Gan Sacher – Page 21 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Ready for Winter

November 4, 2011rjstreets

Often I am asked, “What are you going to write about?”

This week it is a really good question,

as I am just back from a two-week trip to New York City,

where snow and large trees were falling and no one was quite ready for winter.

As always, taking a walk is the only way to see what is really happening.

Businesses are enclosing outside areas in preparation for winter.

A piece of bent metal next to its awning is all that remains of an enclosure

that the city demolished this week at Yarok Yarok florist shop.

Did you hear about that from any protest group?

Sirens alerting a rocket attack sounded in Gush Dan

were for a public safety drill;

however this week’s sirens in the south were for 40 missiles fired from Gaza.

A new flotilla heads toward Gaza and

shots were fired from Gaza at Israeli soldiers on patrol.

Perhaps that is how they get ready for ‘Arab Winter’?

I found that in Jerusalem,

signs for an Oud music festival

and an international karate competition are up.

They are changing the plantings in these flowers beds…again!

Someone has to be making a lot of money here, but that’s a whole other post.

The Shalits have gone home and the street has been cleaned up,

but it will be a long time until

all the stickers

are gone from benches around the city.

Only the large chair and a banner remain on the sidewalk,

which seems to be a perfect background

to record your own rap song about Gilad Shalit.

Someone used a lot of tape to make many similar designs

along the sidewalks on Azza Street.

You never know what you will find on the Jerusalem streets.

However, the really big news is

it started raining…no–pouring.

The protesters living in tents in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park

will find that Jerusalem winter wet weather is bone-chilling cold.

As the lightning and thunder continue,

I’m glad I planned to go to the Jerusalem Knights next week.

This is a good night not to be out.

So glad to have the rain,

but are we really ready for winter?

Illegal Building

October 4, 2011rjstreets

Two days of Rosh Hashanah followed by Shabbat meant three days

with no internet or news updates, so while there were many reports

of the Quartet’s disgust with Israel for building in Gilo,

I missed seeing any mention of their dismay with the Palestinian Authority as

Kassam rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel on the first day of Rosh Hashanah

and the Israeli air force had to preempt another terrorist strike on the second day.

Three days of holiday meals and city garbage bins were over flowing.

After Shabbat, people could be found walking or jogging very late at night.

Changing the clocks back to standard time provided an extra hour to exercise,

but with the early sunset, there is not as much time to play outside after school.

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is visiting Jerusalem;

I wonder if he noticed these “buildings” in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park?

While Tel Aviv has taken down its “tent cities'”

in this Jerusalem park one can find groups of tents,

a private “suburban” site,

and an open kitchen area.

Today a couple was moving a couch out of the park,

but some of the “buildings” look like they are ready for the Sukkot holiday.

Is there another “tent city” filling this parking lot?

No…these are supplies to build sukkot for the upcoming holiday,

when thousands of illegal “buildings” will be popping up in every open space.

For the Rosh Hashanah holiday, all regular soldiers were all on active duty,

with many stationed far away from home.

Thank you to the IDF for making it safe

for the rest of us to celebrate all the holidays with our families.

Welcome to Palestine

July 10, 2011rjstreets

It is hot…

ok…we are spoiled, the rest of the country is hotter,

and it is dry, putting the public and the fire department on high alert.

Smoke billowed from this apartment building, two fire engines arrived to

find that smoke was from a man starting his BBQ grill on an outside porch.

Last week’s loud music and voices coming from open windows

have been replaced by the sounds of summer:

the whirl of air conditioning units.

In the center of Jerusalem, usually busy Gan Sacher, Sacher Park,

was quiet on Friday afternoon,

everyone seemed to be moving a bit slower…

even the soccer players.

It was a good day to sit in the shade and read

and perfect to select a choice picnic spot.

Children are out of school, keeping them busy, happy, safe and cool

have been the real streets main concerns…

and as always a good parking spot.

Day and night, the Renewed Israel Museum is a popular choice for many

and also this week the cool theaters of the Jerusalem Film Festival,

as many of the summer holiday visitors have discovered.

Had the flytilla activists arrived as the millions of regular visitors,

they would have passed these posters

on a wall in the new Ben Gurion terminal.

The irony of a United Palestine Appeal poster

to build a Jewish future would probably have been wasted on them.

These activists must not know that

cities under Palestinian Authority control have been safer of late,

and people holding US passports have visited them regularly.

Instead of sitting in jail or being deported, these activists could

have joined the many Arab families

who frequent Gan Sacher in the evening to picnic

and bring plenty of food.

Some call stopping the flotilla and the flytilla an over-reaction.

Today a suspicious package brought downtown Jerusalem

to a standstill. Another over-reaction?

Possibly… except for the one time it blows up in your face.

The Greek flag is flying with the Israeli and Jerusalem flags

lining the route to welcome the Greek President to Jerusalem.

The Greeks played an important part in stopping the flotilla,

and deserve a big thank you.

In case one needs to be reminded about smuggling weapons to Hamas,

three rockets from Gaza landed in southern Israel yesterday.

Thank you, President Karolos Papoulias…

the ‘Welcome to Palestine’ activists just don’t get it,

but fortunately…you got it!