Favorites – Page 184 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Journeys to Jerusalem

March 21, 2012rjstreets

Spring is usually the perfect season for a trip to Israel.

However, this year 15,000 runners in the Jerusalem marathon events

ran in the cold and rain as they entered the Old City through the Jaffa Gate.

Marathon runners were not the only visitors to Jerusalem,

as tourists from all over the world have been coming in record numbers.

I met up with one tour group called The Land and Spirit Mission sponsored by

the Jewish Learning Institute, the educational arm of the Chabad movement.

Near Jaffa Gate, they were able to learn about the Tower of David

and cheer on the leaders of the 10 Kilometer race.

No matter the weather, visitors near the Kotel, Western Wall

want to pose and smile for photos.

As one of the rabbis with the tour group spoke,

some of the women climbed on chairs to see and hear.

From the United States and from around the world, 150 participants

came to experience and learn more about Judaism and Israel.

Rain, cold weather and grey skies could not dampen their spirits.

For some participants it was their first trip to Israel;

others had visited many times. Jerusalem is always changing,

every day there is something new to see and discover.

One stop on the tour of the Old City was Mamilla Mall,

once part of “no man’s land” during the years under Jordanian rule.

Now the new pedestrian shopping area has many restaurants

and is a popular destination for both tourists and locals.

It is quite a contrast to the old Arab shuk.

Going through the narrow streets of the Old City,

we found one of the most incredible views …and a bit of blue sky.

A few minutes later outside the entrance to the Hurva Synagogue,

while listening to the story of the restoration of the historic building,

it started to hail.

A perfect time to go inside to see the impressive sanctuary.

As women listened from above in the women’s section,

the Chief Rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch,

spoke to the group.

He began by praising the Chabad rabbis in the audience

and their organization for their important work around the world.

There is wisdom of the head, the rabbi told the group,

but the “Jewish people also have wisdom of the heart”.

In the cold rain and hail, it is heart, not the mind, that kept the runners going.

Throughout the centuries the longing for Jerusalem inspired many

to take the difficult journey to Jerusalem.

So how could a little bad weather possibly ruin a trip to Israel?

The Land and Spirit Mission was organized by Zev Jacobson

and his team at Israel Maven Tours.

Israel Maven, dedicated to providing a high-quality trip to Israel

for individuals, families, communities, and corporations,

ran a great program despite the lousy weather.

It was great fun to see some old friends and former neighbors,

even if it was hard to photograph them dressed for the weather conditons.

Hope to see you too in Jerusalem…soon.

Jerusalem Marathon 2012

March 18, 2012rjstreets

Months of planning and weeks of extensive preparations

went into the Second International Jerusalem Marathon,

but no one had control over the weather.

With heavy rains the night before and more rain in the forecast,

many spectators stayed away.

The runners of the full marathon raced through nearly deserted streets.

Security was out in large numbers,

but they often tried to find cover from the rain.

The marathon route went into the Old City through Jaffa Gate,

where loud music, entertainers and spectators cheered the runners on.

The rain stopped as the half-marathon leaders entered the Old City.

The sun was shining on the 10 kilometer race leaders,

but soon after hail started coming down.

Under grey skies, through wet streets,

15,000 runners, including 1500 from

50 countries from around the world,

came to run.

When the sun came out, so did a smile.

With streets closed to traffic, the only way to get around was to walk.

Some tourists seemed to enjoy walking instead of using their usual buses.

It would have been harder to run in really hot weather,

but in spite of the weather and Jerusalem’s uneven and hilly streets,

runners seemed happy to be in the race.

Running to raise money for good causes and charity or self-satisfaction

they came…neither rain, nor sleet nor hail,

nor threat of terror kept them away.

I took way too many photos and plan to put more on

The Real Jerusalem Streets Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/trjstreets

Meanwhile, to see more runners, check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8oysvWZ5FY&feature=youtu.be

15 Real Photos of Arab Girls

15 Real Photos of Arab Girls

March 13, 2012May 14, 2020rjstreets

As southern Israel is being pounded with hundreds of rockets launched

by terrorists in Gaza, the world is silent.

A few anti-Israel photos have been circulating for years.

The photo of a man holding a dead girl,

tweeted by a UN media employee that received so much attention,

is the same photo that I saw in 2008 under the caption,

“Israelis kill a lot of Arab children.”

This was the Google search top result for images of “people who smile a lot.”

I was not smiling and later began to take pictures of real Arab girls.

First, on the hot topic of Israeli soldiers and Arab girls,

only in a Bahrain street theater photo will you see a girl lying under a boot.

Israeli apartheid supporters might find it shocking that in Jerusalem,

Israeli soldiers walk on the same streets as Arab girls,

by the Walls of the Old City near the Jaffa Gate

and in the city center. Often they seem to not even notice one another.

Arab girls can be found on the ground,

sitting and enjoying public performances,

or just relaxing

in Jerusalem’s public parks.

Of course…the same goes for boys too.

Where else would a Muslim girl be seen alone in the park with boys?

And famlies enjoyed posing with this snowman last week.

An Arab girl might be dragged along by her mother,

but in Mamilla Mall, most girls can be found happily shopping, both day

and night with no sign of BDS, Boycott, Divest or Sanctions.

Sitting on the steps in Mamilla Mall while texting on their phones,

or sitting at a table alone,

shopping late at night at the Rami Levi supermarket,

or selling Rav Kav cards for the Jerusalem light rail trains…

these are real photos of Arab girls and young women in Jerusalem.

The world is ready to accept faked captions,

how about the truth?