Jerusalem: Good & Bad, Hot & Running

Jerusalem: Good & Bad, Hot & Running

  Jerusalem is having a September heat wave.

Not so good for me,

I complain a lot and slow down.

But things are still going strong,

and Jerusalem is busier than ever.

Flowers in shape of Jewish star in Bloomfield Park

Not sure if these raised arrangements like the heat

or if they are good or bad,

but this new flower display is near the Montefiore Windmill.

I passed it on my way to the Jerusalem Press Club to hear

EU and Israel relationship discussed at Jerusalem Press Club

Dr. Michael Borchard, the Director of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung,

who reported on a survey of Israelis’ opinions of the EU.

The conclusion:

good news and bad news, but pretty much the same.

Economic missions, trade missions, and overseas delegations

seem to be everywhere, all the time.

US Congressmen were at the King David Hotel recently,

Iowa Economic Development Authority mission meets Jerusalem JLMBIOCity starups

and this week the Governor of Iowa Kay Reynolds

led an Economic Development Authority mission to Israel.

Iowans really are some of the nicest people,

here a group met to hear about Jerusalem based bio-startups.

The amazing innovations seek US collaboration to grow.

But besides back to school,

there is much more happening on the streets.

Sign in Hebrew for Jerusalem street fair second hand goods before New Year

Another Second Hand Fair was on Emek Refaim St.

Arab and Jewish music festival Kulna Season of Culture

Kulna, part of Mekudeshet, a festival of varied events

of the Jerusalem Season of Culture,

was set up in Mitchell Gardens.

Kulna Jerusalem Season of Culture Kulna music event

Those who came early to the had the option of seats

and food and drink to buy,

Mitchell Garden in Jerusalem, Israel ready for music festival featuring Arab music

with the walls of the Old City across the street in the background.

Jerusalem music festival with Arab music

One Arab family came early to get a good spot,

Amman is 71 kilometers from Jerusalem Israel

and much of the program featured Arab music.

Amman is 71 kilometers from us, one slide informed us.

Members of Mada, emergency medical staff at Mitchell Park for music festival

As always, emergency medical care was on site.

Arab family in Jerusalem, Israel park for musical performance

But though there were hundreds, maybe 2000 people,

there were no reports of injuries or emergencies in the crowd.

Jerusalem Marathon for Women

Signs were up all along the way to the park for

a first-ever Jerusalem Run for Women,

Main street Cerech Beit Lehem closed to traffic Jerusalem Israel

but not everyone saw those warnings of major streets to be closed.

Jerusalem Night Run map and times.

Security checked out their locations

for the 5k and 10k races.

Arab girls running in Jerusalem Women's Night Races

Women and girls came from all over to run.

I tried to take one of those water bottles,

but it felt so hot, I put it back.

Running in night in Jerusalem Israel Women's Night Run

After dark the women, and a few men,

started running.

Here goes the winner of the 10K

Ilana Guttman before winning the 5K race in Jerusalem

and my friend who won the 5k

was already smiling on the way to starting line.

Runners in Jerusalem Women's Night Race

I love when people race by and scream out “Sharon.”

If you know who is waving please let me know.

One of my favorite runners

Jerusalem Israel Women's Night Races young child and father follow running in closed street

was this cute little guy.

His father was right behind with the stroller making a video.

Jerusalem Festival in Jerusalem Park free with music

These posters tell of events in parks with live music,

Sign for special selihot at Kikar Safra before Rosh Hashana Jerusalem

and special musical nights in the Municipal Square,

 Opening the Gates Of Prayer,

with seasonal High Holy days songs.

So much is happening on the Jerusalem streets,

now if would just cool off a bit so we can enjoy it.

But at least no one is complaining about no rain this year.

and I guess that also could be good.

29 November Celebrated in Jerusalem

November 29, 1947

Important enough to be the name of a Jerusalem street.

כט November street sign in Jerusalem for 29 November

It was the day the UN passed Resolution 181

to re-establish a Jewish State in our ancestral homeland.

“The UN Vote: Then and Now”

was the theme of a November 29th conference

AACI Israel forever foundation Danny Ayalon

featuring former Ambassador Danny Ayalon as the keynote speaker.

Workshops were held in the afternoon on topics

which included delegitimization, antisemitism,

Anti-Zionism, BDS, Hate Bias, and Jewish rights.

The morning panel on Public Diplomacy on Shaping Social Action

was moderated by former Jerusalem Post editor Steve Linde.

November 29 UN vote then and now

 Barry Shaw, Olga Deutsch, Avital Leibovich, Asher Fredman,

and Ashley Perry (left to right) spoke about current advocacy.

Zipporah Porath witness to November 29 in 1947

 Zipporah Porath gave her eyewitness account

of the excitement that filled the Jerusalem streets many years ago

when the UN made possibly its first and last pro-Israel proclamation.

The World Zionist Organization marked 70 years since the historic vote

29 November celebration Jerusalem

with music and Israeli dancing.

Zionist leaders were again on the balcony watching the proceedings.

29 November celebraton

That is Yaakov Hagoel and Avraham Dudevani on the left, Natan Sharansky in the middle,

and Theodore Herzl on the right side of this photo.

29 November at Jewish Agency buidling

Lights and visuals were projected on to the building.

Could Theodore Herzl imagine such a scene?

actor as Theodore Herzl at Jewish Agency

He certainly never imagined David Ben-Gurion taking a selfie

while standing there next to him.

The date of November 30, 1947, marked

 the beginning of the mass exodus of Jews from Arab countries,

the Jewish Nakba Day.

Most came to Eretz Yisrael,

and after many hardships, began new lives.

This year Sigd was celebrated on November 30.

After thousands of years of going to mountain tops

Sigd on Tayelet

and yearning to return to Jerusalem,

the Ethiopian holiday has become an official Israeli one.

November 30 at night is also Rosh Chodesh Kislev,

so besides Israeli and Ethiopian dancing,

Hanukkah donuts

the streets are beginning to be lined with suffganiot,

The Hanukkah donuts season has begun.

Jerusalem Week of Lows and Highs

The news making international headlines is that

Shimon Peres, שמעון בן שרה,

is in the hospital in serious condition on a respirator.

One of my favorite photos of former President Peres

Shimon Peres and Jams Snyder at Israel Museum

was taken at the Israel Museum 50th Birthday Bash 

Who else would be presented with their own photo

taken at opening of the museum fifty years earlier?

Free entrance to the Israel Museum

is being offered this Thursday night.

I wish I could take advantage of the offer, but there are just too many

things happening in Jerusalem, Israel…again!

All the summer concerts in Jerusalem parks

and the Hansen House special children events have ended,

as it’s time to go back to school.

My favorite posters are up,

sign back to school

like this one of the Jerusalem municipality welcoming boys

sign back to school

and girls with “Hello First Graders.”

Where else is the start of school treated

as bigger deal than college graduation?

mekudshet festival sign

Signs are also up for Mekudeshet, a culture festival

with weeks of extensive music and arts programs.

Plus, the annual Italian Festival is also going on this week.

50 years Jerusalem sign Hebrew

Signs are up as the city prepares to celebrate

50 years since the end of the Jordanian occupation

and the reunification of Jerusalem.

A new wall has been erected at Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli Presidential official residence.

construction at beit Hanasi

However, it is a temporary barrier

construction site at Israeli President House new entrance

as construction work for a new visitor entrance has begun.

While work proceeded behind the wall,

Beit Hanasi was busy with international visitors.

World Jewish Congress delegates came on Monday,

World Jewish Congress posed for photo with Presidetn Rivlin

and posed for group photo with President Rivlin.

While on Tuesday the spouses and partners of diplomats

posted in Israel were hosted by the Rivlins.

DEI one phot of foreign spouses at biet hanasi

This is one of the group’s photos,

from 80 countries, 33 nations were represented that day.

Some of those visitors had been to Jerusalem many times,

but for others it was their first visit.

How good it is when people come and see the great things

that are happening on the Jerusalem streets for themselves.

Hope to get to some of Jerusalem’s newly-opened parks,

as the countdown to Rosh Hashannah reminds us,

 the new year is coming soon.