Jewish Holiday – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Jerusalem Sounds of Spring

April 17, 2019Sharon A

Last week 18 New Signs of Spring was the title of blog post.

With all the spring holidays coinciding this week time is short for everyone.

This short video of cleaning the notes from between the stones in the Kotel, the Western Wall, received dozens of shares on Facebook and thousands of views. I thought readers who are not on Facebook might appreciate seeing a bit of the spring cleaning. Listen to those birds! More on birds after the holidays. The Jerusalem Bird Observatory is to celebrate 25 years.

Very different musical sounds from this light projection near Jaffa Gate for the Jerusalem annual spring festival Sounds in the Night in the Old City.

School is out and children are indeed filling the streets of Jerusalem, Israel. The verse from Zechariah 8:4-5 reads: “Thus said the Lord of Hosts: There shall yet be old men and women in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. And the streets of the city shall be crowded with boys and girls playing in the streets.”

Much more to share, but time is short and my kitchen must be cleaned.

Happy Spring Holidays from Jerusalem to all!

18 New Signs of Spring in Jerusalem

April 9, 2019April 13, 2019Sharon A

Spring in Jerusalem, Israel.

One day it feels like winter and then the next day feels like summer.

These are signs of spring, besides the birds chirping before dawn.

After unusually heavy rains, the spring weeds have reached new heights.

A favorite sign of spring was in a Gan Ha’atzmaut, Independence Park, of a group of young children playing and the sounds of their laughter.

New signs have been posted for tourists, as this one near Yoel Salomon Street.

Another new festival for spring at the old Hansen House.

On Jaffa Road, the sun came out. Temperatures warmed. People left their jackets and sweaters at home and were wearing short sleeves.

Good Deeds Day programs were held in several locations. Hundreds of volunteers and organizations were honored at Heichel Shlomo.

While thousands more volunteers participated in a program at First Station.

The Tower of David new exhibit for spring,”The Mount” has new street posters.

A favorite any time, but especially at night, the Tower of David was venue for the Forbes Women Under 30 Summit gala opening event in Jerusalem.

The following day felt like spring in JVP Media Center for the Forbes Under 30 participants. Entrepreneurs, mostly women, from around the world gathered in Jerusalem to learn, network, and initiate innovative ideas. Photos HERE

The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem BLMJ has new signs for new exhibit. New ancient sites are constantly being discovered.

There are new story hours for free in municipal libraries. Special art tours and tours of Kikar Safra are being offered, some at noon in English.

A list of 40 communities hosting communal seder meals has been published.

New signs for Kosher for Passover food popped up all over Jerusalem this week. This butcher shop had new sign for its new location.

Kikar Safra, Jerusalem Municipal Square, had large signs for its holiday matzah baking.

In a large tent, tables were set up for public to make their own matzah.

Dozens of poles were ready to move the dough to be baked.

Four ovens were set up to bake the matzah quickly.

A woman asked for one, and received a matzah to take home.

A group of young boys prepared enough matzah to fill a large bag.

Each piece was inspected carefully to make sure it was good for Passover use.

Oops, this one did not make it.

Another sign of spring in Jerusalem, the rental cars arriving.

Signs are up over Jerusalem streets for spring celebrations.

Passover, Easter, Orthodox Easter, Good Friday, Maundy, Ridvan Festival, Lailat al Bara’ah, Nabi Shu’eib, all these spring holiday fall in the same week this year.

Happy Spring Holiday in Jerusalem.

Looking forward to seeing thousands of spring holiday visitors on the Jerusalem streets.

For more, check out Fun in Jerusalem Passover Guide HERE

Purim, Shushan Purim, Crazy Time in Jerusalem

March 24, 2019Sharon A

There’s Purim as we know it in most of the rest of world.

Then there’s Shushan Purim that is celebrated on the following day in Jerusalem, Israel.

Purim goes on and on and on, and this year it went right into Shabbat on Friday evening.

This Purim Sameach sign was hanging on the wall at an army base, above the tables set for their celebration.

Thousands of Israel security personnel received mishloah manot, gift bags with treats, and letters written by children from around the world expressing appreciation for their service in defense of Israel. This has become an annual project for multiple organizations.

Hamantashen galore are an annual sign of Purim.

A reading of Megilat Esther in First Station has become an annual event.

Children dress in costumes for the night time reading all over the world.

Purim masks vary from year to year.

Sometimes it is hard to decide who is in a Purim costume and who is not?

And some costumes are inside jokes, too long to explain.

For some hats make their Purim costume.

This year the beret of new Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch became a popular costume in Beit Shemesh, and in Jerusalem as well.

The Scroll of Esther was read from a real scroll in hundreds of Jerusalem locations.

Also, collecting money for the poor and remembering the half shekel of old are annual important customs around the world.

But on the Jerusalem streets there were all sorts of characters running around.

Sadly, some of the best were moving too fast to photograph.

One family was dressed to go out of this world. But they were left holding their children’s space helmets, which were not allowed to be worn on this moon bounce.