Jewish Holiday – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Jerusalem after Tisha B’Av: Mourning to Celebrating

August 2, 2020Sharon A

Oh, Jerusalem!

Jerusalem has just completed another Tisha B’Av.

Instead of past years with crowds of tens of thousands, there were 1,000 people allowed at the Kotel, the Western Wall, at night.

Sections were divided off and marked to permit the small groups allowed to follow the latest COVID-19 restrictions.

The women’s section which in the past was crowded with thousands had barriers also.

Reading Eicha, Lamentations, in Gan Haatzmaut, Independence Park, had a much smaller attendance.

Damascus Gate at night was quieter than usual as the 26th annual walk around the Old City Walls, limited this year to 50 participants, passed by.

On the other side of the street, the shops were all open late for Eid al-Adha preparations. The Muslim fast day coincided with Tisha B’Av this year, and at sunset they began a 3-day celebration.

Good news. The social workers and nurses are back to work after short strikes.

Israel Museum employees held a peaceful protest holding up signs to passing traffic.

The only loud noises were cars honking in support.

The Israel Museum has been closed since the coronavirus crisis began. On Thursday, museum director Ido Bruno announced a $4million donation from the American Friends of the Israel Museum. Plans to reopen are said to be underway.

On the hill below the Israel Museum, olives are on the trees.

Last week Jerusalem’s Gan Sacher, Sacher Park was empty.

The end of school year summer outings were not happening.

This morning, it was good to see children back in the Jerusalem park.

Jerusalem’s usual summer conferences have moved online, to Facebook and Zoom.

The annual Jerusalem sport event of Street Ball has been canceled.

Thousands of flags of the Jerusalem Parade will not fill the Jerusalem streets this year. The official cancellation was announced this week.

The day after Tisha B’Av, fifteen years ago, 8,500 Israeli citizens were forced out of 21 Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip and four communities in Samaria.

These beautiful homes were destroyed 15 years ago. The expulsion did not bring peace.

Instead, thousands of rockets, missiles, and destructive burning balloons.

I went to see the rebuilding starts of Gush Katif victim nine years ago

and the Gush Katif Museum five years ago.

That is an ongoing unpleasant chapter of Israeli history.

However, a much more pleasant story is what happened at the Hurva Synagogue 100 years ago. The historic and memorable first visit of the first British High Commissioner, Herbert Samuel, after his installation. Samuel was a knowledgeable Jew who participated in the Shabbat morning service.

Today at the rebuilt and re-inaugurated synagogue which was destroyed by Jordanian Legion in 1948, a special ceremony is to be held in honor of the centennial. However, attendance will be extremely limited due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Highs and lows. And new Corona signs have been posted.

New signs were up for “Leonardo da Vinci -The First Start-up entrepreneur,” the theme of a new exhibit at First Station for this summer.

The next day this sign – “Needed Now “Baseless Love” sign was posted.

The protests near the Prime Minister’s residence have gone on unabated.

They are loud and they disturb the residents well past the 11:00 pm noise curfew.

I think the police have used great restraint with these provocateurs.

On to much better news to share, a notice for יריד היין הגדול של ירושלים.

At First Station, the Jerusalem Wine Festival is planned for August 11– 13, 6 pm – 11:55 pm.

In local sports news, Israeli soccer is to return at the end of August.

Online tours galore can be found for those who are home-bound.

The National Library construction site had workers busy on the roof areas.

Now that Tisha B’Av is over, it’s almost Tu B’Av and time for celebrations and music.

Next Year in Jerusalem!

Rediscovering Ancient Jerusalem before Tisha B’Av

July 26, 2020Sharon A

Oh, Jerusalem.

How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people!

So begins Eicha, the Book of Lamentations read at night on Tisha B’Av.

We are in what is known as the Nine Days that end with Tisha B’Av, Wednesday night, and Thursday, August 29 – 30, 2020.

With the COVID-19 restrictions, the Old City will not be teeming with crowds as usual.

This view from the step toward Plaza of the Kotel, the Western Wall, is well known.

The area inside called Wilson’s Arch is not as familiar. This inside space had been closed much of the time due to coronavirus restrictions.

However, this week on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Av, leading Israeli rabbis attended a special afternoon service to pray for health and relief from the coronavirus pandemic.

Underneath the Jerusalem streets, excavations continue with new finds.

Jerusalem Archaeological discovererstorage center from the days of Kings Hezekiah and Manasseh (8th — Photo credit: IAA

A significant administrative storage center from the days of Kings Hezekiah and Manasseh (8th century to the middle of the 7th century BCE) was recently been exposed in an archaeological excavation near the US Embassy in the Arnona neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Restoration work has progressed on the Pilgrims’ Path.

This is the road underground which runs from Shiloah Pool to the Old City, where the Jewish Temples once stood.

The actual old stones remain along what was the busy route on the holidays thousands of years ago.

Three years ago when it was first opened to media,

this video was recorded for an official explanation.

The Roman market place might have looked like this scene.

Under Pilgrim Road, the drainage system has also been excavated. This is where the last Jews hid until the Romans found and murdered them.

The earth removed was carefully searched for bits of history, last year we participated in the sifting project. The best we found were nice pieces of pottery.

However, discoveries include this Roman coin issued after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Five years ago the exhibit “By the Rivers of Babylon” opened at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem, see HERE – and is still a favorite.

With only limited attendance allowed in museums now due to corona health restrictions, new for this year is a virtual tour of BLMJ exhibit HERE now you can see for yourself,

The Romans destroyed the Temple and leveled Jerusalem.

The Jewish inhabitants were murdered or exiled.

Stones of destruction as they remain today.

For the first time in many years, I do not plan to walk around the walls of the Old City on Tisha B’Av.

Crowds will not pack into the Kotel, Western Wall plaza this year.

COVID-19 restrictions are limiting the annual walk to 50 people.

How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people!

Next year in Jerusalem, even for those of us in Jerusalem has taken on new meaning.

Jerusalem Lag B’Omer to Yom Yerushalayim

May 18, 2020Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel center of the world?

This mural, based on a medieval map, is at Kikar Safra, Municipal Square, and is called “Center of the World.” There’s Jerusalem in the center with Europe, Asia, and Africa positioned around it.

With the world going virtual and viral during this coronavirus crisis, a night of unity with the Diaspora was held with a projection on the walls of the Old City near Jaffa Gate, which had flags and the message “Israel stands with you.”

Now is a good time to stay inside.

A May heatwave is not unusual in Jerusalem.

Neither is the weather going from too cold to too hot.

However, this week is very hot!

On my last walk before locking down, the Valley of Cross was bright green.

Today in the dry heat it is rapidly turning to summertime dead yellow.

But the big news, after over 500 days and 3 elections – there is a government.

The new Israeli Government #35 has 36 Ministers and 15 Deputy Ministers. The first socially distanced meeting was held in the Chagall Hall. Already there is the discussion (or rather dispute) whether this is better than a 4th election. Time will tell, but stability and progress would be nice. Meanwhile coming up with clever names for ministerial positions kept some folks entertained.

Lag B’Omer was very different this year, besides the cool weather last week.

In Jerusalem, we could open our windows, as air quality was a great improvement over past Lag B’Omer celebrations.

The smell of forest fires was in the air this morning, though we cannot see anything burning.

However, for Lag B’Omer, Jerusalem is not the place to be, but usually Meron is.

This year the only legal large bonfires were in Meron.

Where, instead of the usual tens of thousands of people crowding around, 50 guests were allowed for each of three fires.

One of the Lag B’Omer events at Mount Meron was broadcast live by the Government Press Office.

Musicians and speakers were spread out on various outdoor positions.

The guitarist was wearing a mask.

The Boyaner Rebbe who was honored to light the fire wore gloves.

These two men wore face shields, at a very different Meron celebration this Lag B’Omer.

In Jerusalem, for Lag B’Omer in the afternoon, our local Chabad tried to provide some music.

It was not quite Macy’s parade but was meant to entertain the children at home.

Now schools have reopened and traffic appears to be back to normal.

Emergency MDA bus — Credit MDA Spokesperson

COVID-19 new cases and other numbers have gone down. But MDA is ready with its latest emergency vehicle – a MDA bus.

Inside demonstration of new MDA bus treatment center — Credit MDA Spokesperson

Inside multiple patients can be treated at the same time as seen demonstrated above.

The entire time of this novel coronavirus Israel has sent supplies into Gaza on a regular basis. The first week of May, 260 tons of medical supplies crossed over from Kerem Shalom Crossing.

On my last photo walk, this was a view of Shaarei Hesed.

Here is another image from the Liberty Bell Park.

For the first time, Jerusalem has overtaken Eilat in the number of hotel rooms (11,100) and now has the most in Israel. Some hotels are planning to start open next month.

No idea when photo walks will start up again.

The crowds of singing and dancing for Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, will not happen as in the past years. The major official event will begin at Mercaz Harav Yeshiva on Wednesday evening with the Prime Minister and President scheduled to speak.

Music and songs will be broadcast by Jerusalem municipality and multiple organizations. Smaller events are to be held in Jerusalem community locations.

Plus, there are to be small local flag dances in dozens of cities around Israel to celebrate the 53 yeas of the reunification of Jerusalem.

Neighbors have their flags ready for Yom Yerushalayim.

Celebrations changed drastically this year. The large holiday crowds did not appear as last year.

For centuries Jerusalem has been an attraction. Last year, 1.26 million tourists stayed in Jerusalem, spending a total of 4.17 million nights in the city.

Jerusalem continues to be Israel’s largest city, with 919,400 residents.

For a second consecutive year, there was negative migration of -6000, the lowest level for a decade. Of those leaving the city, 46% have left for communities in the Jerusalem metropolitan area. The number of those moving to Jerusalem is the highest ever – 12,800 people.

And the blazing sky over the Israel Museum and Jerusalem streets at sunset – impressive.