Jerusalem

Jerusalem: Signs of Progress

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Progress…The Jerusalem light rail system now has power for the entire length of its track.

It’s much easier to cross the intersection of Jaffa and Strauss Streets in the center of town.

A short walk from that intersection is the Bikur Cholim Hospital,

which has provided medical care in Jerusalem for over 140 years.

The privately owned buildings are threatened with closure.

There is a serious shortage of hospital beds and neonatal units in Jerusalem, 6000 babies are born here every year; where will the mothers go?

 Bikur Cholim Hospital was critical in saving many lives when suicide bombers targeted the city center, now 30 million shekel is needed to keep the hospital running.

Signs to rally residents’ support are plastered along the street.

Doctors and staff who are faced with losing their jobs and pensions have recently organized protests.

Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi, who trained as a obstetrician, did part of his residency at Bikur Cholim, publicly supports keeping it open, as do many residents and patients.

There will be a four-hour strike,  and non-essential  personnel will be on the streets in a protest.

All around hospital buildings there is new construction.     Signs of  progress?

The old stone buildings next door have been razed and

the area between the hospital and

and  Ticho House on Rav Kook Street is being excavated for development.

Last week, if one took a short walk along Jaffa Street to the walls of the Old City,

Jaffa Gate Square was once again the place where the city is distributing free Christmas trees.

 Last year these bins were quickly emptied.

Again this year Santa was available to pose with a tree for photographers.

 

The free trees provided by the Municipality and the Jewish National Fund were given to those who showed proper identification.

Organized distribution…a sign of progress!

While we think of those in the northeastern United States dealing with too much snow.

 No snow or much-needed rain here, just sunshine and warm temperatures perfect for jogging,

walking or sitting in the park,

and for thousands of holiday visitors. As 2010, comes to an end, there are no visible signs of progress on the release of Gilad Shalit,

 each morning the numbers on the sign change as the days of captivity increase.

Jerusalem City of Fire

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It is said that Hebron is a city of earth, Safed a city of wind,

Tiberias a city of water  and Jerusalem a city of fire.

A common sight in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park is a fire for a family picnic,

 usually there is also plenty of smoke.

The weather has been hot and dry enough for fires,

but thankfully there have not been many in Jerusalem,

The Knesset might look calm, but Israeli politics offers plenty of fire.

This has been a week of protests, to name just a few:

a demonstration against the separation of men and women on public buses 

and the same morning,

thousands of people came to protest against a new building freeze.

On the plaza outside the Prime Minister’s Office electric generators

were fired up in a protest tent.

The protesters using  the slogan, Yes you can!  say “No”.

A tent set up by the Gilad Shalit family supporters attracted a large crowd 

at 1000 days after his captivity.

What  began as a simple tent, near the Prime Minister’s official residence

now receives a constant stream of visitors.

  The tent is equipped with a full kitchen and gets restaurant-size deliveries.

It has been fitted with plastic and heaters ready for the winter’s cold weather.

The newly-installed floors need washing, 

and the protest tent has taken over the entire  corner.

International visitors still demand his release on humanitarian grounds,

but the days just go by.

The fruit and vegetable growers are on strike. 

Supplies could decrease by the end of the week.

Farmers are demanding more legal foreign workers to help them work.

There could be shortages,

and you can bet that prices will go up for the holidays.

The fires have started heating the oil for sufganiot.

Chanukah is next week,

 then Jerusalem will be a city filled with fire from holiday candles.

To everyone in US:  Happy Thanksgiving!

Jerusalem Parade Day

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While many people went North or overseas for the holiday week,

  on Wednesday, September 28, Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, filled with thousands of people.

Large crowds enjoyed the children’s entertainment,

as groups waited for hours in the heat to march in the Jerusalem Parade.

  Banners and flags were everywhere.

The  park was a busy place,

and so was the parade route, with enthusiastic crowds waving flags and singing.

Firetrucks with balloons

and police dogs were among the first of many service and military groups that led the parade.

 The new light rail train was on display on Jaffa Street, in contrast to

modes of transportation from old

and even older eras.

International groups

from Australia to

 the United States,

from Papua New Guinea

and Russia,

Thailand

and Taiwan, were among those that marched.

Many groups were singing, haveinu shalom aleichem,  bringing greetings of peace,

  women from the Philippines were dancing.

After groups with colorful flags and I Love Israel tee shirts,

still many more were waiting in the park to join the parade.

There was extra security and roads were closed,

but there was more than one way

to get around.

Despite the oppressive heat, the positive energy and party atmosphere was impressive.

 Sukkot celebrations in Jerusalem returned to the city center,

 but as usual, the resulting massive traffic tie-ups were the topic of conversation for days.