Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem

Did you see these 3 things in Jerusalem?

Sharon A

Last week was a real roller coaster of messed-up time and events.

It’s hard to know what to share, the good or the bad, and yes, even the ugly.

I decided to start with a favorite event, the gala opening of the Christian Media Summit.

This year, the opening gala was held in the Museum of Tolerance on Monday night.

The Government Press Office, led by Nitzan Chen (second from left), sponsors these events.

The first one I attended was at First Station when it was new. Sitting next to people from Romanian radio who came to Jerusalem with love for Israel was an eye-opener.

There was time to interview the important guests and speakers.

I tried to get Amichai Chikli, the Israeli politician currently serving as the Minister of Diaspora Affairs, to smile, but failed. He put on a jacket before going on stage.

One of the speakers, after the buffet meal – it’s Israel, so of course food! was Ambassador Dan Oryan, the director of the Civic Diplomacy Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

One of his slides showed images of support from around the world.

However, more impressive was to meet a man from Nigeria and a woman from Indonesia. Her project was called Hadassah, she said, because she wanted to be like Esther to help the Jewish people.

Member of Knesset Ohad Tal, Chairman of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, was another speaker.

Ditza Or, mother of Avinatan Or, who was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, gave a powerful presentation.

“He is in the hands of God…in the darkest moment, I whispered to myself, God is good and God can do anything,” she recounted.

Looking to ancient Shiloh, she “prayed for her beautiful boy.” Imagine two years vanished into darkness.

Standing to sing Hatikva at the end – the program and other speakers were too good to leave early.

In 2018, the Prime Minister came; this time, however, PM Netanyahu sent a brief video message.

More photos from the Christian Media Summit were posted on Facebook –HERE

There is also a GPO Jewish Media Summit. However, a date for a new one has not been agreed upon.

An annual symposium on indigenous people had interesting speakers.

It was held again at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem where a yellow sign awaits the return of hostages.

Last year at the Jerusalem Indigenous Embassy symposium, a highlight was the well-researched presentation by the impressive Dr. Izabella Tabarovsky.

This year, Nova Peris’ speech was so good, I asked her to send a copy. I would love to share her story and words with you. Born in Darwin, Australia, her list of accomplishments includes being the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal. She was elected to the Australian Senate, where she said she received death threats. Her taking a stand with Israel now, with growing antisemitism, is impressive.

The Jerusalem streets are waiting for the last hostages to return, three weeks past the proposed deadline

I decided to end a difficult week on an optimistic note.

I showed this photo to Ditza Or at the end of the evening, where she spoke of her son, his captivity, and returning home. She had ended her talk with similar words to the bumper sticker on the Zussman’s car.

After her son Ben Zussman fell in Gaza, his mother said, “Our story will end well.”

The sun is shining, though we need rain, time to get back out on the Jerusalem streets and find more good things happening to share.

Am Yisrael Chai!

October in Jerusalem Ends with High and Lows

Sharon A

Oh, what week it was on the Jerusalem streets to end the months of October and Tishrei!

Many times this past year, RJS repeated it was a”roller coaster” and “up and down” week.

Exhausting and wearing are words that come to mind from the experience of getting up from the lows.

After a slow start to the last week in October, here are highlights from the Jerusalem streets.

The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem hosted an academic symposium on October 29, 2024.

The ‘KUMA‘ exhibition that opened in May is closing soon. The legacy of the brilliant young artist Eitan Rosenzweig, hy”d, who fell in battle, should be shared worldwide.

The Jerusalem streets have been much quieter than the north and south of Israel, but the signs for shelters are posted in the museum.

A well-researched presentation by the impressive Dr. Izabella Tabarovsky at the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem Academic Symposium focused on the Denial of Jewish Peoplehood and Jewish Connection to the Land of Israel in Late-Soviet Propaganda.

The former Soviet dissident who spent 9 years imprisoned by the Soviet authorities, Natan Sharansky was a keynote speaker.

He was highlighted along with Professor Gil Troy, who presented “The Promised Land versus “Settler Colonialism”: Land, Indigeneity, Identity and Creativity in Zionist Thought.” A study of how and by whom the term “settler-colonist” developed.

Maori Sheree Trotter, PhD in history from the University of Auckland, is a founder and co-director of the Indigenous Embassy of Jerusalem which had an impressive event in February.

Multiple speakers and delegates could not attend because of air travel cancelations.

Shadi Khalloul from Kfar Birem made his presentation on Zoom because of illness. An Israeli Aramaic Maronite born near the border of Lebanon who served in the IDF as the first Christian paratrooper in 1995, he founded the NGO – ICAA. Who knew that Aramaic is still being taught?

As the full-day program continued late in the afternoon, Dr Charles Asher Small spoke on “The Implications of Antisemites Defining the Jew: From Indigeneity to Colonial Settler.”

To close the day, co-convener Prof. Wayne Horowitz lectured on “Indigenous Narratives of Land and Sky-Modern and Ancient, Arctic Canada and the Land of Israel.” From this graphic of Abraham’s hometown of Ur, he developed the connection of Indigenous Peoples’ narratives to their land by song and dance.

Think of the Jewish agricultural holidays we recently celebrated and the words of “Hatikvah.”

It was a very thoughtfully presented program with much information and videos to be published.

On Wednesday night, at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence the first award ceremony for Civilian Heroes of October 7, 2023, was held.

A large screen and stage were constructed in the back garden. With the clock and season change, it was dark and colder than recent nights.

The President awarded cousins Ismail, D’Haish, Hamed, and Rafi Alkarnawi for their bravery in rescuing Israelis on October 7 under heavy fire from Hamas who had invaded Israel.

The set was elaborate and the program included musical interludes slow and solemn.

Most of the awards went to the relatives of deceased civilians who acted quickly on October 7 to save others, like Moshe and Eliyad Ohayon hy”d, from Ofakim.

The President wanted not only Jews, Druze, and Bedouin heroes honored, but children as well.

Former Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubenstein’s committee was tasked with investigating and selecting from 200 nominees down to 60 then 20 finalists.

One bright point of the evening were the young children present.

Their presence conveyed the feeling – Am Yisrael Chai – the People of Israel Live.

But always present is the yellow chair and the faces of the hostages still in Gaza for over a year.

On the Jerusalem streets, it is hard not to remember the 101 remaining hostages.

The Shiva of Rabbi Avi Goldberg hy”d concluded with thousands coming to pay condolences to the family of the latest Jerusalem resident fallen. They came all week and late into the night after Shabbat.

One woman who came to offer words of comfort to Rachel, the young widow, was Hadas Loewenstern, mother of six children under bar mitzvah age. Her husband Elisha Lowenstern hy”d was the 405th to fall in Gaza “fighting for our lives”. She has repeated her story in numerous recorded messages to give strength to others, especially those who have received the dreaded “knock on the door” from the IDF.

It’s a good day when “cleared for publication” is not the first item on the news, as the number of fallen rises toward 780.

A favorite sight this week on the Jerusalem streets was a young border policeman taking flowers home with his talit bag over his shoulder.

So as the sirens sound north and south, and Israelis run for shelter, in Jerusalem, Israel life moves along.

The new signs are posted for the end of November Jerusalem Oud Festival.

The oranges are full on the trees along the Jerusalem streets. And if you look closely you could even find Halloween decorations.

Oh, what a month October was!

Hoping November is a quieter, less rampageous month.

New February Flowers and Flying Flags in Jerusalem

Sharon A

Another week wondering where to begin and what to include in what’s happening in Jerusalem, Israel.

When the rain stopped the clouds were impressive over the Israel Museum and the valley below. After the rain, green grass and wildflowers pop up from the ground to bask in the sunlight.

It’s always a good idea to take a moment to see the latest at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.

The pink cherry tree blossoms burst out last week.

New Israeli flags were posted on the fence around the soon-to-open Japanese Pagoda.

New flags line many Jerusalem streets.

Some new flags and a sign for a fallen soldier were put up across from his former home.

Sadly, too many new flags with the loss of another soldier, killed in the October 7 War.

Finally construction work is slowly resuming on the Jerusalem streets. The new path to the starting line of the Jerusalem Marathon has to be completed before the March 8 starting time.

The 13th Jerusalem Marathon will be held during these challenging times, “based on the spirit of struggle, perseverance, determination, and the victory of the human spirit, especially in times of war.”

On a visit to the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem this past week, under this large welcome sign were smaller posters of hostages kidnapped on October 7.

Inside on the second level is a new exhibit ‘Splinter From the Storm’ where contemporary art is interspersed with ancient artifacts.

Jerusalem has creative works found both inside museums and along the Jerusalem streets.

The juxtaposition of old and new is constantly changing as new buildings tower over the old.

Some things in the Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk, appear the same and constant.

However, seeing bread and rolls packaged in plastic and not in the open is relatively new.

It’s time to sign up for next year in schools as signs along a busy Jerusalem street remind us.

No need for “Bring them home now” signs as a reminder, but they are posted in many windows.

Tens of thousands were at the Kotel, Western Wall on Thursday afternoon, before Rosh Chodesh Adar to pray for the return of hostages. It got less media coverage than other rallies even with both chief rabbis participating in the prayer service.

Some relatives were there also, Bring Him/Them Home Now! can be seen almost wherever you go.

As sad as much of the past four difficult winter months have been, the first lupins have appeared as another sign of spring, new growth, and hope as the days get warmer.

New Am Yisrael Chai banners have appeared on some Jerusalem streets.

It is a good time to get up and go out and appreciate the sunshine.

Seeing what’s new and what else is happening on Jerusalem streets can help improve your mood any day.