Jerusalem Light Festival in Old City

Jerusalem Light Festival in Old City

School is out for the summer.

Temperatures are rising

and the Jerusalem, Israel, streets are warming up.

At night in the Old City

the Jerusalem Light Festival is lighting up the streets.

‘Interactive’ is this year’s theme.

I like to arrive at the Old City early before dark

to be at the starting point at Jaffa Gate.

Giant photo frame with Tower of David inside Jerusalem light festival

Giant picture frames were ready for selfies,

and the Tower of David looked too good not to share.

Drawn in Light Rampart Tower of David for Jerusalem Light Festival 2017

A giant mobile, “Drawn in Light”

hovered near the Jaffa Gate.

Jerusalem light festival Gan HaBonim

This “Cathedral of Mirrors” needed audience participation.

The Pool interactive circles for Jerusalem Light Festival

The circles of “The Pool” were being tested.

It was opening night

Opening of Jerusalem light festival

and last minute electrical work was being done,

Giant robotic peacock for Jerusalem Light Festival

and the “Peacock” arrived near Zion Gate.

In Dormition Alley,

Jerusalem Light festival upside down my Israeli

“Upside Down” is the work of the son of an Israeli friend.

Approximately half of the 39 installations

were created by international artists, from Australia to US.

Along the trail there were spots with

live music for Jerusalem light festival

with a variety of live musicians.

This year the Rova, the Jewish Quarter Square,

featured one of the festival highlights.

Hurva Synagogue lit for Jerusalem light festival with soldier sitting in front

A group of soldiers posed for this photo

in the light projections on the Hurva Synagogue.

Instead of marking the path with different colored lights,

NeuorModulator entering Muristan color and music at Jerusalem light festival

this year orange arrows led the way.

For the first time I did not get lost

Oasis in Muristan Square with large elephants Jerusalem Old City Israel

around Muristan Square,

where giant elephants were in the “Oasis.”

Night scene Old City during Jerusalem light festival

Some stores in the Old City were open

Street scene in Old City at night Jerusalem light festival

while some lanes were quiet.

Light at HaAhim Street in Old City for Jerusalem Light Festival

The “Journey into Space” on HaAhim Street,

was overhead, as the trail led to New Gate,

and out from the Old City Walls.

Jerusalem 2017 Light Festival Damascus Gate

Damascus Gate was much quieter than usual,

Across from Damascus Gate night of Light Festival

and across the road the area was much cleaner than in the past.

#39 listed on the program was

“Interactive shadows” in Zedekiah’s Cave.

Jerusalem light festival interactive in Zedekiah's Cave for Jerusalem Light Festival

It was hard to photograph,

image in Zedekiah Cave for Jerusalem Light Festival

as images changed with the movements of visitors.

Piano music at Jerusalem light festival in Zedekiah Cave

But as we walked further into the cave,

though it was hot and humid,

the music we were hearing along the way

was live from this pianist.

Though the month of Ramadan is over,

the lights strung for Ramadan were still up.

Jerusalem light festival night, view from Solomon's Stable

 Notre Dame was also visible in the distance

as we exited the cave, which is

also known as Solomon’s Stables,

and is located minutes away from the Damascus Gate.

This is the only time all year,

 I walk alone in the dark near Damascus Gate,

Jerusalem Israel Palm Trees "Horizontal INterference" Light Festival

and “Horizontal Interference” lit up the way through the palm trees.

A few minutes away at Zahal Square

Seesaws of various sizes with light and sound called Impulse at Zahal Square for Jerusalem Light Festival 2017

the “Impulse” seesaws were filled with enthusiastic young people.

The whole route takes at least 3 hours to complete.

With school over, and the festival going to July 6,

the size of the crowds have increased.

I like going on the first night and getting there early

before it gets crowded.

People looking at sign for fire and dance show Jerusalem Light Festival

This show with dancers using fire torches

and movement intrigued the audience.

But if you do not get to Jerusalem, Israel,

to see this Festival of Light in Jerusalem 2017,

  more photos here,

and take five minutes and enjoy this video

of the light projection on the Hurva Synagogue,

9 Jerusalem Summer Festivals

9 Jerusalem Summer Festivals

With all the activities and celebrations,

Celebrating 50 years liberation of Jerusalem

of Jerusalem Jubilee, 50 years since liberation and unification,

it was really hard to keep up with everything else that was happening.

StreetBal competition in Bell Park Jerusalem Israel

There was the annual Street Ball in Liberty Bell Park.

 “See the Sounds” Classical Music Festival began May 29,

image Israel Museum

 and runs through June 24, with multiple performances

 in locations inside the Israel Museum galleries and its gardens.

Jerusalem Israel festival season

The Musrara Festival is June 6- 8 in the evenings,

and even more streets will be filled with

Sign in Hebrew for Jerusalem Festival people performing with disabilities

special disabled artistic performers from June 4- 11.

Not everyone is happy with all these new culture festivals.

Sign for Shavuah Hasefer, Hebrew Book Week in Gan Sacher Jerusalem Israel

However, the annual classic

Shavuah Hasefer HaIvri,

the Hebrew Book Festival, is to be back from June 11-15,

in Jerusalem’s Takhana HaRishona, First Station.

Another Jerusalem annual long time event,

Annual Israel Festival in Jerusalem Israel

the Israel Festival is going from June 1- 18.

Also in June, there is Design Week,

and perhaps another Opera in the Sultan’s Pool.

July starts off with Maccabiah and tens of thousands of athletes coming

Jerusalem sidewalk with ad for Maccabiah 2017

from around the world to participate in sporting events,

and new signs were painted on the streets.

"image Jerusalem", "photo light festival", "picture art"

The annual Light Festival is set for June 28 – July 6

2017 Jerusalem light festival sign

with large signs posted,

and the International Film Festival is set for July 13-23.

  These are a few of the upcoming happenings in Jerusalem.

Holidays are over and summer is here,

only worry is what to do first.

Hope we can rest up on Shabbat, so as to be ready for

another Jerusalem Festival Season.

image shabat shalom and love

שבת שלום

Best of Jerusalem Light Festival

The Festival of Light in Jerusalem 2016

was one of the best photo ops of the year.

However, the biggest problem as always,

 how to get down to a reasonable number of photos to share.

For the eighth year,  the Old City streets

were illuminated with lights,

with works of international artists

Jerusalem light festival Christian Information center

projected on to buildings, like

Jerusalem light festival Prince of lights

these two scenes on the Christian Information Center.

The week long, nighttime festival

began on May 25th, Lag B’Omer.

tower of david party lag b'omer

A sparkling wine reception near the Tower of David

treated invited guests

roasting marshmellows unusual Lag B'Omer treat

to food and roasted marshmallows.

As night fell,

Jerusalem light festival

Italian Colored Origami covered

the Armenian Patriarchate Street,

where a bit further visitors encountered,

the Illuminated Orchestra,

Jerusalem light festival people in light costumes

live musicians were lit up.

In the Old City,

Lag B'Omer girls carrying wood for bonfire

girls were still collecting firewood for their

Lag B’Omer medurot, bonfires.

While in the Cardo,  the Hebrew names of the ten sefirot, 

Jerusalem light festival Cardo

the kabbalistic term for God’s emanations,

were linked in a pattern

called the Tree of Life.

In the covered Cardo,

Jerusalem light festival Cardo Crystallized

viewers were attracted by the French Crystallized, 

shaped as a bismuth crystal.

As with all the Jerusalem Old City festivals,

I love to follow the colored lights

out of the Jewish Quarter

Jerusalem light festival old city Arab shuk night

and along those streets I usually avoid.

Jerusalem light festival old city ARab market at night shuk

The streets of the Arab markets even shuttered at night

are fascinating and photo worthy.

For the first time at a night festival,

I did not get lost in Muristan Square,

and end up wandering through the Muslim Quarter.

Instead, I found the popular

Jerusalem light festival Muristan Square Lampshades

 Lamps of Muristan,

Jerusalem light festival

Spin, 

Jerusalem light festival green marvelous

and French Green Marvelous Opulence.

Green plastic shopping bags folded to look like veggies,

was a stop-and-think-about-it piece of art.

Tens of thousands of people attended the nights of the festival.

On the Olive Tree Lawn,

what looked like a giant Lag B’Omer medura, bonfire,

Jerusalem light festival firs large fire tornado

was the Large Fire Tornado.

From the Netherlands,

this huge fire was fueled by 36 industrial fans.

Jerusalem light festival Jaffa Square

Thousands of videos were taken of the

main attraction at the Jaffa Gate, festival starting point,

color and movement of Water Fountains.

Designed by Latvian artists, every ten minutes

the spectacular show repeated itself.

At the Damascus Gate,

Jerusalem light festival Damascus Gate

Globoscope Stories of Damascus Gate 

required a video again.

But there were new sights this year.

Jerusalem light festival Old Post office on Jaffa Road

At the historic Central Post Office building, Do’Ar Na,

was lit to look like the iconic old British post boxes.

The interactive music of spectators across Jaffa Road

banging on old mail boxes that made this presentation unique.

Jerusalem light festival Eiffel tower on Jaffa Street

Oh, and that Eiffel Tower mentioned last week

near the Generali Building

was for the Jerusalem Light Festival,

not the Prime Minister of France.

Not everyone reached the end of the pink route,

Jerusalem light festival FOZ building Love Jerusalem

but the projection Love Jerusalem

on the new FOZ building was a winner.

For me, doing most of the five routes

Jerusalem light festival instagram pic with Miriam Lottner

with a friend and not alone was new and great fun.

30 stops on 5 colored routes,

going back more than once,

these were some of my favorites.

Every year is different

and each year I seem to need more videos.

Check out:

Water Fountains, with Mayor Nir Barkat speaking at opening event.

Globoscope Damascus Gate

Urban Poetry at Batei HaMachseh Square

and my favorite video this year,

 and Love Jerusalem.