7 New Views in Jerusalem

Sharon A

What’s considered new in Jerusalem, Israel, is a constant surprise.

Every week something new seems to grab headlines and attention.

Suspension bridge over Hinnom Valley

The suspension bridge over the Hinnom Valley (shared here in May) was officially opened and caused a bit of social media discussion.

What a view from the bridge!

But is it a bridge over the valley to nowhere on Mount Zion?

A photo taken during the development of the new bridge (twice mentioned here) appears that more development of the area might be called for.

Who remembers this photo and view from October 2021?

And this photograph was taken in December 2019 BC – Before Corona.

Well, here is the same spot near the end of Jaffa Road this past week!

Oh, how the view has changed!

All around Jerusalem, one day there is a store. The next day it’s gone.

The white sign over the door of the old Shaare Zedek is for Social Space.

The same sign as over the President Hotel entrance. Making use of old Jerusalem landmark buildings as the new ones pop up around them.

On Jaffa Road outside of the building workers were busy removing red Xs, from the new stones made so they look old.

Did you notice the new buildings built across the street?

The Jerusalem Gateway Project is at street level and visible from Jaffa Road.

Note on the left how the old cemetery remains as the towers rise above,

and well above the Jerusalem streets to change the view.

At first, this view of the Machane Yehuda Market on a summer weekday appeared the same as before strolling in off of Jaffa Road.

But now covered with a new roof, it was more pleasant than outside in the sun and filled with people, tour groups and shoppers, and summer camps.

People filled some of the passageways lined with new shops.

Fascinating to see cucumbers and corn packaged in plastic.

Even some of the baked goods were wrapped in plastic and not open as in the past. Good news for some, and outrageous for others.

The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens has a new attraction for summer 2023.

Colorful inflated “monsters” are meant to provide families with an outing to view the new kid-friendly monster balloons around the gardens.

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But I am waiting to view the details of the Japanese pagoda opening.

You can see it from the street, near the entrance of the Botanical Gardens next to the cherry trees and the Japanese flag.

The flag of Zambia was on view near Beit Hanasi, the President’s Residence, to welcome Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema to Jerusalem on an official state visit. The African leader had a busy schedule planned.

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I assume HH missed the popup flea market in the community park nearby.

This past week was Tu B’Av.

The time after the sad day of Tisha B’Av is filled with weddings.

But at all Jewish weddings, a glass is broken to remember the Jerusalem of Tisha B’Av and the destruction and promise of rebuilding as a new couple begins building their home.

As we left the wedding, I stopped to admire the view of the full moon.

Sturgeon moon over Yemin Moshe in Jerusalem Israel

Who remembers the same Sturgeon Moon over Yemin Moshe last year?

So it’s summer in Jerusalem, and signs are up for the Thursday night concerts back again in Safra Square with live musical entertainment.

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Saw this sign too late, but there are more Feel events on August 9 and 16.

And signs for even more events, to end off the summer before school starts, the Jerusalem Israel Festival, the International Puppet Festival at the Train Theater, The Tower of David Circus, and much more.

Solomon's Quarries for a piano performance

Remember the amazing views in Zedekiah Cave?

It’s to have reopened with a special video of King Solomon’s Quarries.

Enough views of above and below the Jerusalem streets for now.

Time to go and see what else is happening on the real Jerusalem streets, and to share next time what the mainstream media does not view as news.

See Jerusalem as July Ends

Sharon A

It was another week of trying to stay cool in Jerusalem, Israel, with summer temperatures unusually high for most of July.

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Building and construction went on in spite of the temperatures that kept me off the Jerusalem streets during the day.

Disappointing that the new Israel National Library might look finished from the outside, but the special program planned there next week has been moved to another location. Looking forward to finally seeing the inside!

Outside the Ramada Hotel, the announcement board was unusually empty.

However, inside on the Tuesday before Tisha B’Av was a special event sponsored by the OneFamily non-profit organization Welcoming Women.

Not any woman, but women from all over Israel who had experienced the loss of a family member as a victim of terror – and not just Jewish women.

At the same time the Women’s Empowerment Day was beginning young teens from the US were preparing to leave the hotel. They participated in JCC Maccabi Games held this year in Israel. The games are an Olympic-style sporting competition held each summer and state they are the second-largest organized sports program for Jewish teenagers in the world.

I wondered if the young sportswomen I spoke with, from Florida to California, had any idea of the history of the hundreds of women arriving.

It was standing room only for the day filled with exceptional speakers.

Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi started off the day inspiring as always.

To end her talk she asked the women to bless the person next to them with a version of the priestly blessing using the names of Sarah, Rivka, and Leah.

Physical health tips were included in the day, beginning with healthy brunch options and ending with a dairy dinner, with education and laughter interspersed.

The Women’s Empowerment Days have been held before Tisha B’Av for a number of years, except during the pandemic. Hundreds of women have benefited from the group bonding experience.

And how many more received support from the opportunity to speak with someone who has had a similar pain of tragic loss?

More photos from OneFamily Women’s Empowerment Day.

The next day, for Tisha B’Av the sun went down, and the Jerusalem streets were cooler. Once again I decided to walk around the walls of the Old City.

To start the route goes by New Gate, so close to Mamilla Mall that most people do not realize it. There are new night events held inside New Gate sponsored by the Jerusalem Municipality on my to-do list.

Before passing Damascus Gate, participants were stopped by security to walk together and not spread out. Walking was a slow process this year.

Along the way, we walked by road work and construction near Damascus Gate. Since this was such a quiet walk, with no shouting or singing or violent epitaphs, it was a no-news event you may not have heard about.

Families and people of all ages walked around the Old City Walls.

At Lion’s Gate, there were speeches, but not with the usual well-known names as in the past, and not in the same location.

Though people did sit on the Jerusalem stones near Lion’s Gate, the road was not blocked by hundreds of people as in the past.

One reason I go is for the incredible views from the road of the Mount of Olives over the ancient cemetery, on the way to the entrance to Old City.

The views of Jerusalem at night are special on Tisha B’Av when one mourns the destruction, and now sees the new lights, at the Kotel, and all along the Western Wall.

There were reports of a fox running thru the stones of the old destruction, but I did not find one in any of my photos or videos from this year. I did notice people below in the midst of the stones.

I did see people sitting and sleeping on the ground of the Kotel Plaza, alone

or in groups in the Old City near the Kotel,

or in the Cardo, the Roman main street so long ago before they destroyed the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem on Tisha B’Av in 70 CE.

A replica of the Temple’s golden menorah was lit on Tisha B’Av night, in front of the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter.

Some of the streets of the Old City were very quiet.

However, all night long on Tisha B’Av, people came and went thru Jaffa Gate.

Thousands of people passed thru Mamilla Mall, but all the shops and restaurants were dark and closed in respect of the fast day.

Not sure I will go again, but this year, I put the various gates and scenes on a short video to give you a feel for the mood and night walking around, which really is a short distance.

I met some fascinating people along the way; a woman and son who recently moved to Jerusalem from the US, a 3-generation family from the Golan who came for the night and planned to drive back, and a young married couple from Utah on their last night in Israel before returning home who were trying to find someone who spoke English to explain to them what was happening in Jerusalem.

More Tisha B’Av photos of the night, during the daytime I stayed inside!

Now that the three weeks leading up to Tisha B’Av are over, the weddings, concerts, programs, and festivals begin again as July comes to an end.

The Wine Festival at the Israel Museum is back again this week.

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In addition, a special Under 20 European Olympic competition is to be hosted in Jerusalem at the beginning of August.

Once again there are things happening on the Jerusalem streets.

Two Trips from Jerusalem On Hot Summer Days

Sharon A

It’s hot.

I know the Middle East is supposed to be hot in the summer.

It’s perfect weather for hanging the washing out to dry on the line, and my cactus plants are thriving. But with these very hot days during a heat wave in Jerusalem, Israel, my preferred routine of walking about during the day has come to a standstill.

I try to venture out at night after it cools off – a bit.

Therefore, a little detour, and instead I want to share two short trips out of Jerusalem.

The changes to the entrance of Jerusalem are impressive. Especially to anyone who remembers those old red rusting vehicles that once lined the hills along Route One into Jerusalem.

On that old winding narrow road stuck behind a slow truck chugging its way up – now that was a lesson in patience.

Even these old relics have been given a fresh coat of paint and moved to make way for more lanes of the new highways into and out of Jerusalem.

We were on a bus to a media tour of the Urban Warfare Training Center, located inside the Tze’elim Training Base in southern Israel. It is built to look like a typical Arab village with its minarets. The base has a new terror tunnel and more.

This is the IDF Code of Ethics we heard about.

The training center was built to train in a Middle Eastern “village” for the challenges of urban warfare, against an enemy hiding within civilian populations.

This was drawn by Bat Sheva, an IDF soldier whose job was to draw graffiti.

In one building there is a replica of a family home, down to photos,

kitchen clutter, Arabic newspapers on the table,

and toothpaste on the bathroom sink.

Simulators are used to practice scenarios the soldier might encounter.

It is used to train not only the IDF but also the US and UN forces have also practiced and trained on the sand and streets here.

As we were preparing to leave an old white bus pulled into the main square, which was also used as a set for the popular TV series “Fauda.”

However, this was not preparation for a TV production, but a group of reserve soldiers arriving to train on a hot day as the sun was setting.

We were not allowed to record and share the names or faces of the soldiers.

However the reservists who reported for duty were from all of Am Yisrael and requested anonymity as they reported again to serve as in the past.

The one soldier we were allowed to photograph was Brig. Gen. (res.) Bentzi Gruber. He gave the Code of Ethics presentation which concluded with a family photograph taken in Europe. Soon after it was taken, most of the family was murdered in the Holocaust, only his mother and her sister survived as “Mengele Twins.” For him, to serve in the IDF and fight in five wars was a privilege.

More RJS photos were posted on Facebook of that trip south.

On another day, the trip was through the new tunnel from Jerusalem to Gush Etzion and Alon Shvut to the Yeshivat Har Etzion campus and Herzog College.

Road work is far from completed and traffic still backs up. But anyone who remembers the old route through the refugee camp in Bet Lechem can only marvel at what has developed where there were only rocks and wild brush.

The entrance to the Yeshiva building is well-landscaped and the pond is enclosed now.

The Yemei Iyun, Bible study program, is in its 32nd year and for the past fifteen years has included classes given in English as well.

Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Brandes is the President of Herzog College, a leading teachers’ education school.

Around 4000 people attended in person this year, and deciding which sessions to attend is an annual challenge.

“How can we make Bible study exciting for kids in Jewish schools, and show them that it is still relevant to their daily lives?” was the topic covered at the Jewish Educators’ Day for English-speaking teachers.

 

“Head vs. Heart: Understanding the Needs of Our Students” by Mrs. Simi Peters, Rav Shmuel Feld, and Rav Yehuda Chanales, was moderated by Rav Reuven Spolter. 

“Empowering Students as Tanakh Learners” using online research tools was presented by Rabbi Dr. Zvi Grumet from the Lookstein Center at Bar-Ilan University. No more schlepping heavy resource books?

Hot or not, back on the Jerusalem streets, the Jerusalem Israel Festival begins in August, with advertising posters covering more than 6 floors of a building at the entrance of the city.

In the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, 25 large inflatable Monsters will provide an attraction for families with children on summer holidays.

The barriers are still around on various Jerusalem street corners, but it is good to know that there is more than protests happening.

Last month RJS shared that US Deputy Chief of Mission Stephanie L. Hallett was at Beit Hanasi representing the US. This week it was announced instead of appointing a new Ambassador to replace Tom Nides, she will serve as chargé d’affaires in the US Embassy in Jerusalem. Best wishes to her!

For Tisha B’Av there are way too many programs to mention, beginning on Wednesday through Thursday night this year, with the fast ending at 8:09 pm.

Jerusalem buses to the Kotel, Western Wall will run through the night. The days may be too hot, so the nights are when people come out.

So many summer events are scheduled in August, from the usual big summer night concerts in Safra Square to Ice Skating in First Station, check the website for what else is happening in Jerusalem.

At the end of July, the new Jerusalem Museum will open the ‘Street Games’ exhibition at the Tower of David. Sorry to have to miss the opening events, but after Tisha B’Av is also a popular wedding season, and a wedding involving long-time friends is a priority.

Now only if the heat wave would end soon so we can venture out during the day again to see what else is happening on the Jerusalem streets!