Tower of David Museum – The Real Jerusalem Streets

In Jerusalem one November week with highs and lows

December 3, 2023December 3, 2023Sharon A

In Jerusalem, Israel, the last week of November 2023 began with an important visitor.

Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence, was open, but with less of the usual formality: no red carpets and no flowers decorated the stage in the main hall, just flags and two podiums.

The President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier was met outside and escorted in by the President of Israel Isaac Herzog as the media and staff watched.

The cameras were ready early, and I made sure to get a good seat.

Their speeches were broadcast live and are available to the public.

The large delegation that came from Germany was warmly greeted, but more importantly, the solidarity visit included traveling south to see the destruction of the Simhat Torah Massacre firsthand.

I wondered if they noticed the memorial candles for a fallen soldier, the son of Beit Hanasi staff member.

The yellow ribbons are still out.

The dog tags – “Bring them home – now” – are becoming more popular.

While some are so happy to take down the posters of the returned hostages,

the faces of the too many who are still held captive in Gaza are seen as life goes on slowly in Jerusalem.

After its grand opening, the Bezalel building is only open to students.

Haneviim Street was strangely lacking traffic, but the new buildings behind were easily visible over the old, showing the contrast on this old Jerusalem street.

People were on Ben Yehudah Streets and Zion Square, an interesting diversity of people as usual.

HaBoydem was open with their recycled fashions, it seems with all the donations to help southern families, the donated clothing for this charity keeps arriving in the original Talpiot branch.

The Farmer’s Markets keep popping up in various Jerusalem locations. I should have bought those orchids on the right when I saw them, as they were gone when I came back a few minutes later.

Perhaps fewer, but the young hijab-wearing women were also walking on Jaffa Road.

And as always, at Israeli medical facilities, Arabs both work and receive treatment.

Kikar Safra is the home of the Jerusalem municipality that has been working overtime to serve Jerusalem residents and the thousands of people from around the country who had to leave their homes under threat.

It was good to see tour groups as I walked around on a sunny weather day. Things are not always as they seem, as the sign warns that those cushions that look so inviting are made of cement.

Near Tzahal Square there was much less congestion than usual.

I had time to notice the Jerusalem lion on the bollards for the first time.

The view on the way to Jaffa Gate is an old photo favorite as usual.

This man sitting in his usual spot collected charity, a sign of returning to normal.

Traffic below coming and going from Jerusalem, who would have thought it a positive sight?

By Jaffa Gate, the tourists and birds were missing, but, as usual, a Muslim family walked by.

A week, that featured an emotional roller coaster of nights waiting to see which hostages would be released, ended with a Friday Fair at the Tower of David with no entrance fee.

An arts and crafts sale to aid southern businesses, at a time when culture is not seen as a priority.

In a city with too few tourists, there was live music at the popular tourist sight,

sweet treats to be designed and made,

and beer was sold, as well as food, at the Tower of David before Shabbat.

The flags were up on the JVP Margalit campus of Startup City Jerusalem, only I arrived after the Hackathon was over. It was hard to keep up with everything that was happening this past week.

However, from there I could see the sign announcing the Jewish Film Week at the Cinematheque, December 9 – 14, 2023.

Donuts. So hard to believe it will be Hanuka in a few days, as the past 2 months are a blur.

Today the traditional menorah, made entirely of bronze, standing over 2 meters tall and 2 meters wide, was placed in the Kotel, Western Wall Plaza, a popular sight year after year.

The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem had a poster up along a Jerusalem street. Most museums have special activities planned for the week of Hanuka, especially for children.

Hannukah events in Jerusalem, many in libraries in various neighborhoods, already have begun,

December 2-15, 2023, check the link for registration information on Lights from Jerusalem events.

No idea what will be this year, but here’s a favorite from the past to brighten and lighten the mood.

Hope to see you soon on the Jerusalem streets!

Jerusalem Streets Go Virtual for Passover Pleasure

April 12, 2020Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel this time of year is usually one of the busiest.

Pesach, Passover, has many other names, including the holiday of spring, and the holiday of freedom. Streets are usually full of people, rental cars, tour buses, and holiday pilgrims.

This year the yearning for freedom from home isolation was felt around the world as the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic kept people inside their homes.

This year with Pesach and Easter coinciding streets should have been packed.

Instead, they are empty.

Three years ago this was the scene at the Kotel, Western Wall for Birkat Kohanim, Priestly Blessing.

Ten men prayed together at the Kotel and recited the blessing today.

A tiny microbe has done what wars, stabbings, suicide bombers, car-rammings and other forms of terror could not accomplish.

However, if nothing else, Israelis are resilient.

Moving off the streets and online, here are five suggestions to experience Jerusalem over this holiday week.

Instead of sharing places to go and things to do in Jerusalem, Fun in Jerusalem is offering at home ideas.

2. The Tower of David Museum has virtual tours free for this week, check out one introductory tour HERE

Or take time and explore the site for other tours HERE

3. The Jerusalem Cinematheque is closed. Last month when I went to a special performance, already concerned about the virus, I heard a woman coughing. Quickly I went in ahead of and away from her. Hard to believe that was just over a month ago and one of their last events.

However, the Cinematheque is offering a wide variety of entertainment links, from first-rate old US movies to ‘Peter and the Wolf’ performed by the Royal Ballet and Metropolitan Opera mega productions: HERE

4. The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem is also at work getting more content online: HERE you can see the video from Yemen exhibit.

5. Experience the Western Wall Tunnel Tours from home:

Sadly the exciting Jerusalem night shows are on hold.

But here is a bit of the introduction to the Tower of David Night Show.

And the City of David Sound and Light Show Finale.

Hoping all stay well, wishing you a healthy holiday.

Let’s keep in touch virtually, until we can see you again soon on the Jerusalem streets.

Jerusalem’s Israel Museum plus 4 more you should know

February 5, 2020February 5, 2020Sharon A

In Jerusalem, the barricades and barriers to keep the public away from world leaders are gone from the streets and sidewalks. People are out again on the streets when the sun appears.

When walking in Jerusalem and someone asks: “where is the museum?”

It is a safe bet to assume they mean The Israel Museum.

So I point to the path up the hill to Jerusalem’s largest and best known Israel Museum.

However, there are dozens of museums in Jerusalem, Israel.

In the past week, four museums opened their doors for special events.

It was a rainy, grey day at the Tower of David Museum.

Over the years, this ancient military fortress has become a popular cultural spot, hosting a wide variety of events, exhibitions, and nighttime shows.

In October 2017, within the ancient stone walls, looking to the future, ToD launched its Innovation Lab.

The ToD is constantly looking for new ways and technology to engage young visitors with Artificial Reality – AR and Virtual Reality – VR, and Apps. Wearing special VR googles was not to be the final answer to get everyone involved with their surroundings.

The newest storytelling-videos taking AR to a new level, launched last week, come from MARS.

Co-founder and CEO Ori Noam explained how his David and Goliath video, developed at ToD Innovation Lab, make the experience unique to the user.

At the entrance desk, for a small additional extra fee, visitors receive a tablet and earphones. Because it was raining outside, demonstrations had to be inside.

MARS lets visitors interact with Goliath as seen on this tablet screen.

Using sub-conscience triggers, MARS creates an experience unique to each family or visitor. And these days, of course, the mandatory selfie at the end.

Did you realize last week was Israeli Space Week?

The Bloomfield Science Museum was open two evenings free of charge in honor of Space Week.

Besides the currently running exhibitions on Leonardo Da Vinci and Journey to Space, Israeli Space Week attracted families with young children to the Science Museum.

A giant astronaut balloon hovered overhead at the entrance.

‘Leonardo’s Questions’ were displayed and answered in the main entrance area with Leonardo’s wings hanging above.

Upstairs on the third floor, I was able to get one image before the room filled with excited children. Oh, to channel all that energy.

The planetarium required registration to enter, but for photography, I think outside was better to see the black starlit dome.

‘Optics and Observation’ was one of the various rooms on the current Leonardo theme.

What would be a good space exhibit without a piece of rock from outer space?

Marc, a former employee of Griffith Observatory in California, held a piece of a meteor found in an Arizona crater. Visitors were encouraged to feel a piece of material that fell from space halfway around the world, right here in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem has multiple private museums on a wide variety of topics.

The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem, BLMJ, is near the Science Museum and across the street from the Israel Museum.

Its new exhibit is simply called YEMEN. The historical development of South Arabia over the centuries is shown in detail to cover all the senses. I was so impressed with a tour before it opened, I had to go back on opening night to see the finished exhibit.

First, the visitor encounters ancient statues and artifacts used for burning incense.

The Jews of ancient southern Arabia traveled over long distances by camel with myrrh, frankincense, and balsam. Here one can smell the aromas so important and valuable in ancient times and compare them.

I said all the senses. At the opening evening was this traditional Yemenite savory biscuit. I must admit it was not to my taste.

This is one of several powerful photographs by Naftali Hilger on display. Note the Jewish man from Sa’dah is reading a prayerbook upside down. Since books were scarce, children learned to read from multiple directions. Hilger’s photographs taken in the late 1980s add greatly to the exhibit.

Rich colors, old ritual artifacts, and scrolls,

and more recent content, such as this Jerusalem Street sign, add to the scope of Yemenite history.

The father of Batya Borowski, wife of BLMJ founder Eli Borowski z”l, came from Yemen to Israel in 1907. Zacharia Jamil was a talented silversmith and jewelry-maker like his father.

The exhibit with its warm hues radiates the warmth and love Batya Borowski and her daughter, BLMJ Director Amanda Weiss, have invested in sharing a history unfamiliar to many.

Three rings made by Jamil are included in the Yemen exhibition.

Fourth and last is the L A. Mayer Museum of Islamic Art, which also has a new temporary exhibition.

Titled “Trespassing” in English, meaning stretching boundaries, here are 3 examples of works by fifteen Israeli women, coming from religious communities:

Muslim – Fatima Abu Roomi self-portraits,

Druze – special shawl over a traditional home rug,

and Jewish -wax flowers and diorama.

The Museum of Islamic Art has historical pieces and a magnificent antique watch collection.

What stood out for me in the new pieces was this item. Shira Zelwer’s wax figures in the diorama are three-dimensional images reproducing a 1960’s photograph. They show her grandmother surrounded by the waiters of her catering business in Australia.

I fondly remember her grandmother in her later retirement years, still an active personality.

You never know what you will find on the Jerusalem streets or what memories in its museums.

From ancient artifacts to futuristic technology, from Yemen to Australia, worlds coming together on the Jerusalem streets and explored and shared in its unique museum displays.