middle east current events – Page 136 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Security on Shushan Purim

March 23, 2011rjstreets

Dozens of missiles keep coming from Gaza into many parts of southern Israel.

Jerusalem was on a high security alert for the Purim holiday

and there were more police uniforms in sight than usual.

Near Jaffa Gate, an ad for a food festival in the Old City was hard to miss,

but as Muslim prayers ended on Friday, security was hard to find.

Not the regular security in Malcha Mall

or selling bread in the Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk.

Most of the world celebrates Purim for one night and the following day…

in Jerusalem it goes on and on.

First there are weeks of school events, then the Fast of Esther on Thursday,

and the megillah, the story of Purim, is read three days later on Sunday night.

Mishloach manot, gifts of food, are delivered on Monday.

On Shushan Purim, March 21, Mamilla Mall

fills with colorful characters large

and small.

There is face painting,

more costumes,

and photo opportunities.

The large crowds

include everyone from Spiderman to

this Aussie bloke

and a mystery man.

It is way too warm for a real snow ball fight at Kikar Safra,

Safra Square’s snow and ice event,

so there are cotton ball fights instead.

But on Shushan Purim

the place to be

is on nearby Shushan Street!

The little side street is packed

with people

enjoying

the many street performers

and entertainers.

Even this Purim post is going on and on...

and everything from the buses

to pets are in holiday mode.

It is such a colorful day.

A light rail train near Shushan had to make an emergency stop,

and security is called…

to remove a party hat from the track.

Music fills many Jerusalem streets and goes on well into the night.

What next?

What could be bigger?

Friday the city will come to a complete standstill

for the first Jerusalem full marathon;

if you cannot walk or run…better to just stay home.

More Purim photos on The Real Jerusalem Streets’ Facebook page.

Snow, Ice and Ethnic Profiling

March 16, 2011rjstreets

With the massive disaster in Japan, the brutal murder in Itamar,

and the Israeli navy seizing a ship full of weapons on the way to Gaza,

it is possible you did not see anything about the snow and ice in Jerusalem.

It seemed totally absurd,

the trees are blooming and the weather is warm,

but the skies and weather often change in a day or a minute.

Even though the aloe plants are in bloom

and there was a rose in the Old City,

and lemons

and oranges look ready to pick…snow was predicted for Jerusalem.

A major storm did not happen…too bad,

snow pictures of Jerusalem are really popular, but

in Kikar Safra , Safra Square, there was enough snow to shovel,

enough ice to skate

and get the skates out of storage.

The city’s new ice skating rink was quickly gaining in popularity,

attracting

many visitors

to check it out

and to take pictures.

It has also become the scene of an unusually high level of ethnic profiling.

Observers are picking out the Canadians in the center of the rink,

who look comfortable on the ice,

as opposed to the beginners holding on to the sides.

The days leading up to Purim holiday are meant to be festive,

children can be seen in the street wearing crowns, costumes and face paint.

Mourning for the murdered Fogel family goes on,

as does the holiday preparations,

and five minutes of silence for five years of captivity of Gilad Shalit.

Quite a week in Jerusalem.

Updated Rosh Chodesh Adar 5773, 2013

Books, More Books and Authors

February 23, 2011rjstreets

While eulogies for volumes with paper pages are being composed,

and Borders goes chapter 11,

the 25th Jerusalem International Book Fair opened on Sunday night

at Binyanei Ha’uma, the Jerusalem International Convention Center.

Very strong rains with thunder and lightning, a rarity in Jerusalem,

welcomed author Ian McEwan who was awarded the Jerusalem Prize

at an invitation-only event.

Monday morning the convention center doors opened to the public,

where one exhibition hall

after another

and another

and another

were filled with over 100,000 books from more than 30 countries.

Along with Hebrew and English, there is plenty of Russian

and Esperanto.

There are university publications

to children’s books,

and a chance for everyone to find

something interesting–

even Obama’s Secrets.

Tuesday at a symposium on E-publishing, Google books was one topic

presented to a large crowd by an international panel led by Yossi Vardi.

All week a Literary Cafe featuring Israeli and foreign writers is featured.

All day long there are varied discussions in a variety of languages.

One impressive example of the dynamic of the presentations:

after a well attended panel discussion led by Israeli editor Noa Manheim,

Czech Republic author, Tomas Zmeskal of “Love Letter in Cuneiform Script”

speaks with an audience member.

Some people will stay inside at the fair from 10:00am to 10:00pm all week, but

it is doubtful that the Chilean miners who were trapped under ground

and arrive in Israel today for a visit

will be taken to a book fair, no matter how large or popular.

Hope they are used to the sunshine by now,

as spring temperatures and sun are here, at least for a short time,

and the scene of the Old City walls is also not to be missed.