middle east current events – Page 29 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

International Women’s Day in Jerusalem

March 10, 2020Sharon A

Oh, how some things have changed over the years.

When did you first hear of International Women’s Day?

Back in 2011, International Women’s Day coincided with Israel Apartheid Week.

Israeli Apartheid? was the blog posted in honor of women in Jerusalem.

In spite of coronavirus – COVID-19, this year I have been to multiple events featuring Israeli women doing amazing things.

Signs for International Women’s Day (IWD) appeared. In Jerusalem, not only March 8, 2020, is to be celebrated, but events are planned for the entire month of March.

The Jerusalem Marathon 2020 finish line was up near Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.

The construction in the park was nearing completion.

However, the March 20 marathon races have been postponed until October.

IWD events did not involve a large number of international participants and were held, though perhaps with fewer attendees than would have been expected.

United Hatzalah of Israel inaugurated Israel’s first pink ambulance with a specific mission to treat women.

Inside of United Hatzalah pink ambulance — Photo credit: United Hatzalah

The ambulance will be operated by a crew of female volunteer EMTs and paramedics. It will respond to any type of medical emergency but will prioritize responding to incidents in which there are female patients.

Women volunteers of United Hatzalah pose for group photograpn — Photo credit: United Hatzalah

Female volunteers of United Hatzalah posed recently for a photograph.

At the Herzl Conference held at Har Herzl, I had a chance to speak with the United Hatzalah volunteers on duty watching for any sign of trouble.

Educator and Author Dr. Aliza Lavie, who served in the Knesset from 2013-2019, now heads the Herzl Center.

At the Herzl Conference on Zionism, President Reuven Rivlin participated, as did former US Senator Joe Liberman. A Theodor Herzl impersonator was on hand for photographs.

At Har Herzl on Wednesday night at sunset, we heard stories of women who fell in the establishment in the modern state of Israel as we toured the cemetery.

However, the main event was inside the education center to hear from seven women about their strong Zionistic visions and accomplishments, each with a unique story, Women. Leadership. Zionism.

Standing (r to l) Dr. Lavie, Shoshana Keats-Jaskoll, Olga Israel, Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoun; Seated Bat-El Papura, Emily Winkler, and Naava Shafner.

Each of the speakers could be more than one story, but there were other IWD events.

At the Jerusalem Cinematheque posters of women lined the walls.

March 3-5, in honor of IWD, lawyer, producer Paula Kweskin Weiss hosted a film festival at the Cinematheque featuring women. Founding The 49% media production company with the intent to feature women, this festival’s theme – women’s storytelling as an act of courage.

The last night of The 49% Film Festival Kiverstein Institute sponsored a documentary film on Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom. After the film, the director, as well as Fleur Hassan-Nahoun, participated in a panel discussion of women in politics led by Peta Pellach.

Female agriculture students working in fields before establishment of Israel — screenshot

Women were trained to work in agriculture, as seen in a screenshot from a 1934 archival film.

Today in Jerusalem women are involved in startups and hitech. At the old Beit Alliance Building, with a new sign announcing future housing towers, there was another IWD event on Sunday morning.

International Women’s Day: Fundraising as a female founder was the topic of the MassChallenge Israel sponsored program. Miriam Schwab (on the left) shared her experiences of the founding of her WordPress startup Strattic to a mostly female audience. Yonit Golub Serkin, Managing Director of MassChallenge Israel, moderated.

In the startup world, organizations like MassChallenge provide mentors at its incubator, as well as necessary advice and support to both men and women.

Research shows women in the early days of the establishment of Israel had more equality in numbers. Eleven women served in the First and Second Knesset, and in the 1950s, that was considered advanced.

On the local level, women are involved in politics, and ten percent of municipalities are led by women. On a national level, the numbers of women in Knesset are down. One thing women are lacking is political mentors. It is much more difficult for Arab and Haredi women to get involved in politics, and the new Women’s Party started too late for Knesset 23.

Not wanting to leave you with a political story, I took a walk around to see what was happening on the Jerusalem streets with COVID-19 filling the news feed.

People were out, young and old, shopping and eating, and preparing for Purim.

And after all the winter rain, below the Israel Museum, the vegetation in the Valley of the Cross was picture perfect.

1000 Real Jerusalem Streets

February 26, 2020Sharon A

Rain.

Rain and more rain in Jerusalem, Israel.

Trying to decide what to share this week,

I revert to the weekly Torah portion of Mishpatim, Laws.

לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֖א שֵׁ֣מַע שָׁ֑וְא אַל־תָּ֤שֶׁת יָֽדְךָ֙ עִם־רָשָׁ֔ע לִהְיֹ֖ת עֵ֥ד חָמָֽס׃

Not to share the false things you hear.

Thus no fake news, but on The Real Jerusalem Streets – not all is good.

The rain was good for the cherry trees in bloom.

Continuing construction on Jerusalem streets not so good for residents.

I will spare you the images of stopped traffic and ripped up concrete.

However, this sign posted on the Jerusalem corner is a new favorite.

This is post number 1000 from the Real Jerusalem Streets.

This is a milestone post –

a time to remember for International Women’s Day and Israel Apartheid Week:

Israeli Apartheid?

Nine years ago it took off and went viral, best RJS days of views ever.

Shame I was such a newbie, in Eilat, and did not follow up.

The next year, in 2012, also for International Women’s Day,

15 Real Photos of Arab Girls was published.

Those girls keep on going with over 25,000 views in the last 3 years.

Another year, and the US Presidents Day and Conference of Presidents Leadership Mission have come and gone, but Washington Street in Jerusalem remains and its sign is lit up at night, a popular image to share.

Presidents was an early post and needed heavy editing to share.

The Jewish Agency Board of Governors is meeting only in Tel Aviv this year.

No jokes about rocket science or scientists.

NASA’s Mars exploration scientist Nagin Cox was in Jerusalem at the American Cultural Center and concluded with the news that the countdown to the next launch is underway.

These NASA images of Mars look like they were taken in the Negev outside of Eilat.

While back in Jerusalem, new hotels under construction are changing the skyline.

The shops in Mamilla Mall have changed over the years, but the Arab women and girls are a regular sight, shopping and eating in the cafes.

So much has changed over the years on the Jerusalem streets.

So much has remained the same.

Jerusalem Covered in White

January 29, 2020Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel, covered in white.

Why is it? What is it?

The world loves to see photos of snow in Jerusalem!

This past week Jerusalem awaited the arrival of nearly fifty world leaders.

Five years ago the snow made for impressive images.

The Valley of the Cross looked like a scene from Europe rather than the Middle East.

This week temperatures dropped as the rain pounded down for days, seemingly without end.

However, though forecast, no snow fell to cover the Jerusalem streets.

A few white clouds occasionally let the sun peak through on Tuesday at Beit Hanasi while awaiting the first of the international world leaders to meet with President Rivlin.

Governor-General David Hurley was the second of twenty-seven world leaders the President hosted in private meetings at his official residence, over the few days before and after the Fifth World Holocaust Forum (WHF). Close to fifty world leaders converged on the Jerusalem streets for the WHF, which met for the first time in Jerusalem, Israel.

High-level delegations could not use the main entrance on Tuesday. A white tent covered the entire outside area. The ground was wet from a day of heavy rain. On Wednesday night at the dinner hosted by the President, the official photo was taken here.

Outside on Wednesday evening, white security tents and screens covered the length of Rechov HaNasi. There was no snow in Jerusalem, but a white security screen covered many streets.

What a difference two years made!

Two years ago for the UN initiated Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Prime Minister spoke to Ambassadors in the synagogue at Yad Vashem.

This year, marking the 75th year since the liberation of Auschwitz and the 5th WHF, royals and presidents and world leaders converged on the Jerusalem streets.

At least as the sun set there was a bit of color in the grey sky.

Zedekiah’s Cave was lit up with a thousand candles for a Wednesday night event for the media.

From the cave on a large screen, the main event dinner at Beit Hanasi was projected.

White linen and beautiful white flower arrangements were on the tables as the President spoke.

Walking home I went past the Old City walls near Jaffa Gate. Special lights and special colorful projections lit up the night.

Great idea to walk home, as major streets near hotels were closed to the public.

The next morning on Har Herzl this street was open, but the public was scared away.

Security units were deployed on Jerusalem streets early on routes to the main Thursday events.

The closed parking lot at Yad Vashem also had white security areas.

Inside Yad Vashem buildings white security barriers were erected.

International television crews had panoramic views of the Judean Hills from Yad Vashem.

But reporting in the afternoon, the fog on the hilltop made for a white background.

Holocaust survivors were at Yad Vashem to speak to international media.

German-born Walter Bingham attended as both a child survivor and a working member of the media. Bingham, 96-years young, is proud of his status as world’s oldest working journalist.

The main live-streamed event was held in a tent constructed on Yad Vashem’s Warsaw Plaza.

White security tents and barriers could still be seen at the entrance to Yad Vashem as the sun was setting.

With so many world leaders attending, the official Israeli black diplomatic vehicles were called in to use, as were dozens of white cars, lined up to take participants away at the conclusion of the ceremony.

But that was not all!

There was much more of the white security tenting.

At Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, covering what had been the dog park, were white tents.

Already on Monday night Gan Sacher was preparing for Thursday afternoon’s dedication of the Leningrad Memorial with Russian President Vladimir Putin attending along with Jerusalem and Israeli leaders.