rjstreets – Page 61 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Last Jerusalem International Book Fair?

February 15, 2015rjstreets

Could this be the last Jerusalem International Book Fair?

The 27th Jerusalem International Book Fair (JIBF)

was not held in the Jerusalem International Conference Center.

For the first time, it was in a new location, in First Station,

where some entered from the First Station parking lot.

(In case you are wondering about the sky here,

being inside during a sandstorm was a good idea.)

While others came in through the main area,

past the First Station food mall and shopping area.

These people stopped to see the “Disappearing Wall,”

5000 small blocks of wood with German quotes written,

also in Hebrew and Arabic,

(some of which were lost in the translation) that attracted all ages.

At night the wall was an empty acrylic form,

as people were happy to remove the blocks and keep them.

Austria, Spain, Romania, Germany, Poland, Russia,

United Kingdom, Italy and United States were represented at the fair,

but it was a small fraction of former years.

One night, a crowd gathered by the German booth

for this food and wine.

Opening night of JIBF had more than one event,

that attracted large crowds.

There were lectures and programs all week, some held in

the Jerusalem Cinematheque, Mishkenot Sha’ananim

and the Khan Theatre, all auditoriums that are located near by.

As usual, not just books

but also magazines were for sale.

Authors were available to meet readers and fans,

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz–Rav Adin Even Yisrael–

was available at JIBF one night.

Besides Germany, Austria had a nice size display.

But books from the United States and some Israeli sources,

were noticeably missing.

Each time I went to JIBF,

it was great fun to see and talk with friends,

looking at books and even buying some.

But as an international book fair,

it felt like the international and book components

were sadly lacking this year.

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem

February 13, 2015rjstreets

Beware:

Heavy traffic and long lines near car wash locations.

In much of Israel this week,

a sandstorm was so heavy it was hard to see,

and breathing was difficult.

It was not a pretty picture.

Then, cold, strong winds came and blew and blew.

It only rained a little in Jerusalem, Israel,

enough to leave mud covering everything, especially cars.

Finally,

the sky cleared,

the sun came out,

time to admire the flowers again.

שבת שלום

Jerusalem Destruction and Return

February 11, 2015rjstreets

A fascinating new exhibit has opened

at the Bible Lands Museum (BLMJ)

in Jerusalem, Israel, called

“By the Rivers of Babylon” or Al Naharot Bavel.

Though located across from the Israel Museum and near the Knesset,

I had not been inside the BLMJ for a few years.

The new exhibit starts with the story of the siege of Jerusalem

found in the Bible

and recorded on this ancient stone tablet.

This video begins with a warning

that there are indeed sad parts to the story.

The end of Jewish kings and life in Jerusalem,

and the end of the First Temple in 589 BCE.

Destruction so complete,

that the intense heat of the burning of Jerusalem

deformed this earthen storage jar.

The Jewish people were exiled to Babylonia,

and there on the rivers of Babylon told their story,

for generation after generation.

Many Jews returned to Zion with the prophets Ezra and Nehemiah,

but many wealthy families remained.

Now 2500 years later,

these small cuneiform tablets finally tell us their story.

Though they look more like breakfast cereal or doggie biscuits,

these are well-preserved ancient business records of rentals, loans and taxes,

that parallel the names, places and dates of Biblical stories.

Over the centuries, Babylon became Iraq,

where descendants of those exiled Jews lived until 1950-1952,

when their communities were forced to leave for their safety.

For the first time in over two millennia

there are no Jews in exile in Babylon,

as they have returned to Zion.

As some try to rewrite history with “narratives,”

here are real records,

written in stone,

found and shown to public for first time

in this exhibit at the Bible Lands Museum.