Jerusalem Getting Back to Normal

This summer was not normal.

Rockets were falling and tourism was way down

But those tourists who did come had a great time.

The Tourism Ministry recorded 218,000 visitor entries in Israel in July 2014.

Groups from southern Israel were brought to Jerusalem for fun days.

President Reuven Rivlin and his wife hosted more children this week.

Slowly we are returning to “normal.”

The last two weeks in August there is no regular child day care,

which makes some workplaces look like day care centers.

 Grandparents, cousins,

 or any family member or friend can be called to help out.

 A popular summer activity was the view from Big Bambu at the Israel Museum.

image Big Bambu

Some ‘seniors’ finding out they had to go up with their young children,

were not so thrilled about having to make the climb.

image children play ground

The new play area at the Israel Museum was much easier to experience.

 The Bloomfield Science Museum, an  old favorite, is always great for a day outing.

image science museum water

The water activities on a hot day are always a winner.

image sand play area

The new sand area is usually a busy place,

but not this early morning in July,

image children playing

though learning activities led by staff were well under way.

image hand meat grinder

I wonder how many of the children ever saw a meat grinder like this,

or would have any idea what it is?

It was seen on my way to a new building for a special exhibition:

The Machine Within: Bio-mechanics,

image science museum

the machine inside is built to survive.

image science museum

Using small screens

image science museum

and large ones,

image child and grandmother in museum

and animals to attract attention and teach.

image Jerusalem science museum

This shows the outside of a pouncing animal,

but walk around it,

image Jerusalem science museum

and the exhibit shows how it works inside.

image child in science museum

One of my favorite scenes was this boy,

image child at science museum

who figured out how to interact

image child in science meusm

with all the right moves.

image Arab girl Jerusalem,

During the month of July with all the troubles and tensions you heard about,

at places like the Science Museum, where this Muslim girl is on staff,

image Muslim men Jerusalem

and in the Israel Museum where Muslim men worked and rested on Ramadan,

life went on as “normal.”

That was the real Jerusalem, Israel streets.

Will the cease fire and quiet hold?

We will all have to see what happens next.

Jerusalem in June

June in Jerusalem, Israel,

More than 20 International Mayors were just here,

and now the Jewish Agency Board of Governors are back.

The Jewish Media Summit 2014

image Shimon Peres, photo Daivd Horowitz

opened Sunday night with both Israeli President Shimon Peres

image Israeli Prime Minister

and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in attendance.

The line to get past security moved slower than a snail.

But even without these exclusive events,

the school end-of-year extravaganzas, graduations and conferences galore

could triple book any Google calendar.

085b  Jerusalem light fewstival

If you missed the Light Festival some of the best is here,

image Israel Festival

while the Israel Festival has too many programs to mention.

image shavuah hasefer, photo Israel Book Week

Shavuah HaSefer, the annual Hebrew Book Week

image Hebrew Book Week

was back in its old location near the new First Station.

image shavuah hasefer , photo Book Week

As every year, book lovers came out in droves every night from June 11 – 21

image Hebrew Book Week

to browse and buy at bargain prices.

image Tower of David Museum

The Tower of David Museum has  a new year-long exhibit.

Where else could you find

image Tower of David Museum, photo tool from Second Jewish Temple,

a fire-pan used by the Priests in the Second Jewish Temple,

image Palestine Post, photo 1938 headline

 an ad for  “FIAT the car for Palestine,”

image Tower of David Museum at night

and this scene at sunset.

Over at the Israel Museum,

image Israel Museum, big bambu image.

US twins Doug and Mike Starn and over two dozen mountain climbers

Image Big Bambu at Israel Museum

from the US and Israel crafted this big, really big Big Bambu.

image BigBambu at Israel Museum

Israel Museum visitors are going to love it this summer,

imige Israel Museum

especially when it is free for children in August.

There is lots of sand this year at the Bloomfield Science Museum

and at the new “Jerusalem Beach” at First Station,

but that will be for another time.

This June,

image kidnapped boys, photo return of kidnapped Israeli teens

“all are with the three terrorist kidnapped teens,

Nafatli, Gil-ad, and Eyal,”

image sign for Three kidnapped Isaeli  teens

“Shuvu Ahim, return our brothers”

is on our signs and on our minds.