Sukkot holiday – Page 2 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Jerusalem Sukkot Ready or Not

October 16, 2019Sharon A

Sukkot.

Ten years ago, the first RJS blog was published on Sukkot – Holiday Crowds in Jerusalem.

The holiday season crowds in Jerusalem, Israel, have arrived again.

The first day of the holiday was a beautiful day, but the next day there was a sound and and light show the likes of I have never seen in Jerusalem.

Thunder and lightning went on and on, long enough to finally get a good video on the 7th attempt.

The late President Shimon Peres hosted the Beit Hanasi open houses back in the early days of RJS.

This year President Reuven Rivlin invited children into his sukkah to help him decorate.

The Presidential Cat was in the garden to supervise.

Children were busy making decorations and paper chains.

As Sukkot holiday approaches in Jerusalem,

Lookup!

Sukkot are popping out on porches,

on a low balcony,

or on stilts to support the sukkah as it extends off the porch.

Restaurants need a large sukkah to accommodate holiday crowds.

The sukkot in the above photos have bamboo mats used on top as s’chach.

This is the time of year in Jerusalem to trim the palm trees, so that the large branches can be put on top of the sukkah.

Searching for the perfect species in the main market near Machane Yehuda is an annual sight.

In Jerusalem, also, popup shops for lulav and etrog were easy to find.

Tens of thousands gathered at the Kotel, the Western Wall, for Birchat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing which was broadcast live.

These were the usual sights throughout Jerusalem, Israel this week.

But I will end with ‘not your average sukkah’ –

While nothing has been quite like this sukkah on a camel from years ago,

here is another unique sukkah, outside of Heichal Shlomo on King George Street.

As part of the Jerusalem Biennale, is this ‘reflective sukkah’. The outside walls work as distorted mirrors. Look closely, see if you can find me in the photo?

The plaza in front of the Great Synagogue is in the background.

I hope this last photograph does not make you dizzy.

This week of Sukkot holiday meals and the overwhelming number of events did make me dizzy.

So much happening on the Jerusalem streets on Sukkot!

And you never know what will happen next.

Thunder and lightning on Monday night and again on Tuesday afternoon!

When they say something moves as fast as lightning, yes, it moves fast and is hard to capture.

Many sukkot were blown down in the stormy weather.

I am now more satisfied to share this year’s modest decorations.

Happy that our sukkah is still standing!

Moadim L’simcha!

Sukkot in Jerusalem

September 26, 2018September 28, 2018Sharon A

Sukkot 5779 in Jerusalem, Israel.

Tens of thousands of visitors have arrived. Rental cars are booked and fill the streets.

Traffic can back up any time anywhere, especially in Old City when streets are closed.

Tens of thousands crowd into and around the Kotel, Western Wall Plaza for the annual Birchat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing.

This year was different with no helicopters circling over Jerusalem during the blessing.

The sidewalk along King George Street is filled with sukkot from nearby eateries. Here the frame of one sukkah is being assembled before the holiday.

Small signs and locations of places to buy and build a sukka appear all around Jerusalem before the holiday.

These huge signs were hard to miss on the side of the building.

A sukka could be found on empty corner spots,

on porch balconies on front of apartment buildings,

and tucked away on small porches in back of buildings.

There were too many Sukkot festivals for families to list them all here.

The weather during the day was perfect for parades, musical performances, and more held each day in Jerusalem.

The usually busy Derech Beit Lehem street was cleared of traffic for an evening street festival.

These were a few of the musicians rehearsing in the afternoon.

There is a sukka on top of the new Orient Hotel.

Across at First Station, kosher eateries have large sukkot.

But new and different this year, there is a WeWork sukka at First Station.

Where else but Jerusalem, will you find, free wifi, beer, coffee, and working spaces, with a lulav and etrog on the table?

From a private home sukka,

to a simple sukka in public park,

to a large elaborate sukka, as in the Inbal Hotel atrium– there is no place for Sukkot like Jerusalem.

On Thursday, at Beit Hanasi the President’s Residence will be open to public.

Here is a first peak of the large public sukka.

Check back next time for a full tour of exhibits for this year’s healthy theme.

Or go stand in line, Beit Hanasi is open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

And there is still much more of the holiday to come…and enjoy.

Moadim l’simcha.

Happy holidays to all.

18 Favorites of Sukkot in Jerusalem

October 16, 2017October 16, 2017Sharon A

What a busy holiday season!

It was impossible to do everything I wanted,

however, here are some of my favorites

from the week of Sukkot.

I love that there is a sukkah outside the Jerusalem Theater.

Since getting painted a few years ago,

this sukkah has become a local landmark.

This one was at Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli President’s Residence, but

the official Sukkah Open House featured

this one with a population map of the world.

Made of Israeli flowers, fruits and vegetables,

it was so colorful and a perfect set for this TV reporter,

before the public arrived to pass through.

Sukkot in Israel is an agricultural festival.

These varieties of avocados were one of the many

agricultural products that were featured.

These musicians were floating on giant swinging triangles,

and giant bubbles were also part of the entertainment.

But the real crowd pleaser seemed to be

when President Reuven Rivlin did a walkabout.

Cameras and families crowded around

as he made his way through the gardens.

The skies were already grey at the time

and the photos a bit dark,

but I was able to leave

before the rain,

really hard rain, the first of the season.

Who would have imagined?

The streets filled with water.

People disappeared from the streets and sukkot,

as the water poured down.

The atrium sukkah at the Waldorf-Astoria was dry,

since the windows above the schach were closed in time

to keep the large dining area dry and pristine.

This simple sukkah standing alone

and all these on the side of this building,

are a few new ones to add to past favorites.

The Kite Festival at the Israel Museum

has become an annual holiday event.

Again a sukkah for visitors’ use was set in the

Billy Rose Sculpture Garden near

the blue ‘Trees” of Menashe Kadishman.

In Gan Sacher, Sacher Park,

a sukkah was up for use in the park for

the annual Jerusalem March.

The weather was perfect that day,

while umbrellas

and more umbrellas lined Yoel Salomon Street

as a popular display for visitors.

The Women Wage Peace rally to be held

in Independence Park got rained out,

the park was empty from the morning’s heavy rain.

New at First Station for this holiday season,

were the SheSparks displays of quality gifts.

Watch out for more from these talented women.

Song and music and dancing,

filled the Jerusalem streets in too many locations to mention.

One of several Thursday night musical events

featured Shlomo Katz and the Solomon Brothers

at the community center on Emek Refaim Street.

Thousands crowded to sing along,

to dance and watch the dancing.

Just a taste of what was happening in Jerusalem

this past holiday week.

Now back to “normal.”