10 New Things to See in Jerusalem

As usual, there is too much happening to share in one Real Jerusalem Streets photo essay.

This week it was again hard to cut down, but here are highlights of just 10 new events that may have not made your regular media headlines.

  1. The first of two Jerusalem Marathon 2024 finish lines is up over the Jerusalem street for all to see.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organization’s annual National Leadership Mission, February 18-22, began with Minister Benny Gantz speaking to delegates at the Inbal Hotel.

2. The mission concluded at the StandWithUs Center with Michael Dickson moderating a panel on social media featuring the new success in numbers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Digital Diplomacy.

Check out them out, trying to combat the billions of hate posts out there.

It is worth a visit to the Jerusalem Shalva Center if only for the writings on the walls.

3. But this time a new sign was also worth noticing, happy that one of the hostages has returned home.

4. The Taub Center Conference at Shalva focused on municipal elections, with more women on a panel of experts than men.

5. New advertising boards are showing election posters for the February 27th Jerusalem municipal elections.

6. The new entrance to the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum is to open soon to the public.

7. Also new, is a public area to sit and enjoy the view outside. Notice the entrance is intentionally not visible from the street. The new modern look respects the old stones of the ancient walls.

On a personal note, I was surprised to see my photo in the informative session for media before the tour of the new entrance and Tower of David’s historic galleries.

The Tower of David is an iconic symbol of Jerusalem – used on everything, including cheese.

8. The new technology used in the exhibits could fill a book and fill the galleries.

Of course, a favorite when visiting the Tower of David is to climb to the top for the views.

Especially on a clear day after a few days of rain, the scenes are amazing.

9. But new to the view is the white Dome of the Tiferet Israel Synagogue nearing completion. The Hurva Synagogue is closer on the right side. In the distance, you see the mountains in Jordan over the Dead Sea.

The Tower of David Museum finished its accessible entrance near Jaffa Gate, and now plans are underway for the area revealed under the plaza outside of Jaffa Gate.

Some southern families are returning home, however, there are still thousands of evacuated people living in various hotels in Jerusalem and throughout the country.

An opportunity to be on the roof of the Aish Center Building in the Old City is hard to pass up.

In the dark is the model of the Temple shines, with the Dome of the Rock in the background.

10. New is the gold lighting on the Al-Aqsa Mosque at night, in contrast to how it looks during the day.

Rabbi Eitiel Goldwicht was inspiring a solidarity mission from the West Side Institutional Synagogue. 

11. Nearby on a rooftop, a new couple was posing for photos and video – mazel tov.

Akiva Turgeman and Ishay Ribo were at Aish for a benefit concert for soldiers and evacuated Israelis.

I didn’t get a video of their performance, but I did get a short video of one of the exhibits at the entrance of the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum.

And it was good just to have a chance to walk through the Rova, Jewish Quarter, and see the golden menorah outside the Hurva Synagogue at night.

New things are happening on the Jerusalem streets,

hope you can come soon to see for yourself.

New February Flowers and Flying Flags in Jerusalem

Another week wondering where to begin and what to include in what’s happening in Jerusalem, Israel.

When the rain stopped the clouds were impressive over the Israel Museum and the valley below. After the rain, green grass and wildflowers pop up from the ground to bask in the sunlight.

It’s always a good idea to take a moment to see the latest at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.

The pink cherry tree blossoms burst out last week.

New Israeli flags were posted on the fence around the soon-to-open Japanese Pagoda.

New flags line many Jerusalem streets.

Some new flags and a sign for a fallen soldier were put up across from his former home.

Sadly, too many new flags with the loss of another soldier, killed in the October 7 War.

Finally construction work is slowly resuming on the Jerusalem streets. The new path to the starting line of the Jerusalem Marathon has to be completed before the March 8 starting time.

The 13th Jerusalem Marathon will be held during these challenging times, “based on the spirit of struggle, perseverance, determination, and the victory of the human spirit, especially in times of war.”

On a visit to the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem this past week, under this large welcome sign were smaller posters of hostages kidnapped on October 7.

Inside on the second level is a new exhibit ‘Splinter From the Storm’ where contemporary art is interspersed with ancient artifacts.

Jerusalem has creative works found both inside museums and along the Jerusalem streets.

The juxtaposition of old and new is constantly changing as new buildings tower over the old.

Some things in the Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk, appear the same and constant.

However, seeing bread and rolls packaged in plastic and not in the open is relatively new.

It’s time to sign up for next year in schools as signs along a busy Jerusalem street remind us.

No need for “Bring them home now” signs as a reminder, but they are posted in many windows.

Tens of thousands were at the Kotel, Western Wall on Thursday afternoon, before Rosh Chodesh Adar to pray for the return of hostages. It got less media coverage than other rallies even with both chief rabbis participating in the prayer service.

Some relatives were there also, Bring Him/Them Home Now! can be seen almost wherever you go.

As sad as much of the past four difficult winter months have been, the first lupins have appeared as another sign of spring, new growth, and hope as the days get warmer.

New Am Yisrael Chai banners have appeared on some Jerusalem streets.

It is a good time to get up and go out and appreciate the sunshine.

Seeing what’s new and what else is happening on Jerusalem streets can help improve your mood any day.

Three Best Things That Happened in Jerusalem

After living in Jerusalem for several years, I was upset. The world did not see what was really happening, only sensational media images. So I started posting photos online on The Real Jerusalem Streets.

I decided to share events from this week you would not have seen as anti-government protesters captured world attention.

It’s a busy time of year, so keeping to the three best events I attended.

The new National Library building was lit up at night as I walked by on my way to the National Library currently on the Hebrew University Givat Ram Campus.

They say the new building is to open in the fall, and I’m looking forward to finally getting to tour inside!

The National Library welcomed NASA Astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman who donated his space diary and memorabilia to the Israeli National Library.

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Jewish Astronaut Jeff Hoffman’s flights on the Space Shuttle included the mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993.

He also took a Space Torah for a mission, explaining how he used velcro to attach the yad, and clamps to hold the parchment down in the shuttle capsule. Velcro was also used to attach a mezuzah to the sleeping cubicle.

Hoffman flew five missions, a patch was designed for each and was included in this donation to the National Library.

Along with new autographed stamp sets, the Israel National Library now reaches the moon and into space.

Amazing how quickly Jerusalem Marathon 2023 is old news. I am pleased when someone comes along and identifies a runner’s photo on Facebook days later. Did you know I updated the post with a video?

Two weeks ago, going past Hansen House, Primavera caught my attention.

Thursday and Friday, the Hansen gates were open for Primavera.

Not a new Jerusalem pasta dish, but a designer festival was being held.

Jewelry, clothes and bags, and a variety of wares were on display,

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to all types of clothing including this knit top

and diverse as Roota sprouts.

Ok, I stopped and laughed there, as I remembered the sprouted potato I found while cleaning under the dishwasher for Passover. New art form?

There were 36 more displays, MORE PHOTOS were posted on Facebook.

And for the third and biggest event, which ended Diaspora Week.

For the eighth time, from March 19 – 23, 2023, the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism held Diaspora Week events.

During the course of the week, Diaspora Week events and activities were held throughout Israel, in the education system, on campuses, in cultural institutions, in the IDF, and at this gala in the Jerusalem Theater.

The Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli introduced the program theme of unity and “loving one another.”

Israeli performers took to the stage, in a well-executed program.

Along with the IDF band, the performers were applauded by an enthusiastic audience for the #FOREVER_AM 2023 program.

There was an excellent video screen running in the background,

to the audience filled with representatives of youth groups and MASA.

After the show, which was broadcast live, ended, Chickli stayed around to the very end. As I commented to some passersby, he reminded me of the last one out of shul after sponsoring an elaborate kiddush.

Photos did not do justice to the night, so I made a short video with clips of the music, and there are more photos on Facebook.

Now on to the holiday season!

Whether you call Pesach the Holiday of Freedom

or the Holiday of Spring, new signs are up along the Jerusalem streets.

Easter and Ramadan coincide with Passover this year.

The important thing is it should be a Happy Holiday for all.

Hope to see you on the Jerusalem streets soon!