Christmas – The Real Jerusalem Streets

As December ends Jerusalem welcomes tourists

December 28, 2025December 28, 2025Sharon A

Hanukkah is over, and the end of December 2025 is approaching rapidly.

Winter has returned with cold and rainy weather on the Jerusalem streets.

Here’s a brief tour of some of what was happening on the Jerusalem streets.

Last week was better for tourists; the sky was blue, the flowers brilliant purple, and the grass green.

A little of what we knew as “fall colors” elsewhere in the world, much prettier photos than grey rain.

Slowly, Jerusalem streets are getting new street signs, one day at a time, it seems.

Under the blue sky, people were returning to Jaffa Gate and the Old City.

International tourists are back. Some have rebooked multiple times because flights were canceled.

In the Mamilla Mall, a line was waiting to get into a popular restaurant for lunch.

An off-duty soldier was spotted in the midday crowd.

The final sale sign that filled the eyeglass store with potential customers attracted more attention.

The Old City’s New Gate was the entrance to one of Jerusalem’s major Christmas celebrations.

Only the big event was on December 24 at night; by daytime on December 25, the decorations and booths were being taken down.

The sign for Hanukkah lighting candles at the Western Wall was still up.

The popular protest site near Balfour Street was clear. A tree is filled with yellow hearts. The names of the returned hostages are on the tree near Balfour Street.

Hamas has not released Ran Gvili as agreed in the ceasefire. A yellow chair remains for the last hostage.

All hostages, alive and dead, were to be returned to Israel before going to stage two of the plan.

Also, the yellow chair remains at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence.

The yellow hostage ribbon is now joined with a black ribbon after the murders in Australia.

Tuesday night was the inaugural Woman of Iron awards. Eighteen impressive women were honored.

There were smiles. Conversations. Meetings with long-time friends. Making important new connections.

Women Sharing Loss, Understanding, and Resilience. Yes, men attended also. More photos HERE

Kol Haot was one stop on the Momentum Educator’s Mission, bringing Jewish women together.

Unity. Solidarity. Expression in art. Israeli women joined the educators from Mexico and North America.

The Birthright trips have also started up again, filling the Jerusalem streets with buses of young people.

Now, to end on a sweet note. December is the start of strawberry season.

Just a taste of this past week in the Jerusalem streets. Hope to see you here soon!

#Next Year in Jerusalem

Jerusalem Looking Forward to New Year 2021

December 27, 2020December 27, 2020Sharon A

As the calendar year of 2020 comes to a close, I think it is safe to say 2020 has been a most unusual year. Not the best of years, unless computers and online sessions are your favorite things.

In 2019, millions of visitors were in Jerusalem, Israel, and things were thriving and growing and going great.

But then, in March, closings due to the novel coronavirus pandemic hit Jerusalem – hard. Businesses closed. The poor got poorer. Seniors living alone became more isolated than before.

The view from the Tayelet was one of the few things familiar in 2020.

The newest popular spot is a seat in the health fund, in the chair for the COVID-19 vaccine. Interestingly the information sheets were in Hebrew and Arabic, and not in English.

With a third lockdown looming, people took advantage to get outside when the skies cleared this past week.

Tayelet scene Muslim woman near Hanukkah menorah

I went to the Tayelet after Hanukkah and the large Menorah was still there.

Not all was Hanukkah in Jerusalem this past week.

Tours from Israeli business groups were spotted in multiple locations, and not just the Tayelet with its view of Old City.

The public pianos attracted small groups and music filled the brisk air.

Jerusalem parks have been upgraded, new ones built, and were open for all.

As in past years, the Jerusalem Municipality gave out free trees to the Christian residents. And as usual, though the distribution was advertised as between 9-12:00 near Jaffa Gate, they went quickly.

Here is a gift shop near Jaffa Gate. An Arab woman passes by the store where Jewish religious garments are on display. Bethany wearing the blue jacket is from Canada, inside with her tree safely stashed in her cart.

Later she told me she came with her friend Sarah at 9:00 am. to be sure and get a tree. People stopped as we chatted at 11:00 am to ask where she got it.

Sorry, every year, only the early birds get those trees.

Seems when the post office near Jaffa Gate is open, there is a waiting line.

Santas were there early in the week, but gone by Friday, December 25th.

The crowds on Friday were headed to Muslim midday prayers.

However, Friday, I did spot a few of Santa’s helpers, or at least the red hats.

At Jerusalem’s New Gate, it was not a bright and happy holiday season.

However, the lights were bright all month at night at the YMCA.

And those lights strung down from the YMCA bell tower lit up the sky impressively from a distance.

Take out food was allowed. People came to Mamilla Mall to eat. Stores were open, and to shop, but access was limited.

However, the open malls are to close by 5:oopm Sunday, December 27, 2020.

These capsule plastic igloos popped up at First Station for small groups to eat their takeout meals. But for lockdown #3 these are a new no-no.

While people did come to eat, the craft stalls have been empty for months.

It was sad to see that the first dairy restaurant to open in the new First Station is now closed.

With Saturn aligned with Jupiter many looked to the heavens for light.

This year the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens offered colorful lights at night.

From across the pond the reflections were quite a popular show.

But December 26, 2020 was the last chance to register and go for now.

It is also had to close. Nature reserves and parks are not to open for at least two week, and maybe more.

The Israel Museum was lit in red at night on December 26, in support of an international Red Alert Campaign. Before I had a chance to share that the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem was open again, and go see YEMEN, it had to close. Culture has been hard hit, with institutions closed for months.

February 2020 seems like a life time ago.

But not to leave you and December 2020, on such a low and down note –

here is a favorite scene from this past week. An elderly Arab man had dropped his cane and could not bend down to pick it up. Several people walked by either not noticing or pretending not to see his problem. As I walked toward him, a Jewish woman also noticed. She had been on her way to Jaffa Gate, but came back and bent down to give him the cane.

So there you have it some of this past week in Jerusalem, Israel.

He was speaking about upcoming Israeli elections, but Eyal Arad’s comment about the Israeli Air Force – “the thing you don’t see is what shoots you down” seems apt here for this past corona year.

Of course, there was more, but this is getting too long and I want to conclude with a new video with added English subtitles.

The novel coronavirus vaccine program is going strong.

From Sunday to Wednesday 650,000 people were vaccinated.

Let’s hope a 3rd lockdown is the last one.

Take care and stay well and

hope to see you in 2021 on the Jerusalem streets.

Jerusalem Festival of Lights sign in Hebrew

Jerusalem, Israel Diverse and Democratic

January 1, 2020Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel is a busy place in the winter holiday season.

“It is no surprise that both the Jewish and Christian traditions share holidays of light – the light of faith and hope, even in the face of darkness…

As guardians of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, the State of Israel is committed to religious freedom for all,” said President Reuven Rivlin.

“Jerusalem must serve as a model for peace and harmony between religions.”

This past week Hanukkah was celebrated in Jerusalem, Israel.

Also this year Hanukkah coincided with the Christmas holiday season.

Neutral lighting lined some of the major streets.

Hebrew University had no classes on December 25th.

Traffic volume plus street repairs created backups even when the sun was shining.

In the rain? Forget getting anywhere in the usual amount of time!

In the past inside the YMCA was a sure bet for finding a holiday tree and decorations.

This year the outside tree was decorated and additional lights placed at the entrance.

This year at First Station along with those Hanukkah donuts there was a Christmas tree.

The banner sign at First Station next to the Hanukkah menorah had greetings for Hanukkah and Christmas.

The lights at night in the Old City were bright inside of Jaffa Gate.

That Santa Claus was not out at night when I looked for him, but he appeared in his annual spot near Jaffa Gate the next day.

Inside the New Gate decorations greeted the holiday crowds to the Christian Quarter and churches.

Outside of the Old City walls, the lights on the St. Lous French Hospital brightened it up at night.

The holiday week crowds filled the narrow streets in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City.

It’s official. A record number of holiday tourists were on the Jerusalem streets this year.

At Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s residence, the Presidential cat was watching over the grounds at the annual New Year reception for the heads of the Christian denominations in Israel.

Inside at the reception guests posed and smiled for photos.

Israeli Minister of the Interior Aryeh Deri; the acting Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; the representative of the Armenian Patriarchate; head of the Franciscan Order in Jerusalem, the Custos of the Holy Land; and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church Archeparch of Akka (Akko) were among the participants.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem spoke on behalf of the religious leaders.

In his remarks President Rivlin invited the Pope to the dedication ceremony for the Land of the Monasteries project in 2020, saying:

“We are about to finish clearing all of the mines from the Land of the Monasteries at the very beginning of the coming year. Already the number of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land is increasing each year. Just this year, close to 900,000 pilgrims visited the Land of Monasteries. We are working hard to complete the development of the entire area by the end of 2020.”

As part of this initiative, land mines laid in the 1970s for security reasons, which prevented access to the area, have been cleared.

The process has been an ongoing project in the ancient area, which has been under development to a new tourist center for years.

The area is called Qasr-Al-Yahud where the Jordan River is divided between Jordan and Israel.

Minister of the Interior, Aryeh Deri: “Freedom of worship and religion in Jerusalem, the Holy City, will be preserved for all and we will continue to preserve Jerusalem as the Holy City for all religions. Unfortunately, we live in an era when antisemitism raises its head around the world, most recently in the terrible incident in Monsey, New York. We must all fight antisemitism wherever it occurs, and we must all reject and condemn it in a loud and clear voice against any outbreak of antisemitism and violence.”

In his remarks, the President once again repeated, “We must remember that we are not doomed to live together, we are destined to live together, and we, therefore, must advance initiatives which will benefit all of us.”

“In a few weeks, I will host leaders from around the world at Yad Vashem, to commemorate seventy-five years to the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and to call on all humanity, to preserve the memory of the Holocaust, and fight antisemitism and hate.”

Antisemitism is becoming more blatant around the world.

Meanwhile, the Israeli leadership has become more “relaxed” and welcoming to religious diversity in Jerusalem with more neutral holiday lights and greetings, and enticing more Christian pilgrims to Qsar-Al-Yahud and other locations.

Some will find this very positive.

Others will find it the opposite.

The discussion of Israel, Jewish and democratic and diverse, will not cease with a new government.

But I will end with something new for me, I had to take out the video for this one.

Always something new on the Jerusalem streets.