Hanukkah and Holiday Time in Jerusalem

In Jerusalem, Israel, as December begins

the holiday season gets going.

Signs are up for a new Ethiopian-Israeli Festival.

International tourist groups have been enjoying

the unusually warm, sunny, and dry weather.

These holiday streets lights are up

and new signs of Hanukkah

are everywhere:

some with neighborhood activities

and this series of signs with holiday treats to eat.

Suffganiot have been in the shop windows

 in Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk’

and in Jerusalem bakeries for weeks.

But one of my favorite holiday foods are

those big red, delicious strawberries

 that are just coming into season.

In the shuk, they are for sale, but not yet piled high.

It is not only the Hanukkah season;

 Santa Claus is in the Old City,

and the YMCA has decorated trees both inside

and outside in the front garden.

On Friday, while on the bus to the Old City,

we saw thousands of Muslims coming

from all directions for Friday prayers,

while at the same time

these characters were waving Israeli flags

and holding signs.

It was a wonderful peaceful week in Jerusalem.

We will have to wait and see what will happen next.

But to end on a festive note,

one of my all time holiday favorites,

from two years ago,

is this wonderful sound and light projection,

on  Walls of the Old City.