Month: January 2010

Israeli Soldiers

rjstreets

 The Israeli military units sent to Haiti were fast  and effective, saved  hundreds of lives and have started returning home.

In Jerusalem, you usually see soldiers carrying a gun,  but not always…

Both young men and women in uniform are regularly seen on the streets of Jerusalem

shopping or schlepping back to their base on Sunday morning after a Shabat  at home.

 

 

                  On duty and off, some  have parents 

                 who live on the other side of the world.

Not all action is life-threatening or serious. This week visitors from Nigeria and the Far East ‘attacked’ a group of young people in uniform going towards the Old City at Jaffa Gate…with cameras!

.

   Wonder if the Goldstone Report made headlines there?

 

Wish I had a video, perfect flash mob-a huge crowd one minute, everyone lined up and then they were gone!

                                                                        Quite a sight for these kids.

In Memory – Martin Luther King Jr

rjstreets

The United States celebrates a federal holiday

in memory of Martin Luther King Junior. 

In Jerusalem, Israel a street  has  been named for him.

Not a long street,

  but a new one  in one of the best neighborhoods,

off of Emek Refaim near the Liberty Bell Park.

           A few meters away is another sign,

    it is in memory of the eight people who were killed

there in a bus terrorist attack  in February 2004.

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr and those killed by acts of terror.

How Safe is Jerusalem from Earthquakes?

rjstreets

  Built between the hills of Judea, it seems that no part of Jerusalem is flat.

Israel sits on top of the Dead Sea Rift, a serious fault line.

 In 1995,  a 7.1  offshore earthquake occurred  south of Eliat.

The most serious threat is to the northern part of the country,

but after the tragic results of another serious earthquake one has to wonder;

how safe are we?

 

What about those houses on the hilltops?

Certainly with stricter codes the new construction  should be safer.

  Many older building are supported by pillars.

The addition of elevators to apartment buildings,

not only increases their value and accessibility,

but also strengthens the structure making them much safer.

Updated, April 27 

after Nepal earthquake:

 5 years since the earthquake in Haiti

some good news to see some progress,

slow but progress has been made.