In Jerusalem, looking for good news the first week of June

Another week, another day to decide what to share about the Jerusalem streets.

This week had more challenges, personal and professional.

For sure, no one knows what will happen next on the Jerusalem streets.

However.

The beginning of the summer season is good for vividly colored sunsets.

The summer season has brought serious forest fires. Again.

We could smell smoke last night.

This is a new photo of past fire damage along Route One into Jerusalem, Israel.

Traffic was moving so slowly on the day I went to Ra’anana for a meeting.

Better to see the construction along the highway, from afar, where new communities are growing,

than up close in Jerusalem’s Talpiot.

Getting to Hadar Mall by car, bus, or on foot is not easy or safe.

When the light rail is completed it will be a day for celebration on the Jerusalem streets.

One section of Herzog Street has new lines painted. A miracle? No traffic for a minute to take a photo.

Sitting in traffic was also a time to take a photo of the new entrance of the Botanical Gardens.

One day, both areas should be popular when the light rail construction ends.

While there was enough unpleasant news to share, I want to do a bit of the positive.

This was a very pleasant surprise to find.

The Community Garden in Baka has really progressed.

New plants were planted and have grown.

The shaded sitting area has also been developed.

Baka community garden in Jerusalem with book library

The library in this photo from two years ago is still looking good.

I was glad I wandered away from a 6-year-old birthday party to take a quick look.

Last week was Jerusalem Education Week.

The end of the school year now approaches with endless events.

The annual Hebrew Book Week, June 9-18, will take place again in Kikar Safra, Jerusalem’s Municipality Square.

First Station, where the book fair was for many years, is another huge construction site.

Another week, we carried on.

Birthday celebrations and a bar mitzvah, where the father got out of miluim for the week.

Yes, along with protests, traffic nightmares, and pre-election pontification.

Always something happening on the Jerusalem streets.

It is possible to find the positive if you look around.

Hope to see you this year in Jerusalem!

Restoring Courage

Thousands of people from all around the world

came together on the afternoon of August 23, 2011 to support  Israel

with Glen Beck’s “Restoring Courage” mega-event.

The main event was held at the Southern Wall excavation site

near the Kotel, Western Wall in the Old City, with entry for ticket holders only.

In addition, the event and the warm-up show were broadcast on a large screen

 to a large crowd in Safra Square in Jerusalem at no charge.

The tourists seated in a reserved front section received bottles of water,

when the screen showed the audience at the Davidson Center in the hot summer sun,

the regular seating in the shade at Safra Square seemed much more comfortable.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin began the program,

and was followed by Dudu Fisher who led in the singing of Hatikva.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat spoke next.

 The event was also broadcast live around the world to gatherings of supporters,

like this one in Charleston, South Carolina in the United States.

Glen Beck spoke passionately of his support for Israel

and the need for good to triumph over evil.

Outside Safra Square there were people waiting for the light-rail trains to arrive

or others just shooting the breeze;

but for many, this was an important, even a patriotic event.

Love him or hate him, understand him or not,

Glen Beck brought thousands of visitors to Israel

and the dire ‘end of days’ predictions did not come about.

  Jerusalem may have been quiet,

but another 20 rockets were fired overnight from Gaza

 aimed at the 1,000,000 people living in southern Israel and a baby was injured.

Israel responded by targeting a weapons factory in Gaza.

Israel needs not only courage,

 but the right to live without the constant threat of terror.