Beit Hanasi – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Presidential Visit Trumps Jerusalem Day

Presidential Visit Trumps Jerusalem Day

May 24, 2017Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel,

prepared for Yom Yerushalayim,

Jerusalem Day,

with large Israeli flags draped on old buildings,

and painted across the modern light rail trains.

The footbridge over Derech Hevron, Hebron Road,

was covered by a long Israeli flag on one side

and the Jerusalem city flag on the other.

School trips this time of year are a common sight.

But this year,

US President Donald Trump was visiting.

US and Israeli flags flew over the King David Hotel

where the Presidential entourage secured the entire building.

Big red signs lined King David Street, warning of closings.

By Tuesday,

only a bird could move freely around the area.

Now a beautiful, prosperous and popular neighborhood,

from 1948-1967

Yemin Moshe – Mishkanot Sha’ananim, and the King David Hotel,

were on the border of No Man’s Land

and in the sights of Jordanian snipers.

This bollard was left as an example of the old security measures.

For this presidential visit, metal barriers lined

the route of the motorcade.

It was a good week for the people who rent metal barriers

and these fancier barriers too,

but many local businesses suffered from the street closures.

The first stop in Israel for the US Presidential visit

was at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s residence.

The red carpet was rolled out and covered to stay clean.

The media came early, and watched Air Force One

land in Ben Gurion Airport and waited.

I lost count of how many times the red carpet was cleaned.

Here is the signing of the official guest book,

the US delegation had not yet arrived.

But for the official speeches

everyone was in their assigned seats.

The Presidents and First Ladies went to the garden,

to see a tree planted in honor of the visit.

The ceremony was over,

and the Presidential motorcade sped off to the Kotel,

the Western Wall, for the next stop on a packed itinerary.

Pedestrians were permitted to start walking.

But not even this official Israeli limo could leave until

the buses blocking the roads were given permission to move.

Most of the US Presidential visit was live-streamed,

so you can find it all on line.

For the grande finale,

after what seemed like dozens of Israeli police helicopters flying over,

a military helicopter flight parade started,

accompanying Marine One

and ending with more helicopters and flares.

I have not seen the official number of helicopters,

but they were noisy and flew in a long convoy over

Jerusalem, Israel, as they escorted the

US Presidential visitors away.

Now, back to flags

and Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, and major celebrations

marking 50 years after the Six-Day War victory

and the liberation of the Old City from Jordanian rule.

What a week to be on the Jerusalem streets!

Oh Jerusalem, Lag B’Omer to Yom Yerushalyim

Oh Jerusalem, Lag B’Omer to Yom Yerushalyim

May 17, 2017May 17, 2017Sharon A

In Jerusalem, Israel, some bonfires started after Shabbat,

while others began Sunday night and Monday.

Lag B’Omer seemed less intense this year.

Some hide inside from the smoke and close their windows,

and I was one of the insiders.

On Monday morning many children had no school,

which was great timing for a free Museum Day.

Though Monday was warm and windy,

this father went biking with his children.

I saw fewer fires at night burning near us,

but these ashes looked like a party the night before.

No reports of serious damage is always good,

and the sirens this week were not all bad.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine went by in this noisy motorcade.

Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence,

was busy as usual with foreign and local guests.

On Monday, history was made,

when the first female Qadi, Sharia Judge,

was sworn in by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked.

Then on Tuesday, new ambassadors to Israel

presented their credentials, the first one of the day was Thailand.

The Israel Police Band played anthems, however,

even the new Spanish Ambassador received only minimal attention.

Most cameras were focused on new US Ambassador David Friedman

as he presented his credentials to President Rivlin.

As Hatikvah played, Friedman started to sing,

but after a few words, his lips stopped moving.

These red warning signs are up lining the street,

in Hebrew, and English ones too.

US President Donald Trump is to come next week.

Then we will see roads closed and traffic stopped.

This week Jerusalem is preparing to celebrate 50 years united,

with special Jerusalem flags,

in multiple ways and locations,

with music going late into the night.

Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day,

is on May 24, 2017, the 28 of Iyar.

The main event is set for May 21, 2017, at 8:30 pm,

here by the walls of the Old City,

but we are to have a US Presidential visit.

So many festivals, visitors and events,

it is hard to keep track,

stay tuned for what happens next on the Jerusalem streets.

Best of Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut in Jerusalem

Best of Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut in Jerusalem

May 3, 2017May 3, 2017Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel, for the Yoms

as usual was overloaded with events,

many this year influenced in anticipation of

50 years since the reunification of Jerusalem.

Israeli flags are draped down the sides of buildings.

These are at the Israel Museum entrance

where the dome of the Shrine of the Book can be seen.

Yom HaZikaron, Israeli Remembrance Day

for fallen soldiers and victims of terror,

began Sunday night with memorials throughout Israel,

and were accompanied by prayers, speeches and memorial flames.

The official state ceremony seen live on television,

was held at the Kotel, the Western Wall,

where President Reuven Rivlin lit the memorial light.

Sponsored by the Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael Levin,

a memorial service was held at Givat HaTachmoshet, Ammunition Hill,

the site of deadly fighting to defend Jerusalem in 1967.

The program in English was live-streamed

and seen by over 16,000 people around the world.

All day Monday, tens of thousands of Israelis visited cemeteries.

This cemetery has many graves from 1948-1950,

the first years that Jews could not get to

the Mount of Olives due to the Jordanian occupation

and had to find new places to bury their dead.

On Yom HaZikaron, a man prayed by a grave.

A small Israeli flag with a black ribbon attached,

and small bunch of flowers, yizkor, remembers

those much too young who died in war.

The cemetery is next to Harel Garden

and Memorial wall, where this lone wreath was placed.

Walk around the memorial and you can see

that Gush Etzion is 16 kilometers from Cinema City and

the Israeli Supreme Court and government offices.

Tens of thousands came to Har Herzl Military Cemetery

during the day, to place flowers and to mourn,

remembering those lost to war and terror.

The crowds thinned at end of day,

and all headed home from the Har Herzl Military Cemetery.

But as the sun set,

on another part of Har Herzl,

the lights went on this huge stage,

celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut, Independence Day.

This year for the first time two non-Israelis were selected

with the honor of lighting one of the 12 memorial flames,

Rabbi Marvin Hier and Michael Steinhardt,

seen here before the official program began.

The show is telecast live and seen by thousands,

but watching on TV you could not see them remove

the circle of fire used in one production number.

It is an extravaganza with set rituals,

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat broke with tradition

when he joined with Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein

to light the official flame of Israel’s Independence Day.

Seats were at a premium, the flag waving,

cheering crowd did not need a lot of encouragement.

Besides the two Americans, I wanted to see Rabbanit Chana Henkin

who was honored as one of the twelve torch lighters,

one for each tribe of Israel.

Dr. Ahmed Eid, an Arab doctor, was another honoree.

The program featured songs and military colors.

For this shot, no seat in the stands would work,

only this overhead camera would do.

Afterwards celebrations went all night,

in too many locations to list, with prayers, songs and dancing.

The next day at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence,

120 outstanding soldiers were honored in the morning

and in the afternoon rows of diplomats came,

along with one young Presidential grandson,

to pay their respects to Israel and hear the Prime Minister

and President speak on theme,”next year in Jerusalem.”

While the heads of consuls and foreign military were at Beit Hanasi,

thousands of Israelis were in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.

Most of the green spaces all over the country were full of Israelis.

On the radio were announcements of crowded roads to JNF parks.

This family brought a couch to Gan Sacher,

which is one way to make your holiday mangal, BBQ, feel like home.

I know this is getting way too long,

but there was so much more,

like the Bible Competition, free museums, and performances.

festive meals, and those IDF flyovers and stunts.

Israel, after 69 years

as President Rivlin said, is young for a country,

under constant threat and repeated attacks,

yet has accomplished so much.

So it was,

from memorials to celebrating independence,

so much happening in Jerusalem.