Machane Yehuda market – Page 4 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Israeli Opera in Jerusalem Shuk

March 25, 2015rjstreets

When Shakespeare wrote

that ‘the whole world is a stage,’

somehow I do not think a cheese shop

or fruit and vegetable stand was what he had in mind.

However, the Israeli Opera had

performers in Machane Yehuda Market,

the shuk on Monday singing arias.

The man selling nuts was smiling,

as was the green grocer across the way.

So was I after they found my cell phone.

Trying to get a good shot with so many photographers

pushing in the crowded and narrow alleyways,

I almost lost my phone there.

There was more than one place used as a stage,

some shoppers were determined to keep going,

while others in the market became part of the show.

“L’elisir d’amore” by Gaetnao Donizetti

is to be performed in the Sultan’s Pool the end of June,

and some Jerusalem shoppers got a preview.

As cameras rolled,

one girl in the crowd was serenaded to by this opera singer,

but after an hour the surprise show was over,

and it was back to time for holiday preparations.

Mountains of fresh garlic have arrived in the shuk

and piles of fresh fruits and vegetable are ready,

and one fresh fish store was really popular.

I loved this sign,

this store is ready for Passover and

NO ONE is to bring in anything that is not for Passover.

Now if only my house was nearly as ready.

12 Jerusalem Scenes with Israel Under Fire

July 22, 2014rjstreets

Israel is under fire.

Southern Israel has been getting hit for over 10 years

and people always said “wait till the rockets hit Tel Aviv!”

Well, rockets from Gaza have hit Tel Aviv.

Again and again people run to bomb shelters after the sirens.

Operation Protective Edge is going into a third week.

In Jerusalem, Israel we have had “only” a few sirens,

so the daily routine like hanging the washing goes on.

Fall school supplies are ready in shops, though there are very few shopping for the fall.

Some tourists are cancelling their trips,

ElAl has room to spread out on their flights and thanks those who fly with them.

But people are still eating falafel on King George Street.

Jaffa Road towards the Old City,

and towards Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk,

looks the same minus lots of Arab women shopping,

but it is the month of Ramadan and they are fasting month and it is hot.

I did spot one interesting couple,

I had to get a good photo of those shoes.

Everyone knows someone who has been called up for duty,

and my son-in-law has been on the Egyptian border

on reserve duty for over two weeks.

Like so many other young mothers, my daughter is trying to manage

with her children out of school, work and appointments…

and how to get to them all to a bomb shelter

when there is a siren warning of incoming rockets.

Jerusalem Cinema City is one popular option for an outing,

being that most of it is safely underground.

But the Bloomfield Science Museum and

Israel Museum also provide fun and educational activities.

And in this crazy upside down time,

last week as planes flew over head in Abu Gosh,

a caterer held a tasting for a dozen August weddings.

We ate it all and keep planning the wedding.

At the same time it is hard to not think about

and thank all our Israeli soldiers,

as friends went to Ashkelon to be with their wounded son,

and another funeral begins.

What’s New in Jerusalem

July 8, 2014rjstreets

Nothing about this week was regular.

As I started this blog Fatah and Hamas were competing

to see who can shoot the most rockets into Israel.

Besides hundreds in the south near Gaza,

they also aimed at the civilian center of Bet Shemesh.

Operation Protective Edge has begun,

and Israel finally responds. Listen for calls of restraint.

Meanwhile, the weather has been hot

and I had not been walking enough lately.

Time to get out and see what was happening.

Yesterday morning Jaffa Road was too quiet,

but later, more people were out walking.

Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk had customers and visitors.

These fresh figs were the largest I had ever seen,

and I could not believe how popular this photo was when posted on Facebook.

After getting a much needed ice coffee, I was glad someone offered to hold it for me,

so I could take this photo of piles of fresh bread.

And more American teens were on their way to explore the amazing market.

This man seemed as surprised as I was at the

Old Knesset Building on King George Street.

For years it had been the home of the Rabbinical Court,

but they moved,

and this historic site is to be the site of a new Knesset Museum.

Music and children’s films,

Jerusalem Film Festival

and

Jerusalem Season of Culture and so much more.

The funeral for Eyal, Gilad, and Naftali seems like so long ago.

I have not used other photographers’ work in a long time,

but this photo was made to be shared.

“Our eyes were wet when hearing about their cruel fate,

I wanted to reflect upon this once again via a photograph.”

— by Andrei Schwartz.

Now I am off to a meeting in center of Jerusalem.

What will happen next?