Jerusalem, Israel – what is really happening
I am on an overcrowded El Al plane.
People are standing in the aisles.
The man next to me asks me to change my aisle seat
with his male friend to middle one in next row.
I laugh and say no way.
We leave two hours late,
no ultra-Orthodox Jews involved.
End of story.
From 37,000 feet, we could see clouds and sunset,
now back in Jerusalem, Israel,
more clouds and rain before Shabbat.
שבת שלום
Good news first.
I was in the US for birth of a grandchild,
his name is Yisroel Tzvi,
and he already is trying to figure out this world.
In the last two weeks I’ve had no computer time,
no down time and little sleep.
I hope you missed the updates from RJS these past two weeks?
As always it is an adventure to fly El Al
and arrive back to Jerusalem, Israel.
But as I arrived home I heard terrible news:
Rabbi Yehuda Glick had been shot
and seriously injured
in an assassination attempt.
I posted on Israellycool asap,
and you can see the background story and updates
In June at the Begin Center,
Yehuda Glick sponsored his first LIBA conference,
where I was shocked to learn that Jews are allowed
only 20 hours a week on the Temple Mount,
while Muslims have almost free access.
Today access to the Muslim masses was limited,
though tomorrow restrictions are to be lifted.
Helicopters are flying overhead,
and in Jerusalem that usually means trouble.
Much has been written about “Price Tag” attacks,
today there was graffiti painted near a church.
Months ago this photo was taken across from the Begin Center.
It did not fit the media spin of “Price Tag”
so it was never reported.
On my next photo walk in the area
I saw that it was whitewashed.
Abu Mazen is spinning the story of one of his followers
shooting a man in cold blood
into “Israel is bad,”
another thread in his narrative;
while Yehuda Glick, a great guy with wonderful sense of humor,
is hanging on to life by a thread.
Join in praying for the recovery of
יהודה יהושע בן רבקה איטה ברנדה
Will this world be easier to understand when Yisroel Tzvi is older?
The holiday of Sukkot,
involves intense preparation,
and checking of many specific details.
As soon as Yom Kippur is over,
sukkot seem to pop up all over.
Thousands of tourists arrive in Jerusalem, Israel,
many want to sleep in a sukka and many more to eat in one.
At the Kings Hotel the familiar sukka is up on the roof
and a simple wooden sukka cna be seen at the King Solomon Hotel.
At the Inbal Hotel, look up for the fancy private sukkot.
This year due to the Formula Road Show,
outside the King David Hotel had a different look,
but the large porch out back was getting ready as usual to be a sukka.
New buildings near the YMCA
have sukkot up on porches and down in the courtyards,
and new Touro restaurant at the Jerusalem Press Club is ready to use.
But also new this year is the Waldorf Astoria Hotel,
where I still have trouble getting past the gorgeous flowers,
and the birds and fountain below.
Their sukka,
in the Atrium
is the new wow must see sukka this season.
I must get to working on holiday details here,
time to clean and decorate our sukka!
I’ll end with two old favorites,
our sukka on a camel photo was posted by Times of Israel on Facebook,
it received so much attention that here it is again.
RJS along with the buses
wishing all a happy holiday.