Jerusalem by Night and Day

How was your week?

I found following the news, this past week has been more challenging than usual. It is hard to figure out what is real and what is fake news. Old images from video games were posted as current events in Ukraine, plus not knowing what will happen next. It is just so unbelievable.

Last week RJS shared the photo of the former Putin Pub a few hours after the name Putin was removed from the popular Russian bar on Jaffa Road.

Today, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the third conversation between the two leaders in the past day. Bennett took a flight to Russia on Shabbat to meet with Putin and took Zeev Elkin along to translate.

No way I would dream to predict what will happen next, but I will share what happened last week in Jerusalem, Israel, that you probably missed due to the world situation taking over our hearts and minds.

The new lights on the Jerusalem Great Synagogue brighten it at night.

I was on my way to the Yeshurun Synagogue where a special service was being held in memory of Esther Pollard z”l.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion was one of a long list of speakers. The entire program was broadcast live and available on YouTube. It was in Hebrew, but Jonathan Pollard spoke at the end in English.

Jonathan Pollard rose from his seat to shake hands with the Mayor.

The synagogue main hall is one of the larger venues in Jerusalem.

The same night, also off of King George Street, was the second week of this year’s Shaon Horef.

The Winter Noise street festival was held on Shatz Street this week.

Again with video animations on buildings and live music, food and drink.

But what was special this winter night was the grand opening of the renovated Gerard Behar Centre and Beit Ha’Am.

There was a silver-studded doorman on the red carpet.

And a golden ballerina inside where invited guests were munching on fancy hors d’overves being passed around on platters in the lobby.

A very exciting event for Jerusalemites and visitors, there’s now a well lit parking lot on the adjacent Menora Street. How long was this street off of Ussishkin Street impassable as a construction site?

Also, this week at the Isrotel Orient Hotel, was the renewed regular meeting of

The Jewish Agency Board of Governors. In the past I had always attended at least one session. The Jewish Agency staff in Eastern Europe is working overtime with the Ukrainian/Russian crisis. This year the Jewish Agency governors were too busy to have meetings open to the media. They still have not selected a successor to Isaac Herzog to be the new Chairperson.

The visit of the new Chancellor in Germany to Jerusalem was a much more public event. Most of his short visit was spent at the King David Hotel on King David Street.

When Bennett met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the hotel for a press conference and lunch, security was very high.

After Scholz left, the German flags were still lining the Jerusalem streets, but the armed security personnel were no longer posted on the street corners along the route of the motorcade.

As I mentioned last week, it was good to see people out along the walls of the Old City and tourists back on the Jerusalem streets.

Paris Fountain came back this week, but construction is far from over.

The Jerusalem Marathon signs for the March 25, 2022 races are hard to miss. Runners can be seen training for the Friday morning run all over town. Should be interesting to see what happens as March 25 is also the day when the clocks change.

The weather is also up and down, cold and wet, hot and sunny. But a new Spring Festival in Jerusalem, Eat & Show, has been announced on Jerusalem street signs.

Of course, if it’s after Rosh Chodesh Adar, Purim preparations are well underway. Purim for families in Jerusalem is a list too long for now.

Celebrating Purim on Friday again is not my favorite thing.

However, I did put a few favorites together in a short video to share some of the highlights of this past week, from quiet parks by day and dynamic music and dance by night.

The skies are finally open again.

Take care and hope to see you soon on the Jerusalem streets.

Purim, Purim and still Purim?

I used to think that if Purim was more than one day, it would be easier,

as spreading out the celebration would make it less intense and less tiring.

Oh, was I wrong!

Purim holiday celebrations begin early in Jerusalem, Israel,

and continue well after others have ended.

While the rest of the world went back to work,

Jerusalem was still in full holiday mode.

Purim festival photo, Purim in Jerusalem

Many synagogues and Megillat Esther readings were colorful events.

Purim celebration photo, costumes

This year zombies and witches roamed the streets at night.  

Purim costume picture, Jerusalem photo

There were some really great shades of hair: blue, purple,

Purim costume,

and fluorescent green. 

Hurva synagogue, Israeli soldiers, Jerusalem photo, J Street

These Israeli soldiers were wearing green too, as they sat in front of the

  Hurva Synagogue listening to their tour guide, they were the real thing.

Purim costumes, Jerusalem photo

But who here is in a Purim costume?

Purim costumes children, Purim Jerusalem, photos costumes

Sometimes it was easy to tell the costumes,

Purim in Jerusalem, costumes

but other times it was not so easy to decide 

Purim in Jerusalem, Jerusalem

who in Jerusalem was dressing up for Purim.

Purim mask photo, Jerusalem images

 I am pretty sure this was a mask.

Purim colorful hat, Jerusalem on Purim

 Often a hat was enough

Purim hat image

to share the festive mood.

street actors photo, Jerusalem on Purim

Streets actors on stilts performed in Mamilla Mall,

Purim costumes photo, adults in costume, Jerusalem photography

but they were not the only big people in costumes.

Purim costumes in Jerusalem

For fancy dresses of all sizes, 

Purim in Jerusalem photo, Jerusalem photographs

Purim was a colorful time,

Purim in Jerusalem image

 celebrated

costumes purim.

 in many ways.

Purim photo, Jerusalem photo

Smurfs were popular – this one was a head turner,

Purim in Jerusalem

as was this hair cut.

men in costumes, Purim image adults , Jerusalem photos

Purim, a time of costumes,

Purim costume, Jerusalem photo

 hair and smiles,

 food and feasting and drinking.

And as every year on Purim, I am fascinated how many

Palestinian family in Jerusalem

 Arab families are out

arab girls

sharing the same streets.

Until next year, 

Purim sameach on bus, Happy Purim sign on bus, Jerusalem photo purim

Happy Purim. 

Still not enough?

Then you can see more photos here.

Purim is Friday

This year in Jerusalem, the holiday of Purim is Friday, March 9,

Image Purim party

but celebrations have already begun.

Image

Students have been in the holiday mood for more than a week

Image Paris fountain Jerusalem

and you can expect to see the unexpected.

Image masks

Window displays in the malls

Image

and sales people are dressed in costumes.

Image super hero costumes

The Jerusalem streets are filled with super-heroes

Image child in costume

of all sizes.

Image costume, money costume

Money not only talks, it also walks 

Image "costumes"

on the colorful Jerusalem streets.

Image "hair'

This is the time of year for a new hair style,

Image "green wig"

hair color,

Image "Purim costume"

wig or new glasses.

Image

All over Israel today, school children dressed up in costumes,

Image

including some very big kids!

You would never know that Purim is not celebrated until Friday

by the look of the Jerusalem streets today.

If you don’t have a costume yet, do not worry there is still time

Image

and street vendors have plenty of them on display.

Image "Purim bags"

HAPPY PURIM!