rjstreets – Page 53 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Jerusalem: Roses, Riots, Politics and What Next

May 6, 2015rjstreets

I am always concerned about what to share

on the weeks between holidays and special events.

The Jerusalem roses are in bloom.

Construction on the new main road to Jerusalem, Israel,

is a massive on-going project.

Would anyone outside of Jerusalem care

that the regular mailboxes are no longer going to be used?

Tourists trying to mail a letter tried these

British Mandate post boxes in Yemin Moshe.

They gave up and went to find a Post Office.

Old and new, progress?

Restaurants open and close so often

I could fill a book with those photos.

But Cofizz, the 5 shekel coffee and food place on Ben Yehuda,

has changed the center of town.

Cofizz is always busy, while the place next door has empty seats.

Copy cat places have mushroomed,

from King George Street to Yaffo Street.

It is easy to get a 5 shekel ice coffee now.

There were riots and plenty of press on that.

But, did you hear that there were thousands out Friday morning

for a biking event that went around the Walls of the Old City,

up to and through the Zoo in Malcha

and back to First Station?

Israelis are far away in Nepal.

But at home did you hear about

the 12 teenagers who met with President Reuven Rivlin in

Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s residence?

5 high school students are to go to US to an Intel Science Competition,

and another 6 are to represent Israel in an EU science program,

and 1 is to attend a special science camp in Germany over the summer.

Israel ranked 11th for the happiest nation.

It seems hard to imagine if all you see are media reports of “the conflict.”

Karen Bass and Alcee Hastings are two of many US Congressmen on tour

in Israel this week to see for themselves

what is happening.

Everyday is not a picnic in the park,

A Muslim woman driving a man is unusual,

but a Muslim man praying on the streets is not.

For the past few weeks,

all pieces of wood on the streets, large or small,

have been collected for

Lag B’Omer bonfires.

Meanwhile,

we wait to hear if there is a new government.

Old and new, always something on these streets.

Shabbat Shalom

May 1, 2015rjstreets

We were driving last night outside of

Jerusalem, Israel,

and saw the sun setting.

שבת שלום

Shabbat shalom!

Museum for Islamic Art: Old and New

April 28, 2015rjstreets

I have walked by the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art thousands of times,

located near the Jerusalem Theater and Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli President’s residence.

I was always curious to see what was inside,

but until now I never went in to see.

L.A. has nothing to do with the city in California,

but is short for Leon Aryeh Mayer,

the mentor of museum’s founder, Vera Bryce Salomons,

who wanted to “promote with the Israeli public an interest,

appreciation and understanding of the cultural heritage

and artistic achievements of the Islamic peoples.”

Information on Muhammud’s life, 570 C. E. – 632,

and yes,

there were pictures from days long before Charlie.

Also on display are basic information,

old manuscripts,

and ancient maps.

This one, much to the delight of a tour group from Indonesia,

was open to a map of Indonesia.

The museum is also home to the

Sir David Salomons Collection of Watches and Clocks.

Sir David was the father of museum founder Vera Salomons.

The fascinating story of the watches being stolen and returned,

and now deposited in a safe room in the Islamic Museum,

unfolded over decades.

This is perhaps the most expensive watch in the world,

made by a master craftsman, Abraham-Louis Breguer,

for Queen Marie Antoinette.

It is displayed along with the other clocks and unusual watches.

The delicate time piece in this ornate fan,

is the dark rectangle located near the base.

There is also a room for temporary exhibits,

which are often advertised on side of the museum.

Recently it was the “Diary of a Donkey,”

and at present, a different and unusual one,

called “Threatened Beauty.”

Collages by Andi Arnovitz, a Jerusalem artist born in the US,

combine old magazine cut-outs with ancient Persian designs

and watercolors to make her statement.

For example,

Arnovitz here explains

“8000 Books,” her new work on the right.

After ISIS destroyed so many valuable old

and irreplaceable manuscripts in Mosul,

she felt compelled to express her distress.

Another example of her art form is “13 Boys.”

13 teenage boys in Mosul, Iraq,

who were murdered by ISIS for the crime of

watching a soccer game between Iraq and Jordan,

thus the soccer ball with red as splashed with their blood.

This exhibit is to stay until the middle of May.

The Islamic Museum has a new director,

which explains the recent expanded publicity.

Though it has been more popular with Arab tourists,

students from Muslim schools,

and second-time Israel visitors,

it is a valuable resource

as it expands its reach in the future.