Jerusalem photos – The Real Jerusalem Streets

See 3 highlights of the beginning of November in Jerusalem

November 8, 2026November 8, 2026Sharon A

November–it feels like winter has arrived in Jerusalem, Israel.

Rain on Shabbat kept many people off the Jerusalem streets.

Three highlights to brighten and warm your day.

Boy George at Beit Hanasi

British rock star Boy George was in Israel for a week, which began with a warm welcome at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence.

The 65-year-old, 6-foot-tall singer received a symbolic gift from President Herzog.

He spoke of how he lost many friends by “standing with the Jews” in his song We Will Dance Again.

The audience appreciated Boy George coming and standing “with humanity.”

If you want to hear a bit of Boy George’s remarks on YouTube, HERE

Elkana Bohbot, kidnapped from the Nova music festival and held in Hamas captivity for 738 days before his release, responded that he appreciated the song and Boy George’s coming to Israel.

Video of Bohbot’s 2-minute speech HERE

Photographers came out and popped up to capture the event.

When the President’s photographer gets a photo, you know it’s special.

“Presented to George O’Dowd (Boy George) by the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog, in appreciation of your unwavering support for Israel and the Jewish people and your inspiring music and artistry, which remind us all that WE WILL DANCE AGAIN.

With two concerts in Tel Aviv, a trip to the Nova site, and a stop in Ofakim to meet the “cookie” lady Rachel Idri, Boy George was warmly received

Black Christian leaders at King David Hotel

Did you know that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., along with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,
was planning the first-ever mass Holy Land pilgrimage of hundreds, possibly thousands of Black Americans?

The trip was scheduled for November 1967.

On Wednesday, a press conference was held at the King David Hotel.

Dr. King and Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, as well as then-former Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, exchanged correspondence between January and May of 1967.
However, in June 1967, Israel fought its third battle for its existence since independence in 1948.

Dr. King continued to support Israel, but postponed the Holy Land pilgrimage until 1968. He was assassinated on April 4th of that year.

Shared are Dumisani Washington’s remarks on the MLK Pilgrimage on the 59th anniversary.

This pilgrimage brought 500 Black leaders from the US and Africa.

Next year they want 5,000 participants for the 60th anniversary.

Council leaders honored Daniel Lischinsky, father of Yaron Lischinsky, the Israeli Embassy employee murdered alongside Sarah Milgrim outside Washington’s Capital Jewish Museum on May 21, 2025.

Elkana Bohbot was one of the three recognized with a special certificate as well.

Bohbot was separated from his wife, Rivka, and their young son; however, recently the family has welcomed a daughter and has reason to celebrate.

Hila Abir, whose brother Lotan was murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Nova music festival, was also presented with a certificate.

For the first time, her father attended an event in memory of his murdered son.

The Black Christian Leadership Council on Israel Relations: Pastor Dumisani Washington, Dr. Michael Anthony Stevens, Sr., Rev. Reginald W. Gibson, Dr. Brandy Frances Gibson, and Pastor Roger Cheeks.

More photos HERE

Looking forward to more groups here with their leadership missions.

I could not leave the King David Hotel without admiring the floral display in the lobby.

Elections at Beit Hanasi

Most of the news has been about the Israeli election results.

The olive harvest this week was not a headliner.

There are 60 olive trees on the Beit Hanasi grounds. I hope they got them harvested before the rain.

Hanasi Street was lined with more security barriers than usual.

At the main entrance, the small area for media near the red carpet was clearly marked.

The media reporting area seemed the same as in the past elections.

The main waiting area is what I went to see. This time there was less furniture and more food on the buffet table.

The big difference in this election at Beit Hanasi and the past?

Four years ago, when the Raam party arrived to meet the President, it was the last to arrive.

I was still there, as was an Arabic reporter. But Mansour Abbas went mostly unnoticed.

The protests across from Beit Hanasi were small and quiet this time.

So, as always, more than makes the headlines is happening in Jerusalem.

November signs are up for events. The annual OUD festival and a night of music at the Israel Museum.

Also this week, there is an international education conference, and more.

Hope to see you soon on the Jerusalem streets!

From Yom Kippur to Sukkot on the Jerusalem streets

September 28, 2026September 28, 2026Sharon A

Yom Kippur in Jerusalem, Israel, is a quiet and solemn time.

The traffic lights flash yellow, and all traffic stops.

This year, the number of children on scooters seemed to grow over those on bicycles filling the Jerusalem streets.

The RJS camera is stashed away. I have no photos of the people dressed in white flowing along the Jerusalem streets or inside during the long day of prayers and fasting. Then the shrill sounds of the shofar break the silence as night begins and preparations for Sukkot start.

The day after Yom Kippur, a favorite sukkah was back on a Jerusalem street.

Plenty of strings, ropes, and ties were for sale for building a sukkah.

Major markets for the etrog and lulavim were established, but simple tables also popped up on the streets.

Sukkot were being put up in open areas all around Jerusalem.

Patience was required as sanitation workers disposed of mountains of excess packaging.

These Zaka vehicles were on the Jerusalem streets the day after Yom Kippur near the Israeli President’s Residence.

However, no terrible emergency was involved.

President Herzog was honoring their service at Beit Hanasi at a special event. He described ZAKA’s work as a form of “continuous duty” that begins when the work of other emergency responders ends. “You always arrive after the storm, always to a place where there is already nothing left to save.”

Another special event was held in the Mekor Chaim neighborhood, a groundbreaking for a new synagogue building.

Construction in this area has started for several new buildings.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion joined the supporters and well-wishers for the event.

He spoke and joined the synagogue rabbi and congregants to honor the donors involved.

Then, on Thursday morning, the day before Sukkot, the 7th Jerusalem Biennale had a media tour of one of its 22 sites, at the old National Library.

I like media tours to get photos to share before the crowds at the opening night event.

American artist Richard McBee posed for me in front of his paintings as we toured the contemporary art exhibition.

In its 13th year, this Jerusalem Biennale 2026 filled the former library space.

Not all of the over 200 artists are Jewish; this featured work is by an Arab artist.

From Portland Art/Lab, from the US, a first-time participant, a pile of dirt to shovel into bags,

and next to it, walls of ‘Meuzzah to the Moon.’

Curators Porat Solomon and Daniel Sperber shared information on “Or Chozer: An Active Vision.”

I had seen this and been impressed over the years, but had not appreciated the artist’s story. Mordechai Ardon, a European secular artist, incorporated Hebrew and biblical texts into his masterpiece.

In the upper right corner, his vision of weapons turned into plowshares.

There’s much more, so I recommend the Jerusalem Biennale 2026. It runs until November 12, and this venue is free of charge, located on the Givat Ram Campus of Hebrew University.

Hebrew is often hard to translate.

מתעמקים – de Profundis is what Ram Ozeri decided worked better than ‘From the Depths’ as this year’s theme.

More photos of the Biennale HERE

To round off the four days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, a new Torah was dedicated Thursday night- just in time for Simchat Torah.

Friday, it was time to get back in the kitchen and prepare for dinner in the sukkah.

Glad to go out for lunch with family and friends!

The streets are full of tourists for this holiday season – this year in Jerusalem, with an endless list of events.

Check back next week to see what is happening on the real Jerusalem streets!

Moadim l’simcha!

Photos from the JNS International Policy Summit

June 28, 2026June 28, 2026Sharon A

It’s summertime.

People are returning to the Jerusalem streets.

From June 21-23, 1000 people gathered in Jerusalem, Israel, to meet and hear from 200 speakers.

The Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem was the site of the three-day JNS 2026 (Jerusalem News Syndicate) International Policy Summit.

Breaking 3 full days down to 3 minutes of highlights was not simple.

DAY ONE

Before the official program began, the VIP Lounge was briefly open.

South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein was one of the speakers.

Miss Israel 2025 Melanie Shiraz was one of the participants.

Security was at the highest level.

Getting stuck with Col Richard Kemp and Jonathan Cornicus made for an interesting wait.

Outspoken Sid Rosenberg was back again, as was diplomatic Malcolm Hoenlein.

As always, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee was a favorite speaker.

JNS Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Tobin moderated the first panel

One of the Israeli politicians at the summit was MK Ohad Tal.

The opening night program ran late, waiting for the Prime Minister and his wife to arrive.

During the day, they were at Har Herzl for the 50th anniversary of Yoni Netanyahu’s death during the rescue in Entebbe.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke – all the plenaries were livestreamed and recorded.

We were all smiling when the program ended, and we could finally eat something.

I went home just as long-time friends were also leaving the hotel.

DAY TWO

Tzipi Hotovely, former Ambassador to the United Kingdom, now Head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, was interviewed by JNS CEO Alex Traiman.

There were hundreds of people outside the main sessions. Some spent their time taking selfies.

No, that is not me for a selfie. But one person I was glad to see, and compliment was Marcus Sheff, IMPACT SE CEO. I often use their information on UNRWA’s Arabic hate against Israel on social media.

Imagine so many people, I did not find friends in the crowd, but got these two with similar names together!

Jonathan Tobin found a minute of solitude to check his phone.

Shabbos Kestenbaum and comedian Ami Kozak were together again. I had taken their photo together at another conference.

I missed Einat Wilf speaking, but stopped her in the hall.

She is starting a new political party, OZ, and just wrote a complementary post on social media about the Lebanon-Israel agreement.

There was a long list of speakers and many panels.

Plus, videos were made during the days with interviews for JNS TV.

A highlight of the day, as the day went on, was the Shalva Band.

Interestingly, several minyanim, prayer services, were not in the schedule, but popped up in the hall, and not only in the synagogue.

Caught Caroline Glick on my way out, and watched the rest online.

More Day 2 photos- HERE

Nice to see something bright and new on the Jerusalem streets on my way home.

DAY THREE

Montana Tucker spoke well. I have been a fan since her movie, The Children of October 7, opened at the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem. I was glad I had a minute to tell her when she left the stage.

She is to be featured at the Maccabiah Opening event on Wednesday night.

Tired yet?