Gan Sacher

Holiday Celebrations

rjstreets

Tens of thousands of people came from around the world to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem

  and to pray at the Kotel, the Western Wall.

It was hard to find a bagel as many eateries were closed tight for the holiday,

however, the fresh bread in the Christian Quarter of the Old City smelled especially good.

 Easter week coincided with Passover this year,

and thousands of Christian pilgrims came to the Old City by way of the Jaffa Gate

and the New Gate,

all heading towards

 the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Built in the fifth century by Queen St. Helena,

 the Monastery of the Holy Cross

was also a popular Christian tourist spot.

It is located in the Valley of the Cross below the Israel Museum.

 Passover with its potato rolls ended on Monday night… and Mimouna celebrations began.

This celebration by North African Jews the day after Passover is now an official holiday.

It begins at night with the baking of fresh mufletas and continues into the next day.

Large crowds kept coming all day to Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.

 There were plenty of mangals with grilled meat and many serious photographers.

The afternoon scene included a group of Arab women and children

and Mahmoud and his friends playing soccer.

 Arab families enjoying Jerusalem parks as usual, even though,

  BenYosef Livnat was shot and killed at Joseph’s Tomb by Palestinian police just hours before.

Holiday celebrations in Jerusalem were large and festive this year, but since there was no violence,

it is not news for the mainstream media…

Now it’s back to school and back to washing  and cleaning up from the holiday celebrations.

Jerusalem Spring

rjstreets

 Syria is lifting emergency law after 48 years and

the ‘Arab Spring’ is grabbing headlines coming from the Middle East.

News of the murder of an anti-Israel Italian ISM member in Gaza,

came as Jews were busy shopping before the Passover holiday.

Many Arab shoppers were also in the stores buying the potato noodles and matzah.

 Daniel Viflic, the 16-year-old riding on a school bus who was injured by an anti-tank missile from Gaza,

died from those injuries and was buried just before the holiday began.

A tragic beginning…

for the Jerusalem spring.

There were photos of President Peres visiting the Shalit family and reports of new negotiators, but

 Gilad Shalit missed the Passover seder for the fifth year,

the protest tent was dark and empty on Tuesday night.

Nevertheless, Jerusalem spring

 is a time of families get-togethers,

 

and fanning

the flames

of the mangal in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park–

that has evolved into a Passover holiday tradition.

While millions of people take to the roads to travel North,

many others descend on Gan Sacher to picnic,

to play ball,

to relax,

to take a walk,

and enjoy nature.

It is a place

 where even used coals can be shared and the news can be forgotten…at least for a bit.

Happy Passover… it’s time to eat.

Jerusalem City of Fire

rjstreets

It is said that Hebron is a city of earth, Safed a city of wind,

Tiberias a city of water  and Jerusalem a city of fire.

A common sight in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park is a fire for a family picnic,

 usually there is also plenty of smoke.

The weather has been hot and dry enough for fires,

but thankfully there have not been many in Jerusalem,

The Knesset might look calm, but Israeli politics offers plenty of fire.

This has been a week of protests, to name just a few:

a demonstration against the separation of men and women on public buses 

and the same morning,

thousands of people came to protest against a new building freeze.

On the plaza outside the Prime Minister’s Office electric generators

were fired up in a protest tent.

The protesters using  the slogan, Yes you can!  say “No”.

A tent set up by the Gilad Shalit family supporters attracted a large crowd 

at 1000 days after his captivity.

What  began as a simple tent, near the Prime Minister’s official residence

now receives a constant stream of visitors.

  The tent is equipped with a full kitchen and gets restaurant-size deliveries.

It has been fitted with plastic and heaters ready for the winter’s cold weather.

The newly-installed floors need washing, 

and the protest tent has taken over the entire  corner.

International visitors still demand his release on humanitarian grounds,

but the days just go by.

The fruit and vegetable growers are on strike. 

Supplies could decrease by the end of the week.

Farmers are demanding more legal foreign workers to help them work.

There could be shortages,

and you can bet that prices will go up for the holidays.

The fires have started heating the oil for sufganiot.

Chanukah is next week,

 then Jerusalem will be a city filled with fire from holiday candles.

To everyone in US:  Happy Thanksgiving!