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!
