attractive tourist destination – The Real Jerusalem Streets

When was the last time you were in Jerusalem?

December 4, 2019Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel.

When was the last time you were in Jerusalem?

It is a marvel how things have changed over the past few years.

Oh, the traffic, the road building, the light rail construction in every direction, so much is happening at once it is hard to believe.

The Cranes from the National Library work-site, illuminated at night, rise against the night sky along with the Chord Bridge for a view of colorful lights.

Construction cranes and building materials fill the area near the Jaffa Road light rail line.

This is the view in the other direction to the Central Bus Station, with old buildings and cranes.

In the Machane Yehuda Market the daily bread

and the young men playing ball are familiar sights.

But the buildings towering over old Jaffa Road – oh my, what a contrast to days past.

Just this past week in Jerusalem:

The old Tower of David was filled with new-age ZERO ONE digital art.

The Jerusalem 2019 Biennale came to an end at Van Leer Institute and a dozen other locations.

There was the 11th Manofim Jerusalem Contemporary Art Festival.

Thanksgiving dinners large and small were held. A tent at First Station hosted 1000 IDF lone soldiers and some US Marines for dinner.

At the same time at First Station, the Bloomfield Science Museum held a Mini Maker Fair to encourage future scientists and their families.

FEM-JLM was launched at Jerusalem WeWork to encourage female entrepreneurs to go into fields of technology. There is a lot of work to do for more fem in STEM.

President Reuven Rivlin hosted the Israeli medalists from the International Physics Olympiad held in the summer in Tel Aviv. Notice they are all men?

The President greeted each young man.

Hopefully, in the future, there will be young women there as well.

December 3, 2019, was International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

There were signs posted and events held throughout the week all around Jerusalem.

Getting around Jerusalem for those with disabilities, and those without is not simple.

This car got through this narrow street, with centimeters to spare.

However, the next one got stuck.

One never knows when or where in Jerusalem what will happen next.

The very old, against the very new, a constant theme in Jerusalem.

So much more.

But enough, for now, just these photos from part of what happened this week.

Jerusalem, Israel, where even graffiti on the old walls is not like any other.

As November Ends in Jerusalem Photos of 9 Happenings

November 27, 2019Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel, was warmer than usual this fall.

The usual complaints of bone-chilling cold winter weather have been missing.

My third growth of roses was impressive enough to share.

The Knesset entrance looked nicely kept with green landscaped welcome.

What’s happening–or not happening–inside appears to be a mess.

But, across the street from the Knesset, the Israel Museum entrance has a clean new look.

Do you think this time of year, from “after the holidays” until Hanukkah, it’s quiet on the Jerusalem, Israel, streets?

Not at all, some evenings there are multiple events at the same time!

At Beit Hanasi, President Rivlin hosted a press conference to launch an international conference on antisemitism at Yad Vashem at the end of January.

2. At the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference, Chief strategist and Foreign Ministry PMO spokesperson Ben Moore, during an interview with Steve Linde, pointed to recently published antisemitic cartoons.

The results of his research have confirmed that the BDS movement has succeeded in mainstreaming and desensitizing the West to antisemitism in the Israel context.

Another international panel discussed antisemitism. Paul Packer from the US Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad expressed US support for Israel.

Ambassador Mario Bucaro of Guatemala (third from left) was one of the foreign dignitaries attending.

There was more than antisemitism, politicians, and journalists. Tourism was the topic of Ilanit Melchior’s TEDTalk.

With 2.5 million visitors to Jerusalem over the holiday season, sustainability and accessibility are important topics. The traffic from tourist buses and rental cars can be felt on the streets.

A very different conference that did not receive as much media attention was held in the Jerusalem International Convention Center.

3. The tenth Temech Conference for Israeli businesswomen and female entrepreneurs attracted 1000 women from the north and south to Jerusalem.

Networking is a very important feature of this event run by women for women.

The English track was smaller than in the past, but the Hebrew-speaking program has grown.

The theme ‘Unlock the Wealth’ had panels and speakers appreciated by women aspiring to grow their various endeavors.

4. The 2019 Elimination of Violence against Women’s Day was marked at Beit Hanasi.

It’s 50 days after Yom Kippur when the national holiday of Sigd is celebrated.

5. Sigd was a holiday in Ethiopia when prayers were offered for the return to Zion and Jerusalem.

Sigd means ‘prostration’ and marks a reaffirmation to Jewish heritage.

Here the religious leaders called Kessim in their white robes led services in Jerusalem.

Tens of thousands annually gather on the Tayelet with its view of the Old City.

6. Jerusalem Biennale ‘For Heaven’s Sake!‘ 2019 ends November 28, but the Street Art Festival pieces will be up longer at First Station, adding color to the tourist area.

7. Time to remember Kaf Tet November, the date the UN accepted the partition plan to establish the State of Israel.

8. With Rosh Chodesh Kislev, strawberry season is approaching.

With sufganiyot, donuts of all sizes, shapes, and flavors – everywhere –

9. Hannukkah or Hanuka or Chanukah will be here before we know it.

No. No downtime, something is always happening on these Jerusalem streets.

Jerusalem Biennale 2019 – For Heaven’s Sake!

November 13, 2019November 13, 2019Sharon A

What a week in Jerusalem the weather was warm and wonderful.

Many things happened over the Sukkot holiday and even more after the holidays.

But the Jerusalem Biennale 2019, לשם שמים – For Heaven’s Sake! with 500 pieces of art, by 200 artists in 13 locations began before Sukkot and is still going for another two weeks. The Jerusalem Biennale began in 2013,

grew in 2015,

and was bigger and better in 2017.

After posting a few Biennale photos, I received the following message from Hillel Smith, curator of the Jewish Street Art Festival at First Station:

“As part of the Jewish Street Art Festival (more info at jewishstreetart.com) street artists from around the world painted 17 murals in three locations around Jerusalem. Besides First Station, we also painted at the Artists’ Colony and the Schechter Institute. All of our artists already work with Jewish themes in their art, and I wanted to highlight this effort by bringing them all together to paint at the Biennale. Unlike the other exhibitions, the art in ours was created on-site and will be permanently displayed, leaving a lasting mark on the city.”

These murals are by artists Yitzchok Moully (reflective sukkah) and Solomon Sousa, of Machane Yehuda Market mural fame.

An 18th mural was being painted this week at First Station, by artist Bareket Kezwer. I didn’t get there to see her paint, but something to check out soon.

The Jerusalem YMCA is a new and prominent Biennale location.

The initial press tour began at the Y with founder and director Ram Ozeri explaining his vision.

Inside on one side of the old YMCA pool is an installation ‘Waterfall’ by Marina Abramovic.

Across from it are hundreds of hand-painted fish by Andi Lavine Arnovitz.

One fish flows in the opposite direction, in her installation titled ‘I’m Not’.

The main room in the YMCA hosts Ziara: Moroccan Common Wisdom.

Curator Amit Hai Cohen along with seventeen other artists of Moroccan descent display a wide range of contemporary pieces.

The Moroccan heritage of ziara, feeling of home, contrasts greatly with other Arab countries where Jews were persecuted and expelled.

The day before the opening night, artists were busy at work.

For the gala opening, it was colorful and ready.

Those glasses on the table filled with arak are not for drinking, but a piece by Marcelle Biton.

The smaller line of frames to the left are fascinating portraits. Check out the feature photo at top of this page for closer look.

There is still much more to share besides Ziara at the YMCA.

The main lobby of Heichal Shlomo, by curator Dr. Shimon Lev, Evolve,

is a display of 100 works created over the past 3 years by Jean-Pierre Weill.

Upstairs in Heichal Shlomo is an exhibition on the life of Israel Dahan. His fifty years of work in creating Judaica and teaching Bezalel students are recognized.

Israelis are not the only ones featured in the Jerusalem Biennale.

Mirta Kupferminc curated Confrontation-Conversation with fellow Argentinian artists. Here she shows off the work of Jewish and not Jewish artists from Argentina with Dr. Ido Noy, deputy director of Biennale and editor of the impressive catalog for “For Heaven’s Sake.”

Also in Heichal Shlomo, everything from old Hebraica encyclopedias to

thousands of rubber bands are used to create unique pieces.

Female Waters curated by Rachel Verliebter is another exhibit in more traditional style.

Much more to see, in the other exhibitions in Heichal Shlomo, but we have to move along.

As in the past, the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute – Polonsky Hall is an impressive site of Jerusalem Biennale, with Not in Heaven and Transcendence.

Rachel Rotenberg has sculptures outside, plus this one inside Van Leer, as seen at the opening event.

Two boys caught my attention in the gardens filled with people, dancers, and art installations. I was wondering if an electronic game had captured their attention.

Oh my, all that and more we did in one afternoon!

The Menachem Begin Heritage Center has Hebrew Suffragists:100 Years.

Experiments with Truth curated by Gargi Seth is downstairs featuring Indian artists.

Not far away at Mishkenot Sha’ananim are the pieces In the East, where Ram Ozeri curated with Vera Pilpoul.

One of the new and most dramatic locations for Biennale 2019 is the Worldwide North Africa Jewish Heritage Center.

Attending the opening of Of Wonder, was special as the curator artist Mindy Weisel is a friend.

One of the more difficult venues to access, the works here are by Israeli and American artists.

For American Jewish artists to have their works recognized and displayed in Jerusalem, Israel, is a dream come true.

The Jerusalem 2019 Biennale For Heaven’s Sake! from the colorful pieces,

to the darker Holocaust shadowed pieces of art at North Africa Heritage Center,

to the reflective sukkah outside Heichal Shlomo –

only a fraction of the art and artists on display until November 28, check out the website for more information: www.jerusalembiennale.org

Browse art all day. There is an entry fee of NIS 45 to the Biennale, with the one ticket allowing access to each of the exhibitions.

Then too tired to cook?

Not to worry.

OPENRESTAURANTS™ JERUSALEM – THE URBAN CULINARY FESTIVAL runs from November 19 – 23, 2019. Many of Jerusalem’s finest restaurants have special offers.

What could be next in art and culture?

Zero One, a digital art festival will cover the Tower of David in lights from November 27-28, from 7:00 pm to midnight.

As always so much happening on the Jerusalem streets!