reuven and the late Nechama Rivlin z”l, Rabbi Steinsaltz z”l had his arm in a sling, and left eye was blackened, but he rose to speak and shared words of Jewish wisdom with the diverse crowd.

However, in June 2018, at the Jerusalem Orient Isrotel Hotel, Rabbi Adin Even-Israel z”l walked into the ballroom escorted by his son Meni and his grandson.

The room was filled with admirers at a gala dinner to honor the rabbi’s 80th birthday and the success of the Steinsaltz Center.

President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein offered video greetings. A constant stream of well-wishers came to speak with the frail rabbi, men and women, young and old.

MK Zeev Elkin was one of the many dignitaries present at the dinner event.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks was the keynote speaker.

And what an eloquent, erudite, and inspiring talk it was!

The musical performance by Avrum Fried was exceptional.

The popular singer sat next to Rabbi Adin Even-Israel z”l near the conclusion of the evening. People stood around. The niggun went on and on as if people did not want the marvelous evening to end.

Rabbi Arial Holland was of the many people involved with the Steinsaltz Center to appear in the video comments. “Be it children or adults, the work and words of Rabbi Steinsaltz z”l have affected millions.”

It was quite a night, a night to remember. Honors were paid to one man who changed the world of Jewish knowledge. His translations, at first criticized, opened up ancient Aramaic texts from the study hall to a larger readership, first in Hebrew, then in English, French, and Russian.

Six years ago for the funeral of the 3 boys, Eyal, Gilad, and Naftali z’l, Rav Adin Steinsaltz’s inspiring words are worth sharing again:

“A dark cloud has befallen our nation today. Our hearts are broken, yet united with the hearts of the boys’ families, as we mourn and we cry with them. We cannot erase the evil. But we can create good. We can transform the world through goodness by living as Jews and acting as Jews, with our Torah and mitzvot.”

We cannot erase death. But we can acknowledge the good.

The life and work of Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz z”l exemplify how one man could transform the world. His life and actions continue to enable more and more Jews to learn Torah and do mitzvot.

May his memory be for a blessing.

Jerusalem Riding the Waves of August

August 9, 2020Sharon A

From Jerusalem, there is good news and bad news.

Rollercoaster days with ups and downs.

Highs and lows with COVID-19.

Beautiful, happy weddings and sad, sad funerals.

Crazy times with closings and openings.

Yet 140 new Olim arrived from France. We know that others are arriving daily without a big reception, to go into a two-week quarantine, before starting their new lives in their new home.

The seasonal international tourists are missing from the Jerusalem streets.

The Pianos Festival went online this year.

However, the seasons and nature are consistent.

The days are growing shorter with the end of August rapidly approaching.

The well-watered grass in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park is ready for guests.

The Jerusalem Mayor’s office announced the removal of public telephones. But Jerusalem has added food trucks in various park locations. Friday morning, pizza was available in Gan Sacher.

Drive-in movies are being shown at the First Station parking lot. Regular theaters are still closed to Corona restrictions.

Shaon Horef, the Winter Noise Festival held on Jerusalem streets on Monday nights in February, got lost in the news of approaching novel coronavirus. Now Jerusalem is trying for Shaon Horef on August summer nights with music and performances on various streets.

The parks are sponsoring Sport and Fitness for retired folks.

Among the other options are biking, flower arranging, yoga and Pilates, and Segway tours.

Not sure who was having more fun here, the father controlling the flying toy or the kids who sat to watch.

Parties for the youth are planned in the Jerusalem parks.

And Jerusalem parks are, as always, perfect for a first date, another sign of this season.

The Jerusalem municipality has offered to host weddings at various scenic locations:

the Promenade at Armon Hanatziv,

the Bloomfield Gardens near the Montefiore Windmill,

and the Liberty Bell Park. They are also some of my favorite Jerusalem locations.

Protesters sitting on Jerusalem street near the Prime Minister's Residence — Photo credit: Shifra G

Those noisy protests near the Prime Minister’s Residence continue.

The Israel Museum was closed for months but there is some good news there.

Museum galleries are scheduled to open this Thursday. The employees protesting last week are to return to work.

From a distance I noticed the all-black covering put on the back of city promotional signs along Hazaz Street, part of the black shirt anti-government protest.

However, looking closer to the new landscaping along the street, there are new flowers emerging.

This pink sign is one of the Jerusalem promoting tourism which were covered in black. But I took this photo to share a sign of normalcy. Friday morning flowers were being sold for Shabbat.

The sun has risen and set.

The limes on the tree are growing and almost ready to pick.

I thought I had found a perfect rose for a closeup.

Only when I got home a saw there was an insect crawling on it.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon announced,”Following the global tourism crisis, we decided to advance the upgrade work and infrastructure related to tourist areas throughout the city. Upgrading King David Street is a complex upgrade project that affects transportation throughout central Jerusalem.”

The Israel National Library on Givat Ram announced, including their online sessions, will be closed for lack of funding.

But, construction on the new National Library is going strong. This is how the roof looked today.

So there you have it, not all good, part of what’s happening on the Jerusalem streets this week.

I miss attending events at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence. The very restricted number of programs now are limited to the Government Press Office only, not open to those of us with GPO cards.

Israeli President on phone — Photo credit: Mark Neyman

Today President Rivlin spoke on the telephone with people who have requested help via the coronavirus hotline opened by Beit HaNasi.

Let’s hope we can all ride these waves safely.