attractive tourist destination – Page 119 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Good February Signs in Jerusalem

February 25, 2015rjstreets

The sun is shining.

The sky is blue,

and it is warm enough to open the windows.

The snow has melted and it is history,

except for some ugly piles of plowed black stuff

and fallen branches that need to be removed.

February used to be the “quiet” time,

down time between holidays and peak tourism seasons,

but not this February,

and it was hard to keep up with all that is much happening.

This week the Jewish Agency for Israel had a meeting

of its Board of Governors, with delegates coming

from around the world to Jerusalem, Israel.

The International chess championship may not be a great photo op,

but a tour with 500 tourism professionals from India certainly was.

Starting with the view from Hebrew University on Mt Scopus,

this tour went to The Old City.

Within a few minutes while standing outside

the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,

were other groups of Indian tourists,

a large orderly group of Estonians,

and these Christian pilgrims who left too fast to ask where they were from.

Another great view and new to me,

was the Jerusalem Winner Marathon 2105 launch,

on the grounds of the St. Andrew’s Guest House.

Mayor Nir Barkat, holding his official run shirt for the March 13 race,

was all smiles that morning.

But so was Ilanit Melchior,

Tourism Director at the Jerusalem Development Authority.

Though many residents resent the street closings and inconvenience,

this event has brought thousands of tourists

from all over the world each year.

There are signs for things as diverse as

a contest for app developers,

and special programs for children at Islamic Museum.

But, Purim is a week away.

Perhaps, this sign for Shavuot holiday is a joke.

There is to be a Purim Spiel at the Train Theater,

and a sign for reading the Megillah at First Station–

Happy Purim.

Then,

time for that other “P” word – Passover!

16 Photos Snow in Jerusalem

February 20, 2015January 26, 2020rjstreets

A few weeks ago there was supposed to be a big snowstorm

in Jerusalem, Israel,

and the word “blizzard” was used a lot.

A little snow started to fall just as it was time

to light Shabbat candles,

so I only managed to take and share two quick photos,

and by the next day, it was all gone.

This week I did not hear the “b” word,

though a heavy snowfall was forecast.

The snow started to fall on Thursday night,

and this could be one of the first snowballs.

The streets were slippery

and mostly deserted.

I took one flower photo,

if the warnings were wrong,

I had one ready for the Shabbat Shalom post.

But by morning the snow had accumulated,

and the Jerusalem streets looked like a winter wonderland.

Heavy fog and a white sky added to the wintry scenes.

When the fog cleared the Knesset grounds were covered.

This Israel Museum view shows trees covered.

against the white sky.

Heavy snow stuck to power lines and branches,

and just about everything.

Most people stayed off the roads in the morning.

The monastery in the Valley of the Cross,

a beautiful and serene scene,

was like a picture postcard.

But lemon trees

and sabra plants covered in snow?

Only in Jerusalem, Israel!

שבת שלום

Shabbat shalom.

Last Jerusalem International Book Fair?

February 15, 2015rjstreets

Could this be the last Jerusalem International Book Fair?

The 27th Jerusalem International Book Fair (JIBF)

was not held in the Jerusalem International Conference Center.

For the first time, it was in a new location, in First Station,

where some entered from the First Station parking lot.

(In case you are wondering about the sky here,

being inside during a sandstorm was a good idea.)

While others came in through the main area,

past the First Station food mall and shopping area.

These people stopped to see the “Disappearing Wall,”

5000 small blocks of wood with German quotes written,

also in Hebrew and Arabic,

(some of which were lost in the translation) that attracted all ages.

At night the wall was an empty acrylic form,

as people were happy to remove the blocks and keep them.

Austria, Spain, Romania, Germany, Poland, Russia,

United Kingdom, Italy and United States were represented at the fair,

but it was a small fraction of former years.

One night, a crowd gathered by the German booth

for this food and wine.

Opening night of JIBF had more than one event,

that attracted large crowds.

There were lectures and programs all week, some held in

the Jerusalem Cinematheque, Mishkenot Sha’ananim

and the Khan Theatre, all auditoriums that are located near by.

As usual, not just books

but also magazines were for sale.

Authors were available to meet readers and fans,

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz–Rav Adin Even Yisrael–

was available at JIBF one night.

Besides Germany, Austria had a nice size display.

But books from the United States and some Israeli sources,

were noticeably missing.

Each time I went to JIBF,

it was great fun to see and talk with friends,

looking at books and even buying some.

But as an international book fair,

it felt like the international and book components

were sadly lacking this year.