middle east current events

Seen in Jerusalem positive to balance too many lows

Sharon A

This week in Jerusalem, Israel, had too many lows.

However, here are a few positive stories to balance life on the real Jerusalem streets.

An invitation to the Tower of David Museum is one I always try to accept, not just for the photos at sunset.

Going thru the new entrance is still a novelty, an amazing blend of old and new.

I hope to go back soon to explore the new areas that were visible at night.

As I walked up this well-lit staircase I remembered when it was still a dangerous construction site.

A sign of our times, a sign with directions to one of the protected areas.

There was an evening program, an Israeli sing-along with live music with the words on the screen. Israelis sing sad songs on Tisha B’Av. They sing on Yom Kippur Night. They sing as the day shifts from Yom HaZikaron to Yom Haatzamaut. This night the list of songs included Adon Olam.

The appreciative audience included young children and adults of all ages.

There were lights on the flags on the side of the Jerusalem Theater.

Across the street, the lights were on at the new Theatron Hotel. Instead of the expected international tourists, this hotel, like most in Jerusalem, is hosting citizens from north and south who had to evacuate.

Praying for soldiers, hostages, evacuees, and the injured was first on the agenda for an evening program organized by three Jerusalem synagogues.

With children, grandchildren, sons and daughters, and close friends involved in the war in Gaza and along the northern border hostilities – everyone knows someone in harm’s way. Rabbi Dr. Alex Mondrow discussed coping during the crisis and trauma.

Baking. Yes, one extremely active group has been baking for soldiers. The Baking Battalion should have enough stories and videos to fill a book. Part of my contribution last week were vegan oatmeal cookies.

It is hard to ignore the profound sorrow of families of fallen soldiers, especially lone soldier parents. The family of Rose Lubin came from Atlanta, GA to sit shiva, and thousands came and stood quietly in line waiting to offer a few words of comfort.

It is hard to calculate how many hugs from “strangers” Rose’s mother received.

The tragic deaths are growing and getting closer to home. Yosef Chaim Hershkowitz’s parents live nearby in Jerusalem, and the family sat shiva for one day in Jerusalem.

Again, there was a crowd and a line of people waiting to have a few seconds to mumble a few words of comfort and move along. They barely had time to say the traditional greeting:

המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

“May God comfort you among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”

As we left, more and more people were arriving. And sadly, this will not be the last shiva visit this week.

Signs are up. However, the new Jerusalem pool opening is hardly news now.

There were jugglers on the Jerusalem streets on Friday near the Pillbox. Only when I got home did I notice the poster in the photograph and decided not to edit it out.

People are out eating in Jerusalem street cafes again when the weather is warm. Hostage posters ended up in this image too; they are plastered all around and I have yet to see one taken down.

New long Israeli flags are displayed on buildings.

At first, I was impressed by the flag on the Museum for Islamic Art.

But, wow, the ad space on the side of the building is filled with the #BringThemHomeNow poster.

The red strollers with hostage posters are sad to see.

These children have been held hostage in Gaza for over 6 weeks, and now the weather is turning cold.

The way to Gaza is the name of a small Jerusalem side street.

It is off of Gaza Street, across from the current Prime Minister’s home. I decided though the security was low when I passed by, that it was better to refrain from taking photos of the new security being constructed.

But I also decided to save the best for last to end on a positive note!

The gates for the Hansen House were open on Thursday afternoon.

A new exhibit has opened upstairs “A Smart Home in a Dumb Body” by Guy Goldstein.

And downstairs is the Toldot Printing exhibit.

In the always fascinating space on the lower part of Hansen House.

But where were all the people?

Hundreds of people were outside on the Hansen House grounds.

Piles of produce were brought from southern farmers (most of it picked by volunteers since many foreign workers were killed or captured on October 7 or went home) for sale in Jerusalem.

This is one of the locations where people in Jerusalem are trying to help by supporting southern agriculture.

Even the paper cups are going blue and white, “Together we will prevail.”

Hope to see you soon the the Jerusalem streets.

Hatikvah

The contrast of the tragic and good fills Jerusalem’s streets

Sharon A

One day at a time. One step at a time.

The Real Jerusalem Streets was initiated years ago to convey the reality of life in Jerusalem, Israel, with photographs because the negative media was not sharing with the world what was really happening.

Finally, 30 days after the October 7 massacre when Hamas invaded southern Israel from Gaza, it was time to venture out again at night and see what was really happening on the Jerusalem streets

Near Jaffa Gate, at night the Tower of David was lit up and a large Israel flag was unfurled.

The over 200 faces of those kidnapped and held in Gaza were projected on the wall of the Old City.

Over 30 days, no visit by the International Red Cross, and the UN agencies still do not care about Israeli civilians held hostage, a war crime and humanitarian crisis they ignore.

There were not many people out, but the night was quiet, perhaps too quiet.

Jerusalem was slowly coming back to life, good to see a long-time souvenir shop was open.

People were out strolling on Jaffa Road again at night.

New Israel flags were visible, these were electronic and appeared with movement as in a video.

The sounds of music were not heard in the popular Music Square.

However, a new kosher dairy restaurant was preparing to open,

and so good again people were back to eating in outdoor cafes.

Amazing, Mamilla Mall was quiet at night, but still there was a line waiting to enter Cafe Rimon.

A few minutes away another meat restaurant served their customers.

Walking along Jaffa Road near Safra Square more blue and white, and a few girls sitting on a bench.

Bright colorful butterfly lights over Jerusalem streets

in contrast to the sad memorial lights being lit on the Jerusalem streets near Safra Square.

During the day, the Israel Museum was not open for visitors, only for a few scheduled classes.

But across the road, the Bible Lands Museum was open and displayed a big yellow ribbon.

While at Cinema City the lion was tied with a much smaller yellow ribbons.

Israeli blue and white flags lined the perimeter of the new National Library of Israel.

The grand public opening street parties have been put on hold for now.

However, it is open and people have been coming to sit and do work and research.

Israel at 75 now is certainly not how anyone would have imagined it during the Sukkot holiday.

But in Jerusalem, Muslim women still can walk freely on the Jerusalem streets.

Construction on the new government center is proceeding.

After years, the building can be seen at street level with workers doing complicated infrastructure.

Volunteers of all types and efforts have come out to support the soldiers. Here at The Base students are baking brownies for lone soldiers. The list grows of supporters for Hamal HaMatok. The Jerusalem Baking Battalion is part of the effort that sent home-baked challah and cakes to 3,800 soldiers last week.

This Jerusalem bake shop is open again with a “Bring Them Home Now” sign in the window.

The world ignores the plight of those kidnapped on October 7, of many nationalities, held in Gaza.

Meanwhile, life moves on in Jerusalem, however, slower and sadder.

We do not forget those hostages. The light projection on the Jewish Agency Building on King George Street ‘Bring them home’ is highlighted with their faces at night.

The terrible tragedy has brought good in the most unbelievable positive ways, as the names of new fallen soldiers are acknowledged. The Jerusalem streets are full of contrast. Will conclude this week, as in the short video projection –

Am Yisrael Chai.

Surviving In Jerusalem After One Month Of War

Sharon A

We arrived in Israel in the middle of what is now called the Second Lebanon War.

I honestly lost track of the number of “Operations” and thousands of rockets since August 2006.

Now going into the second month of the current war, I started walking a different route each day on the Jerusalem streets to see what was happening posting daily on Facebook, and to share a photo essay here.

The Knesset was lit bright blue and white at night with the flag blowing in the breeze.

The blue and white Israeli flags get bigger and bigger, and traffic has returned to the streets.

The local bomb shelter is lit brightly at night, and thankfully we did not need it this past week.

One day there were sirens, lots of loud sirens. Fire trucks are not a common sound on Jerusalem streets. However, this incident seemed to have been nothing more than someone burning their midday meal.

The scene at the main entrance to Jerusalem has changed and is constantly changing.

This new sight is one example.

It is the entrance to the newly opened tunnel to exit Jerusalem to Route #1.

One exits after the traffic light, and goes under the Chord Bridge and out of Jerusalem.

But not everything was moving smoothly, the Museum of Tolerance was closed.

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It was the first time I had passed this art piece in Mamilla Mall and no live person was sitting there.

The Tower of David Museum is one of many Jerusalem museums slowly opening again.

I was pleased to see a lecture was being held when I walked by. The Tower of David Museum is one of the places hosting evacuees (from the South and North) who found refuge in Jerusalem.

International media crews are here in the thousands. I wonder if they noticed the Arab men and Christian priests who walked by outside Jaffa Gate, as on any regular Jerusalem day.

I was taking a video of a building’s active construction when this woman walked in front of my camera. Many times I saw Muslim women walking alone as a matter of course.

Not a sight I have seen reported anywhere. Not news.

Oh, what a beautiful view from the hills of Jerusalem, where 34 families from Sderot are staying.

The fire engine there is a classic, if not antique model.

But the washing machines are brand new and greatly appreciated. Providing meals three times a day is good. However, keeping the family clothes clean is a big challenge in all the locations for evacuees.

Students from the south are starting to go to school again in the new locations.

I have avoided going South for this latest war – it feels too much like ‘been there done that’.

This was the fence we saw at Kibbutz Alumim on a previous trip.

People searching online for bomb shelters found this from 5 years ago, and from 11 years ago.

One of my first glimpses at an Iron Dome posed ready toward Gaza on an Israeli kibbutz.

Ah, the view from the fields of Kibbutz Alumim toward Gaza – before October 7.

This was the sign warning of the border – not to cross.

In Jerusalem last week beds for the over 200 kidnapped hostages were prepared in Safra Square.

Yellow ribbons were put on the security fence at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence.

Amazing that over 300,000 Israelis have returned TO Israel since the war started.

The long lists of funerals and the photos of the beautiful young faces lost are painful to look at.

However, this week began with an engagement party! The young couple brought together families from Australia, Belgium, and England to drink a l’chaim in Jerusalem and eat chulent on a Monday night!

We had a family Bar Mitzvah on Shabbat, except for one uncle in active service and two cousins working in the US – both sides of aunts. uncles and first cousins were able to celebrate together. Not so simple when the bar mitzvah boy’s family is over 60 people – during a war.

The paper cups had the slogan “United Together” and went with the blue and white theme.

Time to remember the good along with the very bad.

An M-4 or 16 slung over a shoulder has become a common sight on the Jerusalem streets.

It’s time to remember – we are the good guys.

At Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence, US Ambassador to Israel Jacob Joseph Lew presented his credentials to President Isaac Herzog on Sunday afternoon November 5, 2023.

Welcome to Jerusalem Ambassador Lew in these interesting times.

Here’s hoping for a shavuah tov on the Jerusalem streets and the rest of Israel and the world.