attractive tourist destination

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

A big day for diplomacy, but a slow day for the Jerusalem streets

Sharon A

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is in Jerusalem on his first visit to Israel as Chancellor of Germany.

Across Israel, on December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was marked with conferences, accessibility campaigns, and some Jerusalem public buildings lit in purple.

The Tower of David, including the walls, was lit purple at night.

I was disappointed that Beit Hanasi was not purple like last year as I walked by on my way home from a special event at the Friends of Zion Museum (FoZ).

Every event at FoZ has been a unique experience. I never know what to expect.

However, the music was often provided by The Solomon Brothers. They opened the VIP event of the Ambassador Summit 2025. One thousand pastors and influencers came to Israel for a week-long special mission under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mike Evans’ FoZ

President Isaac Herzog received a warm welcome upon arriving in the FoZ Media Center.

The Israeli President was the opening speaker, welcoming the leaders of the 1000-strong Ambassador Summit 2025. “In the city of faith, it means so much,” he told them in his remarks.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee spoke brilliantly to the mission initiated by Dr. Mike Evans, a Christian leader and influencer, in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ambassador Huckabee emphasized the importance of the friendship between Israel and the United States and the moral responsibility of the evangelical community to stand with Israel in its time of crisis.

“Come and see it for yourselves…my opinions don’t matter…land of Israel dry bones come to life, I have seen it in my own life…God keeps every promise he makes to us, even when we do not keep the promises we make to Him…faith… I’m giving you a place – Israel – a people, a place, and purpose… Without the Jewish faith, there would be no Christian faith.”

Immediately after the Ambassador spoke, the President left for his next scheduled appearance.

Well, after the official photo of the five leaders together. I stayed upstairs for a better, less crowded view.

Their buses traveled around Israel this week to see the truth for themselves and go back to share with their communities. Amb. Huckabee told them to come back and to bring a group with them.

On a pleasant day, there was time to take a walk and see the stalls along the Old Train Track.

With access to the businesses along Emek Refaim Street almost impossible to access because of light rail construction, they were put up as alternative venues to buy food.

The First Station has a new bike path, but much is also closed off because of construction.

Most everywhere in Jerusalem, if you dig down, you will find something. Archaeologists are examining the site before the new light rail station construction proceeds.

The Tuesday farmers’ market at First Station has had fresh produce for the past two years.

However, these stalls were without merchandise or sellers.

It was sad to take a photo with more cats than people on a nice afternoon.

Hopefully, the tourists will return soon as we enter the holiday season.

The Jerusalem Hanukkah lights above the streets were turned on.

One store window was ready for the holiday early.

Things are slowly returning to normal on the Jerusalem streets, despite all the construction and war.

However, there are still thousands of reserve soldiers on duty protecting our borders.

And still, one Israeli, Ran Gvili, a policeman murdered on October 7, is held hostage in Gaza.

Remember, ALL the hostages were to be returned in the first phase of the Trump 20-point ceasefire deal, before going on to the second phase.

Hopefully, the 1,000 members of the Ambassador Mission will go home and spread the truth of what’s really happening on the Jerusalem streets and all over Israel.

Hope to see you soon on the Jerusalem streets.

See what’s happening this August in Jerusalem

Sharon A

The end of August in Jerusalem, Israel, is not a favorite season.

Though it usually cools off at night, the days are often too hot for comfort.

Good for drying clothes outside, but the heat wave this week is not fun.

Jerusalem Teddy Park Fountain during day

That is, unless you are young or young at heart and head for one of Jerusalem’s water fountains.

The fountain at Teddy Park, located across from the Old City walls, has become a favorite.

Teddy Park water fountain lit at night

Day or night, when the music plays and the water shoots up, it is a sight to see, if not to jump in.

Children playing in Jerusalem Lion's Fountain

The water at the Lion’s Fountain in Bloomfield Park has been reduced over the years.

Signs warn not to enter the water, but that does not stop everyone on a very hot day.

Workers are out, summer sun or not, as endless road work goes on.

Light rail construction also goes on and on with constant changes to traffic and neighborhoods.

Now that Tisha B’Av is over, the weddings are back, their music filling the summer nights.

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The music from the annual Wine Festival at the Israel Museum filled three nights over the Jerusalem streets with different bands playing, while people wandered around trying samples from over 20 wineries.

At Yad Vashem, the crowd was seated in the Warsaw Plaza to appreciate Klezmer music.

Not sure how the long-planned Grand Slam at Givat Ram Stadium will be this week in the heat.

But the 34th International Puppet Festival is back next week at the new Train Davidson Theater with air-conditioned spaces.

School is out, and families once again look for child activities.

The summer weather has turned the green to dried weeds.

But the pomegranates are on the trees, a sign that autumn, Elul, is coming, and the fall holiday season.

A new season, but one remembering too many lost in the past two years.

And those who are still held captive in Gaza, not forgotten, even in a Jerusalem hospital.

Meanwhile, the music goes on on the Jerusalem streets.

Concerts and performances are scheduled for the Sultan’s Pool amphitheater.

Jerusalem is sponsoring a hip-hop Block Party on Jaffa Street on August 21, 2025.

Hard to predict what will happen next on the Jerusalem streets.

But the annual End of Summer Festival is planned for the Jerusalem Theater Plaza.

I can only share what happened and what is planned, and try to stay cool until the heat wave passes.

Just a bit of what’s happening on the Jerusalem Streets.

Now to go get a large Iced Tea.

Hope to see you soon again on the Jerusalem streets!