Life goes on in Jerusalem, for Lag B’Omer and Future

Another week in Jerusalem, Israel, where it’s hard to know where to start and what to share–so much was happening on the Jerusalem streets.

Yemin Moshe was as usual in the spring – picture-perfect.

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The International Writers’ Festival was again held across from the Old City Walls in Mishkenot Shaanamim.

The annual festival began on Sunday night with an introduction to an international writers’ group. PEN – Poets, Essayists, Novelists, which was founded in London in 1921.

It has spread to more than 100 countries, with a stated aim of supporting the unhampered transmission of thought within and between all nations.

Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Jennifer Egan, former PEN President, was one of the speakers at the opening event.

The 2014 Sapir Prize winner Rami (Reuven) Namdar led one discussion group. The Sapir Prize is the largest literary prize awarded in Israel.

The Writers’ Festival meetings in Jerusalem could not find a more historic or lovely location than Mishkenot Shaananim, next to Yemin Moshe.

Another special international guest in Jerusalem was the President of Kenya William Ruto. Kenyan flags were flying outside Beit Hanasi for his official arrival ceremony and state dinner with the President of Israel.

The past week included Lag B’Omer, the Israeli day associated with fire.

Some families started early with their fires on Monday night in the park.

As others were arriving, with every kind of wood to burn and food to cook.

The smoke rose from these bonfire sites before dark.

And more wood was on the way, to keep the fires going.

Over the years, I have repeated, there are those who love Lag B’Omer and those who go inside and close the windows. I went in again this year.

But Lag B’Omer is also a big family day of celebration for children, as it’s an Israeli school holiday.

Chabad Lag B’Omer parades were held in several Jerusalem locations.

Lag B’Omer in Meron is still the main Israel event.

But this year with the Meron site limited, a Lag B’Omer celebration was held in Jerusalem by an organization called the Rebbi Shimon Foundation.

As men continued singing and dancing, after men had poured oil to ignite the fire, it spread to the table holding the bonfire.

Water from a garden hose saved the day, and the party continued into the night inside the new party location.

While all this was happening, in the space above, we were enjoying a Lag B’Omer wedding. Lag B’Omer is also a day filled with weddings.

This one went as planned, however, many southern weddings had to scramble to find new locations with Gaza rockets being fired into Israel.

On Wednesday, in Kfar Batya, near Ranana, again questions of safety arose, for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new AMIT educational campus.

With a few changes, moving the event to be close to shelters in case of an alarm, the long-awaited and exciting program went ahead.

I heard the boom of an Iron Dome missile interception not too far away.

But it was on with the show – Dare to Dream.

An example of Israeli resilience, Nurit Davidi, principal of AMIT high school in Beer Sheva, the wife of the Mayor of Sderot, came and participated in the program while her town and family were under rocket fire.

Lag B’Omer is over, and signs are up for the new Jerusalem musical events.

But, notice the blue sign at the bottom with red for May 12th in Jerusalem.

On Friday hundreds of cyclists rode around Jerusalem, starting from First Station and along Jaffa Gate for rides of different distance routes.

Writing and weddings, fires, and riding not for you?

How about trying the newest tourist attraction in Jerusalem?

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Look closely and see the brown line across the bottom third of the photo.

It’s the new suspension walking bridge across the valley from near the Mount Zion Hotel to the Mount of Olives.

Or you can walk and go at your own pace, and enjoy the old and new of Jerusalem on a Jerusalem Photo Walk.

Hope to see you on the Jerusalem streets soon.

8 Things to See Now on Jerusalem Streets

Israeli Apartheid? 

 got the most views in one day for a RJS post. 

But, 15 Real Photos of Arab Girls is still going strong 

and will soon go over 100,000 views. 

Too bad all my numbers are not that impressive.

So what is there to see in Jerusalem, Israel, now that the holidays

and municipal elections are over,

picture announcements, image colorful posters

and the campaign signs are slowly coming down?

image street art, grafiti, Jerusalem street art

1. Street art can be found in parking lots

man walking on Jaffa STreet

and lines so many streets,

 but contemporary art in Jerusalem has a new home.

2. The Jerusalem Biennale, which runs from September 15-October 31,

Cultural event Jerusalem Israel art & artists

 had its opening in the galleries of the renovated Templar houses on Emek Refaim Street.

3. For the week of October 17-24,

sign Manofim

there was Manofim, multiple exhibitions of contemporary art in Jerusalem.

image man at podium, picture lecture

Art critic and art history expert, Gideon Efrat,

gave a talk at Mishkenot Sha’ananim as part of the annual Manofim events.

image woman drawing, picture sektcthing

One woman was sketching during the program,

which was great to see at an art lecture.

manofim image, Jerusalem bird sanctuary

Manofim took place in many neighborhoods around Jerusalem,

but I was surprised to find this sign left at the Jerusalem Bird Sanctuary.

Art, art and more art is not what you think of first in Jerusalem,

but I have written before about the galleries in the Jerusalem Theater.

Yithak Greenfield with artists

4.  Israeli artist Yitzhak Greenfield’s students opened a show at the theater.

image woman in art gallery, looking at paintings image.

People of all ages came to see their work.

photo of art display, gallery in Jerusalem Theater

 Displays are constantly changing and open to public at no charge.

But there is more than art.

Cinema City in Jerusalem

5. The Cinema City signs are up,

 now everyone can see where the new theaters are located.

sign for Oud Festival

6. See and hear, another Oud Festival starts soon.

sign Einstein on Azza

7. See and learn on Azza Street from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm,

Einstein on Azza is coming on November 1.

Professors from the Hebrew University will give free lectures, along with live performances.

There is so much more, but the last for today.

sign for Jerusalem Knights

8. The Jerusalem Knights Festival will be held

on four consecutive Thursday nights starting October 31.

I saw the very first Knight night and wrote

who could imagine that the Crusades could be so much fun?

You may hear in the news about protests,

but how about these other events that are happening now? 

There is a big problem though,

with so much to see and do,

how does one see a fraction of the things that are going on?

Now If I could just get people interested in seeing some of this good stuff 

and not just looking for Arab girls….

Jerusalem’s Montefiore Windmill Returns

Today, after more than 150 years, the afternoon wind was again

Montefiore Windmill

 turning the blades of the Montefiore Windmill in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Windmill

The Windmill, initiated by Sir Moses Montefiore to aid

 the “Suffering Jews in the Holy Land” was completed in 1857

and operated for around twenty years.

Montefiore’s goal was to help the poor of the Jewish community

grind their grain for bread and support themselves.

It was the first project built outside the Walls of the Old City

in the Mishkenot Sha’ananim-Yemin Moshe Jewish neighborhood.

Plaza Jerusalem

The Old City Walls in the distance are easy to see from the plaza,

where a few name cards from the reserved seats were the only sign today of

Windmill photo

the Montefiore Windmill rededication and ribbon cutting ceremony

that took place in the evening of August 28, 2012.

Montefiore Windmill

A restored Montefiore carriage is now on display behind protective glass

after it was vandalized and burned in 1986.

Montefiore carriage

During the reception the door was open and I was able to go inside.

After months of construction and delays 

Mark Sofer

  Jerusalem Foundation president Mark Sofer had plenty to smile about.

The Windmill is not exactly the same as the original though,

as it has an electric motor and security systems.

Windmill Jerusalem

Maybe it was the crepes, 

Pepe Allaou

the ice cream, 

Jerusalem Windmill

or the wine and fruit at the reception,

Naomi Tzur

but everyone seemed to be smiling on Tuesday.

Netanyahu

When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks,

Montefiore Windmill

there is extra security all around 

 and extra cameras.

A short video showed the barren area in the 19th century.

Montefiore Windmill

What a contrast to the Jerusalem of today.

  Christians for Israel from the Netherlands worked hard on this project.

Jerusalem Windmill

There were Christian representatives from Holland, 

Jerusalem Windmill, Chief Rabbi

as well as the Dutch Chief Rabbi, Rabbi  Binyomin Jacobs present.

Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat

Jerusalem, Israel Mayor Nir Barkat, like the Prime Minister,

spoke about his childhood experiences playing in the area.

Jerusalem windmill

The blades of the windmill started to turn again,

but they are not just there to look at

Jerusalem windmill

as an important National Heritage Site, 

 the plan is to grind grain and sell the bread made from it to the public.

Of course, there were speeches,

  it would really be too long to list all the officials present,

however, for a short video click here.

The Prime Minister spoke of the symbol of ruach,

which can be translated as wind or spirit: 

 there was wind and a beautiful spirit as the Windmill returned.

 For more photos see The Real Jerusalem Streets Facebook Page.