While some of the Jerusalem, Israel, flower beds
look a bit over grown because of shmita,
these looked just fine this week.
שבת שלום
Author: rjstreets
Israel Museum Big Birthday Bash
Offering free admission at one of Jerusalem’s favorite sites,
The Israel Museum’s 50th birthday party
attracted thousands of people.
Special cupcakes
and colorful drinks were provided for visitors.
The children’s wing and new play area were filled with children.
Actors entertained in the passageways.
Not new statutes,
but men were dressed in black and moving
slowly around entertaining the young crowd.
I was impressed with these two girls
who were entertaining themselves,
using their paper art project to test the water currents
in the flowing waterfall near the steps.
Future scientists? For sure!
What is a big birthday party without lots of balloons?
Former President Shimon Peres was at the opening of the museum
exactly 50 years earlier.
Museum Director James Snyder presented him with his old photo,
as the crowd tried to get a view of the official ceremony.
This heart by Jeff Koons which is on loan to the Israel Museum
for its 50th birthday year took a little help to unveil.
But the huge birthday cake with edible art works on top,
took only minutes to disappear,
and those who got cake and balloons left smiling.
Teddy Kollek had a vision as mayor of Jerusalem, Israel,
and in 50 years the Israel Museum has matured.
Happy Birthday
and many more great years.
9 Jerusalem Lag B’Omer Favorites
Confession:
Lag B’Omer in Jerusalem, Israel, is not my favorite holiday.
I prefer to close my windows and hide inside,
but I ventured out to see what was happening,
and here are my favorite sights:
1. Wood of all kinds is collected and burned, but a baby crib?
2. One fire shows why wooden pallets are popular.
3. The Jerusalem Theater in the background
glowed like the many fires in park below.
4. There were many, many fires in that park.
First Station, on the other hand, was not the place to be
on Lag B’Omer night as most of it was closed.
Many people stayed out all night around the fires,
but during the day with no school,
children needed something to do.
5. Attentive faces and face painting at
6. Chabad Rechavia parade and event with Rabbi Goldberg,
always favorites of Jerusalem families.
Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, looked big, green and beautiful.
7. Musicians under a tree attracted an afternoon crowd.
I would have stayed longer to listen,
but I had to head home for dinner.
8. This walking/biking path in the Valley of the Cross
had huge boulders to keep vehicles away,
yet people would move them and drive towards Gan Sacher.
Now one simple bollard does the job.
As I was marveling at the cleverness of that improvement,
I saw a man in an underpass taking advantage of the echo.
9. He was playing an Israeli didgeridoo.
The instrument was first crafted by Aborigines
from branches hollowed out by termites,
its sound has been improved using Israeli technology.
They are used at a corroboree,
Australian Aboriginal ceremonies usually held
around a campfire at night with singing and dancing.
What a way to end a Jewish holiday associated with
campfires, music, singing and dancing!
You never know what you will find
on the Jerusalem, Israel streets!