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As December ends Jerusalem welcomes tourists

Sharon A

Hanukkah is over, and the end of December 2025 is approaching rapidly.

Winter has returned with cold and rainy weather on the Jerusalem streets.

Here’s a brief tour of some of what was happening on the Jerusalem streets.

Last week was better for tourists; the sky was blue, the flowers brilliant purple, and the grass green.

A little of what we knew as “fall colors” elsewhere in the world, much prettier photos than grey rain.

Slowly, Jerusalem streets are getting new street signs, one day at a time, it seems.

Under the blue sky, people were returning to Jaffa Gate and the Old City.

International tourists are back. Some have rebooked multiple times because flights were canceled.

In the Mamilla Mall, a line was waiting to get into a popular restaurant for lunch.

An off-duty soldier was spotted in the midday crowd.

The final sale sign that filled the eyeglass store with potential customers attracted more attention.

The Old City’s New Gate was the entrance to one of Jerusalem’s major Christmas celebrations.

Only the big event was on December 24 at night; by daytime on December 25, the decorations and booths were being taken down.

The sign for Hanukkah lighting candles at the Western Wall was still up.

The popular protest site near Balfour Street was clear. A tree is filled with yellow hearts. The names of the returned hostages are on the tree near Balfour Street.

Hamas has not released Ran Gvili as agreed in the ceasefire. A yellow chair remains for the last hostage.

All hostages, alive and dead, were to be returned to Israel before going to stage two of the plan.

Also, the yellow chair remains at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence.

The yellow hostage ribbon is now joined with a black ribbon after the murders in Australia.

Tuesday night was the inaugural Woman of Iron awards. Eighteen impressive women were honored.

There were smiles. Conversations. Meetings with long-time friends. Making important new connections.

Women Sharing Loss, Understanding, and Resilience. Yes, men attended also. More photos HERE

Kol Haot was one stop on the Momentum Educator’s Mission, bringing Jewish women together.

Unity. Solidarity. Expression in art. Israeli women joined the educators from Mexico and North America.

The Birthright trips have also started up again, filling the Jerusalem streets with buses of young people.

Now, to end on a sweet note. December is the start of strawberry season.

Just a taste of this past week in the Jerusalem streets. Hope to see you here soon!

#Next Year in Jerusalem

Large electric menorah by Jerusalem, Israel street

From Jerusalem streets to Galilee for Hanukkah

Sharon A

There never seems to be enough time on Hanukkah.

Even with eight days, there is so much to do in Jerusalem, Israel.

Tours fill the streets to see the lights, from the Old City to Machane Yehuda Market and beyond.

This year, on the first night, one flame, and the local Chabad was eerily quiet.

One Chanukiah in a building lobby was simple but elegant enough to stop and admire.

The second night was not quiet for the candle lighting at the Ramada Hotel.

Kesher Yehudi honored Nova survivors to light the candles as the rabbis and hundreds of guests watched.

A Torah has been dedicated in honor of the group of Nova survivors who began keeping Shabbat.

Three lights on a car for the third day of Hanukkah.

Now, time for some good news delivered on Hanukkah.

It’s been a while since I attended a press conference at the King David Hotel.

Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat and German Economic Affairs and Energy Minister Katharina Reiche spoke of positive agreements between Israel and Germany.

There was time allotted for two questions.

The Israeli journalist spoke in German, as the translator concentrated on relaying his question.

An important announcement of a gas deal with Egypt also added to the positive economic news.

The King David Hotel lobby had an impressive flower arrangement, but no Chanukkah menorah near it.

Notice that across King David Street, the Christmas decorations were up at the YMCA.

On Thursday morning, I headed north to the Western Galilee with a special JNF-USA tour.

Driving two hours, with wonderful views, and beautiful green growth after the heavy rains of Storm Byron.

The idea was to learn about the Western Galilee Winter Festival, where the diversity of cultures connects.

There are impressive Muslim villages lining the roads to the North.

Our first stop was in Moreshet, where a food workshop is held in a Jewish woman’s home. She partners with a Druze woman, who is also a professional chef, delivering a fabulous dairy meal. The brownies were in the oven for dessert. Sorry, no photos, they disappeared too quickly, and we were on our way.

The view as the sun set quickly was colorful and majestic when we arrived at Mi’ilya.

The holiday lights were on in the Christian village of Mi’ilya as the sky went dark.

On our tour was Chateau du Roi – the King’s Fortress – now a restaurant, not kosher, but full of history.

An archaeological excavation was conducted at the site, finding remains of pottery from the time of the First Temple.

The owner and developer of the restaurant told of the vast quantity of wine that was produced here.

Outside, the light display was ready near the church for the holiday season.

Fascinating tour of a place I had never heard about, and certainly not been before.

It was the fifth night of Hannukkah, and the lights were lit on the security fence.

The third stop, “When Art Lights up the Night: A Celebration of Light & Movement in the International Dance Village,” was written on the schedule. We saw artistic lighting on the Kibbutz Ga’aton grounds.

Then, the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, youth division dancers, performed.

I had not read to the end of the itinerary to see “with audience participation.”

I declined, but others, young and not so young, improvised and moved with the young dance troupe.

The Western Galilee has been under rocket fire for years. For the past two years, many were evacuated, and businesses and the economy suffered. The Western Galilee Now collective is encouraging people to come back, to taste, experience, and explore a beautiful part of Israel once again.

After a restful Shabbat, it was time to check out the Jerusalem streets on the next-to-last night.

Seen in windows, usually shuttered at night, were displays as this one.

Then, President Isaac and Michal Herzog lit the chanukiya at Beit Hanasi with Marc and Chantal Belzberg at a special OneFamily event, connecting the first candle victims in Sydney with Israeli victims of terror.

However, it’s time to end a long post with my new favorite this year at Jerusalem’s Nayot Park.

Chanukkiah Western Wall - Happy Hanukkah - watermarked

חנוכה שמח

Hanukkah Sameach

Checking out Jerusalem streets before Hanukkah

Sharon A

The week before Hanukkah was a busy one in Jerusalem, Israel.

There is a general sense that things are returning to “normal” on the streets of Jerusalem.

Even as the horrid news comes from Australia, we must keep sharing the truth with the world.

Check out only some of what was happening:

  1. The Jerusalem Theater held the final event of the Ambassador Summit 2025.

Ambassador Mike Huckabee was the highlighted speaker. He is always popular with his audiences.

One panel featured the mother of a fallen soldier and Israeli officials discussing the war in Gaza and the aftermath of October 7.

Fleur Hassan Nahoum, Caroline Glick, and the father of Yaron Lischinsky spoke of the global impact of antisemitism on another panel.

A buffet dinner was ready for the 1000 Christian leaders before they headed home. Hopefully, they will share the truth they witnessed and return with their followers in tour groups to see the real Israel.

What timing. Last week, the first person I met from the Ambassador Summit was artist Hooman Khlili.

And there he was being interviewed by Jodie Cohen of Newsmax as I left the theater.

2. Monday morning, I was on my way to the Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk, when I had to stop

to look at the new towers that have risen over the old area.

Suffganiot, the Israeli doughnuts for Hanukkah, are traditionally fried, sugar-coated doughnuts filled with a red jelly or jam.

The display at Teller Bakery, the first stop, had many more varieties. It was the first time I ever had Trix and blueberry cheese cake doughnuts – and for breakfast. What a sweet start for the “Suffganya Crawl” with Jamie Geller and her Aish production team.

Oh, how very sweet it was!

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They stopped for a few minutes in the shuk to make a Happy Hanukkah video and pose for a photo.

In the Haba bakery stall in the shuk, he was making suffganiot. Only the traditional ones, not rated high, but the least expensive and the freshest if you got one that was straight from the fryer.

It had been months since I was in town on Agripas Street. Helen is a new bakery and restaurant.

The line of customers waiting for service was long and impressively patient.

The items on display made me wonder how many calories are in only looking.

This seems to be the year of the Lotus suffgania. These at Helen were the most expensive of the day. But considered a 10 by Jamie and large enough for two. But not my favorite flavor.

Gagou de Paris had plenty of customers lined up in front of its inviting display cases.

Getting there was not so simple due to all the light rail work going on.

However, taking a photo of the displays was not so simple either. These wild berry suffganiot must have been really good. I did not get a taste to sample. They were gone by the time I reached the back of the store to the tables. Pistachio was still available, salty, not sweet, which was different.

From there, we went to the roof of the new Suzana and Ivan Kaufman Aish Institute for Women’s Education, also on King George Street. Of course, I had to get a photo of the view from the roof first.

There, we had more samples from other artisan bakeries, and one non-dairy cream was surprisingly good.

3. I was off to the Old City and the Tower of David.

The Roladin suffganiot are well known for their inventive varieties each year, as these in Mamilla Mall.

This time of year, it is hard not to find suffganiot.

The plaza outside Jaffa Gate was too empty given the pleasant weather.

But the tourists are arriving.

People who have not been to Jaffa Gate recently will be surprised to find it covered with stickers. The friends and families of fallen soldiers have made stickers to share the names and faces of those lost.

The big archeological news this past week, before Hanukkah, was the Hasmonean Wall revealed in the Tower of David Kishle.

Archeologist Amit Re’em has been exploring the space for 25 years. On Monday, he was interviewed by the media as his extensive work was presented worldwide.

In around two years, a glass floor will enable the public to view the site.

4. Ambassador Mike Huckabee was the special guest for NGO Monitor on Wednesday night at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in a discussion with Gerald Steinberg and Olga Deutsch.

He was the first and last speaker I heard this week. Not a problem, I could listen to him every day.

Great timing! The Storm called Byron only brought some rain as we headed home at night.

5. Inside the Jaffa Gate was quiet as three women walked toward the Muslim Quarter.

But the shops are open, and Santas are out, waiting for the holiday tourists.

The Hanukkah lights are colorful over the Jerusalem streets, ready for Hanukkah.

Hanukkah starts at sunset Sunday, December 14, 2025. We have had our share of rain for a while. I hope the week is dry. There are too many tours and events to list now. It’s a family time to celebrate together.

Hanuka sameach bus sign

HAPPY HANUKKAH