Jerusalem, Israel – what is really happening
In Jerusalem, Israel,
during Fridays of Ramadan,
traffic increases.
Buses creep along in multiple directions.
Streets are closed and lanes blocked.
The Temple Mount fills with Muslims for prayers.
Helicopters circle overhead.
Jewish men walk to Old City for Shabbat evening prayers.
While not far away,
the Jerusalem hills are quiet and serene.
שבת שלום
Sigd, the Ethiopian holiday which falls on 29 Heshvan,
50 days after Yom Kippur, was celebrated on the Tayelet.
A spot with the best views of the Old City, but
with heightened security in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood.
Also, somewhat smaller crowds were out on the Haas Promenade.
Buses brought Ethiopian Israelis from all over Israel
to celebrate the annual event, a national holiday since 2008.
I love to see the young men in uniform,
and the girls too.
But, Sigd is not just eating, dancing, and socializing.
Sigd began centuries ago in Ethiopia,
with leaders gathering on a mountaintop and praying to return to Zion.
Today they have returned.
Kessim, religious leaders dressed in white,
were seated at this long dais and more
were in the audience, under their colorful umbrellas.
Prayers and speeches by government officials are part of the day.
After President Reuven Rivlin spoke,
he went down the line and shook hands with the dignitaries.
Only a small part of the crowd of thousands, mostly the elders,
were seated, with politicians and dignitaries in front.
However, one woman caught my attention.
What was she thinking?
Did she remember Sigd from Ethiopia?
What had she gone through to get here?
She stood during the speeches looking towards the Old City,
towards the Temple Mount in the distance.
Sigd has become one of my favorite events.
Interesting, both last year and in 2012, I also wrote that
we were in the midst of “difficult times.”
I must find out what this is hair-like thing is,
I noticed several of them this year.
Sigd, where ancient blends with the modern,
and the very modern customs and practices.
The program ended in the early afternoon.
Shabbat also starts very early
with just a few hours to prepare before it is dark.
Wishing a Shabbat Shalom to all from Jerusalem,
where sometimes dreams do come true.
Riots.
Riots in the Old City.
The radio announced riots in the Old City,
and I grabbed my camera and went to see for myself.
That was 6 years ago,
and it became the topic of the first post
of The Real Jerusalem Streets.
Thanks to Facebook for the reminder
and for sharing this photo from 6 years ago.
When I got to the Old City,
if you looked very, very carefully,
on the roof tops, security personnel dressed in black were posted all around.
But down below on the streets of the Old City,
there were thousands of tourists who did not listen to
the Hebrew news that morning,
and were enjoying another lovely day of touring.
The scene outside the walls was also calm,
nothing like the media reports.
6 Years!
Now, the Yes Planet cinema complex
fills the construction site of 6 years ago.
Israeli Apartheid? had the best viral days, but
Arab Girls is still going strong on Google search.
Stores in Mamilla Mall have come and gone over 6 years,
but it has become a favorite tourist site.
How many times over 6 years has the “situation”
affected so many people in the former desolate
“No Man’s Land” turned popular shopping location?
Yesterday, it rained…again,
but security was out and alert again.
Here watching the Light Rail trains on Jaffa Road,
and looking and checking near buildings and buses in town.
6 years ago, the welcome banner
for the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency
was hung outside of the hotel where their meetings were held.
This week the meetings went on again,
but for the last few years
the welcome banners have only been hung on the inside.
A memorial to Yitzhak Rabin was on display on the landing
on the way down to meetings in the hotel ballroom.
On the 20th anniversary of Rabin’s death,
there are many official memorials being held this week.
6 Years, always something new, at first it was shocking
to see this planned project for Jerusalem, Israel’s
green and famed Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.
But on closer look at fine print at the bottom,
these are art posters popping up around town.
6 years,
578 RJS posts and 299 on Israellycool,
who would imagine that 6 years ago?
After the rain the clouds part, with a blue sky and cleaner air.
Stabbings, car rammings, “random” murders, BDS,
however,
government leaders from India, Panama, Croatia and Honduras
are here this week, plus an impressive
German cooperation with the Israel Museum.
As always, so much more than “conflict”
is happening on the Jerusalem streets.
There is always more