Sacher Park – Page 3 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Chasing Rainbows on a Rainy Day in Jerusalem

January 8, 2013rjstreets

After hours and hours of rain and wind,

the weather cleared a bit in Jerusalem, Israel, today.

If it keeps raining Gan Sacher will look more like a lake than a park.

The city has trimmed and cleaned up a lot recently,

so only a few big trees went down.

I wanted to get a better shot of this tree, but the rain started again.

I love how nothing is level around here,

not even the water filling a container for empty ashes from BBQs.

The birds were happy and the grass was green.

And I was very happy

to see a lone jogger so that I was not the only crazy person outside.

The sun was in and out, and I kept hoping for a rainbow.

The best I could get was a break in the clouds

and a few drops on water on my lens.

It rained all afternoon again, pouring is more like it .

Tomorrow Gan Sacher will either be a lake

or if it gets cold it will be covered with snow,

a sight we are all waiting to see.

Lag B’Omer Fire and Smoke

May 11, 2012rjstreets

Meron and the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

may be the #1 most popular place to be on Lag B’Omer

but celebrations in Jerusalem are a close second.

Collecting wood for a medura, a bonfire, began before Passover.

Wood in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, was carried in a little wagon,

but I really liked this pile of wood being transported on top of a car.

The sign says no fires, but before Lag B’Omer the dry grass is cut short,

because this park is one of the most popular places to make a medura.

Wednesday night small fires were lit all around Jerusalem.

In the Har Nof neighborhood preparations for large fires began in April,

smoke from one of these fires could be found well into the day on Thursday.

As I said before some love this and some do not and

miraculously once again there were no reports of major accidents.

There was one thing that was different this year,

the house of Benzion Netanyahu z”l, was covered in black.

The house is located near one of the busiest Lag B’Omer spots.

What a mess it would have been

if the Prime Minister was sitting shiva this week.

However,

Lag B’Omer is a happy time,

so we will end with a colorful photo.

Hope you had a good and safe holiday too.

Snow in Jerusalem

March 4, 2012rjstreets

I have waited for snow and snow pictures for so long,

it seems that everyone wants to see Jerusalem covered in snow.

After several recent failed predictions…finally on Friday morning

snow was coming down hard enough to obscure the Israel Museum.

The red roofs of the Nahalot neighborhood were covered with white.

The Knesset high grounds were coated with a little bit of snow.

Taxi companies did not answer their phones

and the buses stopped running.

Icy water tumbled down steps like waterfalls.

(Sorry I did not use video for this one as the sound was incredible).

Around Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, police came to direct the traffic,

as hundreds of people came out for the white stuff.

White cotton candy sold near the entrance was popular,

but it was the snow that attracted the crowd.

It was a chance to build

a snowman in the center of Jerusalem.

OK, Gan Sacher is not the same as the Golan Heights, but

kids of all ages managed to slide down the wet grass on makeshift sleds.

Children could not play in the flooded playground,

but they had a great time splashing in puddles.

Walking was difficult and dangerous for everyone.

The finish line for the Jerusalem Marathon, as seen in the background,

was a soggy mess, but people were smiling for pictures.

Others were happy to put a plastic bag over their hat and go for a walk.

All around Gan Sacher, people were happy for snow in Jerusalem.