March Madness: Purim, Now Jerusalem Marathon

March Madness has a different meaning in Jerusalem, Israel.

Purim is a holiday that is celebrated to the max by everyone!

Not just for March Purim Madness time,

image Queen Esther, photo ester hamalka street, picture PUrim

but all year around Queen Esther has her own street.

School children start with Purim on the first day of the month of Adar,

and this being a leap year, we had two months!

image mishloah manot, photo gift packages, picture mishloah manot for sale

Gift baskets for Mishloah manot have been on sale for weeks.

The story of Esther was read in thousands of locations.

image megila reading, picture megillah reading, photo unusual megila reading

There were readings all Purim day at different restaurants,

Zazza on Azza by Chabad Rechavia was a huge success!

image Purim celebration, photo family dressed for Purim, Purim costumes

Some families take their costumes very seriously,

this one even dressed up their dog for a Purim outing.

One of my favorite costumes this year

image purim costume, photo baby purim costume

was this baby as a super-sized bag of popcorn in a baby carrier.

image large wings, costuem Pruim, photo Purim

There were a lot of winged-creatures on the streets.

image Jerusalem mayor, photo mayor Jerusalem , picture Arkat

 OMG, this fellow looks just like Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.

And HATS, lots of hats,

image pUrim, purim costume, big hat photo

big hats,

photo fur hat, image hat, picture strimel

fur hats,

image PUrim, photo costume,

pairs of hats,

image Purim, photo purim hats, picture PUrim

hats with ears,

image PUrim costume, photo costume purim

colorful hats,

image Purim costume, photo headdreass. picture Purim costume

and hats with feathers,

image Palestinian, Arab girls in Jerusalem, Purim  photo

and here are more popular Indian feathers this year.

image shaved head, photo design shaved in hair

Not sure that his shaved head was only for Purim.

image Purim, photos purim, picture PUrim

and this I really did not understand!

image balloons, photo Purim, picture PUrim

In busy Mamilla Mall there were lots of balloons.

image PUrim, Mickey mouse costume

Posing with cartoon characters

image PUrim, photo sponge bob, picture purim fun

was for everyone, not only small children wanted photos.

Also spotted in Mamilla Mall,

image boy dressed in santa outfit, photo Purim costuem, picture Purim

at least one Santa’s helper,

image PUrim, costume arab, Google guy

a Google guy,

image man with camera, photo PUrim , costume picture

and one serious Arab shooter, aiming a nice Canon camera.

image large Purim costume, photo PUrim

Some costumes

puim costumeimage, photo PUrim , picture Purim

were obvious,

image man and children Purim, photo man in uniform, picture Purim

while others, a costume or not?

image PUrim crowd, photo Purim celebrations, photo Purim Jerusalem

Thousands were in Mamilla Mall, but I thought it was less crowded this year than last.

image PUrim in Jerusalem , photo first station, picture first station

First Station also attracted crowds this year,

iamge PUrim Jerusalem, first station inside, photo First STation purim

and now some of the area is protected from the weather.

image Purim celebratons, photo chidlren in costume, picture Purim

But watch out for wild animals!

image ice rink in Jerusalem, photo ice skating, picture ice skating

And there were lines for the ice skating rink at First Station.

So by the time Shushan Purim,

the day Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem, Israel, is over,

 posting photos seems like ending a marathon.

And now the streets are filled with signs for Friday’s

image Jerusalem marathon, finish line for marathon picture, photo Jerusalem marathon

 Jerusalem Marathon.

photo purim on Jerusalem bus, photo Purim, Image special for Purim

So until next year, Happy Purim.

More photos for those of you not fortunate enough to be in Jerusalem, Israel for Purim.

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 Favorites

As the sun set in Jerusalem on Friday, 

costumes,

after days of dressing up and celebrating, Shushan Purim came to an end.

Even though Purim is over, I would like to share a few favorites.

Sometimes it is hard to tell what is a Purim joke

sign  misspelled

and what isn’t, but this sign in Mamilla Mall did get attention. 

candy , "candy store" "candy display"

Mountains of candy are bought for and consumed on and after Purim,

 Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk, is a favorite place to get the right thing.

"Purim costume"

In the Rova, The Jewish Quarter in the Old City,

this Fiddler on the Roof costume was a favorite of the afternoon crowd.

But in Mamilla Mall,

duck, Israeli soldier

 I liked the Israeli soldier carefully watching the duck.

emergency responder

 The emergency medical crews were wonderful, responding quickly

to aid young men and women who had too much to drink.

Men were falling down and staggering alone in moving traffic;

it is truly a Purim miracle that no one was killed.

One young woman in the Old City was sitting on the street crying,

not a pretty picture with her mascara running down her face.

There was feasting and singing in the Old City,

but the sights of excessive drinking were depressing.

I wonder what went through the minds of unsuspecting tourists?

balloons, "tying balloons"

Then as I started home, I spotted this young yeshiva student making balloons

and giving them to passing children. What a simple and uplifting sight…

even more so when I realized that the young man is my nephew!

walls of the Old City "photographer"

The clear skies were wonderful for photographs

and the warm weather was great for being outside.

Many who were out during the day 

were surprised to find themselves sunburned when they got home.

Palestinians  "Palestinian families"

And near the end of the day, my favorite:

 even with drunken Jews on the streets of Jerusalem…

 Arab families felt safe enough to shop and go for a stroll on the mall.