Jerusalem photos – Page 95 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

More Piano, Like You Would Never Imagine in Jerusalem

December 29, 2015January 20, 2021rjstreets

December 24, 2015, in Jerusalem, Israel.

All was quiet near Sha’ar Shechem, the Damascus Gate.

A short distance away is

Zedekiah’s Cave or as sometimes called,

King Solomon’s Quarries.

This is the opening of the cave in the Wall of the Old City.

For Israelis, who do not have Sundays off from work,

the closest thing to a long weekend is Thursday night

through Shabbat, known as Hamshush.

For the past several years,

Jerusalem has had a December weekend festival

called Hamshushalyim, with hotel and restaurant deals,

and hundreds of cultural events, including free late night ones.

Hamshushalyim ended this year with a unique gala event

in the quarry.

Guests walked down and down,

to the main cave where a piano was set up on stage.

Not your usual venue for a concert,

not your usual dressing room,

and not your usual emergency exit.

Three hundred chairs were set for the full-house crowd.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and MK Ze’ev Elkin

gave opening greetings after a wine and sushi buffet.

Gil Shohat playing and

Nurit Galron singing

made for an unforgettable show in this incredible venue.

When you go please note, caves are warm and humid.

Pianist Gil Shohat complained that the humidity

had affected the piano keys.

But even Chopin would have been pleased

and certainly impressed by this musical performance.

The audience slowly exited along the candlelit path.

The view from the street outside

was of the Notre Dame Center

lit with holiday lights.

In the cool night air,

while waiting for a shuttle bus back to Kikar Safra,

I had time to compare to the Pianos at Jerusalem Theater,

and my first time in the caves during the Light Festival in 2013.

What will they think of next?

Plan a December trip and see for yourselves.

As always, much is happening in Jerusalem, Israel,

but these special events are not considered news.

Star Wars, then Back to Normal in Jerusalem

December 23, 2015rjstreets

After Hanukkah is over

there comes a long stretch with no major holidays.

It’s a time to get back to ‘normal.’

For many tens of thousands, mostly Anglos,

the visit and four performances of Jerry Steinfeld

was a big deal for two evenings in Tel Aviv,

so was the opening of Star Wars at Jerusalem’s Cinema City.

Out on the Jerusalem, Israel, streets

new bollards are being installed at city bus stops,

to make waiting for a bus safer from car rammings.

But, as I write this post,

there has been a new stabbing attack outside Jaffa Gate,

at the open walkway where hundreds pass day and night,

which was recently the back drop of a wonderful video.

An annual occasion,

one of the bittersweet kind,

was the Bar and Bat Mitzvah reception,

held at Beit Hanasi, Israeli President’s Residence.

Naor Ben-Ezra who was seriously injured

by a 13 year-old stabber in October spoke

on behalf of 58 young victims of terror

who joined President Reuven Rivlin to celebrate their special day.

The Rivlins were in New York for most of Hanukkah,

but this cat stayed on guard in their absence.

Jerusalem started a cleanup campaign,

initiating environmental improvements that include

much needed shady areas in public parks.

The President of Ukraine was here for three days,

but as usual there is too much happening to keep up with him too.

The annual Hullegeb Festival

celebrated Israeli-Ethiopian arts and music,

was followed by three days of Piano concerts

at the Jerusalem Theater.

That seems to be our normal,

the good and bad,

birth and death.

Time to get going to deliver dinner to families with new babies,

then two nights of pianos ahead!

Disturbing, but fact,

the majority polled think attempted murder is justified.

Must enjoy the good things happening,

because those stabbings, rammings and attempts at terror

are not going away any time soon.

This is the not-so-new normal in Jerusalem.

Hanukkah Holiday Lights

December 15, 2015rjstreets

For the eight days of Hanukkah,

so many lights were burning brightly,

from the olive oil flames of the religious yeshiva hanukkiot,

to the large electric candelabra

at the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem,

across the road from each other.

Many stores and restaurants had candles lit,

inside or in the windows for all to see.

This one Emek Refaim Street was hard to miss.

What was missing were the large numbers tourists

usually around this time of year.

A little Photoshop was needed to fix this photo,

as those street light hanukkiot were hanging in fewer locations

and often not all of their parts were working.

However,

there was no shortage of Chabad hanukkiot

on street corners,

and on top of cars.

One favorite was the large hanukkia burning brightly

at the Tzomet HaGush bus stop,

recently the scene of too many terrorist attacks.

The major annual hanukkiot were

on top of the Knesset,

outside the Jaffa Gate entrance to Old City,

and inside near the Kotel, the Western Wall.

A friend reports that new pink spot light was removed

by the end of the holiday.

This new one in town was my favorite.

The lights on the Old City Walls

were of s’vivonim, dreydles, games and fun.

Of course, the holiday foods and parties were on going.

This BBQ in the Archaeological Park of Old City,

fed hundreds of the security personnel who stand out in the cold

day and night protecting us from the next terror attack.

And there was music,

from a show at the new Arena Stadium,

as well as thousands of family gatherings and community events.

The lights and sounds of Hanukkah

came forth from Jerusalem.

For those who were afraid to walk the streets this year,

next year in Jerusalem, Israel.

No matter how you spell it,

חנוכה or Chanukah,

is a special time you should not miss.