Israel – Page 85 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

SIGD Celebrated in Jerusalem

November 7, 2018November 12, 2018Sharon A

Sigd is one of the most photo worthy, special annual events held in Jerusalem, Israel.

Tens of thousands Ethiopian-Israelis and others gathered at the Tayelet, Armon Hanatziv promenade, for the annual Sigd Festival gathering today. Prayers went from early morning through to breaking a fast at 2:00 pm.

Crowds lined the path and filled gardens of the Tayelet with the Old City in view.

Besides the main ceremony, men were gathered around their holy books.

These cutout figures were dressed as in Temple times.

Generations of Ethiopian-Israelis come together on Sigd.

For thousands of years in Ethiopia, they dreamed of returning to Jerusalem.

For Sigd, smiles and colorful costumes were abundant.

White clothing was worn by women dressed in old traditional outfits prayering.

These women were probably all born in Ethiopia, each must have a story of how they and families arrived in Israel.

Crowds were huge. Security was especially tight.

But at least I got to see Rav Shaul and others arrive and enter, as I impatiently waited entry.

Once in the very restricted area, this was view of the main stage with the Kessim under colorful umbrellas.

The prayers were still being chanted around noon.

One man near the stage raised his hands in prayer.

President Rivlin reached up to shake hands with the Kessim as he proceeded to the stage to speak.

So many buses, from all over Israel were lined up, it was a long walk for these women to find their bus home. One was complaining in Hebrew about the distance, but I thought how much longer and difficult was the journey from Ethiopia to Israel.

Sigd was celebrated 50 days after Yom Kippur by Ethiopian Jews going to the mountains yearning to return to Zion. On the top of the mountain, the faithful would pray and fast. At the conclusion of the prayers, the Kessim would break bread known as Dabu which symbolized the bread served in the Temple. Today in Jerusalem, Israel, Sigd was remembered looking toward the Old City and site of the Temple.

Here is a short video near the end of the prayer service.

More Sigd photos on Facebook HERE

17 Years Southern Israel Under Attack from Gaza

November 6, 2018October 9, 2023Sharon A

The last Israelis in the Gaza Strip were forced from their homes 13 years ago.

Since 2001, 25,000 rockets and missiles have hit southern Israel from Gaza.

Eighty-one communities are under fire, on the front line of a war zone.

Seven months ago a new terror method by the Sons of Zawari in Gaza began in the form of fire kites and balloons.

These blackened areas show the result of this assault on the environment.

One of the southern border cities most under attack is Sderot.

The new Sderot train station has a cement bomb shelter cover.

From the highway the train station appears inconspicuous.

Because of missile and rocket attacks, in 2008, the ‘Caterpillar’ park was established as a safe haven for children on playground when an alarm is sounded.

The Legacy Heritage “Park of Good Wishes” has grown over the years.

More cement pipes have been added as missiles continue to fall.

Not only in Sderot but in Ashkelon as well, all new school buildings have cement roofs.

Half a billion dollars has been spent to provide bomb shelters in southern Israel.

This month a bomb shelter “safe room” saved a mother and her three children when a rocket made a direct hit on her house in Beer Sheva.

Not only safe rooms, but these decorated free standing bomb shelters have been erected in this new school playground next to the garden that the children are tending.

Bomb shelters stand near the bus stop for the local AMIT high school. Solar panels are visible over the cement roof that was added to protect students.

A street crossing, a bomb shelter; seconds to run to safety has become a way of life.

In spite of all, Sderot is growing and it is hard to keep up with the building demand.

In all directions, construction and cranes are a regular feature in Sderot.

Meanwhile, the missiles, rockets, qassams collected and displayed in the Sderot police station have multiplied.

Near the Israel border, Gaza and the sea are in full view.

With a zoom lens from this Israeli vantage point, Gaza looked peaceful.

Northern Gaza has expanses of open land.

I will not flood you with all the photos like this I took of Gaza.

But here is the Ashkelon power plant which supplies Gaza with power, even when Isarel is under attack.

Under the white balloon is the security camera operating over the Erez Crossing.

Behind this security wall 81 Israeli communities are growing, but weary of being under fire.

This wall decorated with the way to Shalom, Peace, looks much the same as it did on my last visit.

Here is a photo of the second wall in 2016.

Thousands of visitors have come through and added their ceramic pieces to the wall.

Today the path to peace only appears further away.

Netiv Ha’Asharah is a lovely, growing moshav on the border.

Thousands of residents of the south go about their daily lives under constant threat.

Building new homes, planting new olive trees, working, trying to protect and provide for their families.

However, tired of being on the front line of a war zone, after years of feeling they are ignored, the “backyard” of the country, residents are speaking up.

Walking home on a recent Friday night after dinner, Miri’s family was in the open, not near a shelter when missiles from Gaza fell on Sderot without warning. There was nothing to do but cover their children with their bodies. This is not a way to live, she and others are demanding action.

A group of students who have grown up under threat from Gaza terror are marching, on their way to Jerusalem.

One hundred high school students are on a five-day walk from Sderot to Jerusalem, Israel to the Knesset.

Quiet for 17 years, but no longer, residents of the south want to live in peace and have their anguished voices heard.

What’s New in Jerusalem After Holidays?

October 17, 2018October 18, 2018Sharon A

The holidays are over.

It is time to get “back to normal.”

The Knesset winter season has opened, and universities are back in session.

A rocket from Gaza destroyed a home in Beer Sheva overnight.

Thankfully the mother was able to run with her 3 sleeping children to a safe room.

In Beer Sheva schools are closed, as students are home for a “rocket day.”

On one Jerusalem, Israel, street, the Happy New Year signs were still up.

And building cranes were also up, way up, and back to the business of building.

The Montefiore Windmill is now open as a winery and tourist spot.

The missing Monefiore coat of arms seems to be back over the door.

After the holidays, weddings galore filled the days and nights.

Conferences and Israel 70-year missions are too many to list, enough to surprise Ben Gurion.

Two hundred international Christian media professionals came for a media summit.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and US Ambassador Friedman were featured at the opening event.

I met a woman from Canada, a radio team from Estonia, and sat next to a working couple from The Hague, all supporters of Israel.

These visitors were all excited and happy to be here.

Check out the security, still partially visible as I left the event at First Station.

After the holidays tourist buses were still lining the road on Har Hazeitim, the Mount of Olives.

Record numbers of tourists arrived this past year in Israel.

Ido Aharoni told the International Tourism Security Summit (ITSS) that Israel’s Main Value is its creativity. He used as an example actors in a theater group who bake bread on stage as part of the show. All the actors are blind and deaf, and use 1500 physical cues to perform perfectly every night in the theater.

Summit seems to be the new term for conference. Some of the slides at the ITSS were great.

This one I really appreciated. Who knew how many people are killed by falling coconuts a year?

The Inbal has been renovating, and the patio was lovely at night,

as was the view over the Liberty Bell Park with the Dan Boutique Hotel lit up in the distance.

As soon as the holidays were over, Angela Merkel arrived in Israel.

The German Chancellor, her delegation, and Israeli guests were served lunch at Beit Hanasi.

I wondered what Nobel Prize Winner Prof. Aumann said to Merkel as she entered the room with the Israeli President.

Other Nobel Prize winners were invited, and the only female Israeli winner sat next to Merkel.

Most people only paid attention to the German delegation in Jerusalem when streets were closed.

After the holidays, and traffic was back to normal, filling the streets.

Twenty-four new rabbinical court judges were sworn in this week at Beit Hanasi.

This photo of the President, Chief Rabbis and the head of selection committee has received attention for being all male.

But have you seen this photo? I am looking for good caption, open to suggestions.

This is only a fraction of what has been happening, and so much more is scheduled for after the holidays.

A Jerusalem favorite starts tomorrow.

Over 120 varied locations are open for free in the annual 100 Houses from Within

Municipal elections are at the end of October.

Signs were popping up everywhere.

This pop-up store front became a campaign location.

Holidays may be over, but much is still happening on the Jerusalem streets.