Author: rjstreets

Jerusalem Week of Lows and Highs

rjstreets

The news making international headlines is that

Shimon Peres, שמעון בן שרה,

is in the hospital in serious condition on a respirator.

One of my favorite photos of former President Peres

Shimon Peres and Jams Snyder at Israel Museum

was taken at the Israel Museum 50th Birthday Bash 

Who else would be presented with their own photo

taken at opening of the museum fifty years earlier?

Free entrance to the Israel Museum

is being offered this Thursday night.

I wish I could take advantage of the offer, but there are just too many

things happening in Jerusalem, Israel…again!

All the summer concerts in Jerusalem parks

and the Hansen House special children events have ended,

as it’s time to go back to school.

My favorite posters are up,

sign back to school

like this one of the Jerusalem municipality welcoming boys

sign back to school

and girls with “Hello First Graders.”

Where else is the start of school treated

as bigger deal than college graduation?

mekudshet festival sign

Signs are also up for Mekudeshet, a culture festival

with weeks of extensive music and arts programs.

Plus, the annual Italian Festival is also going on this week.

50 years Jerusalem sign Hebrew

Signs are up as the city prepares to celebrate

50 years since the end of the Jordanian occupation

and the reunification of Jerusalem.

A new wall has been erected at Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli Presidential official residence.

construction at beit Hanasi

However, it is a temporary barrier

construction site at Israeli President House new entrance

as construction work for a new visitor entrance has begun.

While work proceeded behind the wall,

Beit Hanasi was busy with international visitors.

World Jewish Congress delegates came on Monday,

World Jewish Congress posed for photo with Presidetn Rivlin

and posed for group photo with President Rivlin.

While on Tuesday the spouses and partners of diplomats

posted in Israel were hosted by the Rivlins.

DEI one phot of foreign spouses at biet hanasi

This is one of the group’s photos,

from 80 countries, 33 nations were represented that day.

Some of those visitors had been to Jerusalem many times,

but for others it was their first visit.

How good it is when people come and see the great things

that are happening on the Jerusalem streets for themselves.

Hope to get to some of Jerusalem’s newly-opened parks,

as the countdown to Rosh Hashannah reminds us,

 the new year is coming soon.

Jerusalem 9/11 Memorial: Behind the Camera

rjstreets

15 years have past

since September 11, 2001,

but I can still remember the bluest, clearest sky,

and best weather on that day in Washington, DC.

We had moved back from New York City a few days earlier.

Having a blue sky in Jerusalem, Israel, is a given all summer,

no one moves to DC for the weather.

There was a good reason that foreign diplomats stationed in DC

received hazard pay in the days before air conditioning.

But it was so nice that morning,

I went for a walk as work was being done on our new kitchen.

The destruction of the twin towers of the WTC

and with its immense loss of life

has overshadowed the loss of life at

 the Pentagon, the heart of the US military command.

For those of us living in the DC area,

the attack on the Pentagon affected our family and friends

in too many ways to recount here now.

 The 15th anniversary of 9/11 was remembered in Israel.

Buses took passengers from Jerusalem on a round-about route,

under the new fast-train tracks under construction

towards the JNF-KKY Jerusalem Park,

Jerusalem JNF park Memorial 9 11

slowly and cautiously down the winding road.

After an hour on the bus

we were on the other side of the tracks

Jerusalem train track Israel

and across from the cemetery on Har Hamenuchot.

Jerusalem memorial sept eleven

Dignitaries and guests waited in the memorial plaza for the program to begin.

Jerusalem Israel JNF memorial

The names of all 2,996 victims are listed on the wall.

The only memorial outside of US to list all the names.

Jerusalem Nine Eleven memorial

The honor guard in full dress

was positioned cleverly in front of the cool air blowers

and were protected by the sun shade.

Jerusalem memorial for 9 11 , 15 years

What were the Marines thinking?

Jerusalem Israel September 11 memorial

Israeli families of victims placed a floral memorial wreath

as did Israeli and international dignitaries.

Jerusalem memorial for September 11

US Ambassador Dan Shapiro stood in respect

 after placing his wreath at the base of the memorial

fashioned in the design of a US flag shaped as a flame.

A piece from the Twin Towers is encased in the base,

and can be seen through the rectangular window above those wreaths.

Jerusalem Israel memorial to killed on September 11

After the official ceremony,

with all its impressive speeches this year,

flowers were provided to those who wished to place them

on the names in memory of those who lost their lives on 9 /11.

Jerusalem Israel 9-11 memorial ceremony for 15 years police delegation

A delegation of 50 US police officers were in attendance.

Jerusalem memorial Sept 11

Their hats and uniforms were imprinted with US and Israeli flags.

There was a positive feeling of unity

that is not felt often enough these days.

As WJC President Ronald Lauder said,

 “The pain of loss never goes away,

but happiness comes from freedom,

and free people rise over hate.

#NeverForget

More photos from ceremony

HERE