Author: Sharon A

Oh What a Week in the Warm Jerusalem January

Sharon A

What did you hear happened on the Jerusalem streets this week?

Always something happening on the Real Jerusalem Streets that you might have missed.

It’s the end of Tevet. Tu Beshvat is over two weeks from now. But along the Jerusalem streets, the almond trees are blooming. It has been one warm and dry winter.

The dry weather has been bad for farmers but is good for road construction.

To and from Jerusalem, one must move mountains to make room for new roads.

In Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, a group of new young IDF soldiers were sitting in the midday sun.

I was walking home from the Gevura Tent or Tent of Heroes.

Families of fallen soldiers want their children not to have fallen in vain and be forgotten.

Many families came to Israel for the US Jewish school Yeshiva Week. Talks in English were scheduled from Sunday to Thursday night by widows and parents of fallen soldiers. I would have liked to have time to attend them all. But got to the first one on Zechariah Haber Hy”d – a young father of three who was extremely accomplished in Jewish and academic studies.

And on Thursday evening, Roey Weiser Hy”d was remembered by his parents. Roey was one of the first known causalities on October 7. He was killed defending Erez Crossing Base with too little ammunition against the hordes attacking from Gaza.

January 20, 2025, was Martin Luther King Junior Day in the US. Each year we acknowledge the Jerusalem street named for MLK. However, this year the US inauguration received much more attention.

The Friends of Zion hosted a mega-event to congratulate Donald Trump, with huge signs outside.

People lined up and crowded in before the announced opening time.

American-style food was served, including giant hotdogs and burgers, ending with donuts and waffles.

A few South American Ambassadors were seated in the front row.

In the main hall, the huge screen was ready for a live broadcast, after Emily Schrader interviewed Sharren Haskel, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Trump was sworn in as the 47th US President. We saw the ceremony and his talk but missed all the music.

There was a panel discussion and then the live music started with the Solomon Brothers doing US songs.

The crowds had filled every spot inside, the red hats and pins were long gone but the lights stayed on.

On the Jerusalem streets this week the hostage situation overshadowed most events.

However, one could only smile with the birthday boy Walter Bingham celebrating his 101 birthday. When you get to 101, one starts over with a ‘one’ balloon and friends and food.

I am not sure ‘until 120’ is appropriate – Walter is still working as a journalist.

This week in the sunshine and warm weather Gan Sacher was popular with young children.

Next week for the older young at heart, the Shaon Horef, Winter Noise Festival, is back on the Jerusalem streets on February Monday nights starting on Shushan Street.

Flights are to start and more tourists were around this week.

Are you coming soon to Jerusalem?

The time is good to book a Jerusalem Photo Walk.

See Jerusalem a City of Contrasts

Sharon A

The Talmud teaches that there are two Jerusalems–Jerusalem above and Jerusalem on earth below.

This week more than ever the contrast of what’s happening on the Jerusalem streets was extreme.

Life continues even as people wait anxiously for the news of hostages released from Gaza.

The new buildings tower and grow above the streets.

While the light rail track construction has wreaked havoc on the streets below.

There are protests across from the Knesset to release the hostages.

There is also a “Tent of Heroes,” which remembers the soldiers who fell in battle. This morning, a young widow with three children spoke of her husband who was killed in Gaza by an RPG a year ago.

The slide show in the background showed the faces of others who lost their lives this past year. It is hard to watch, so much lost talent and potential.

The poster on the side of the building had an offensive adjective above “WAR” which was edited out rather quickly with white cloth.

I had time to take multiple photos of it as we sat in traffic at night. All day the Jerusalem streets were blocked due to the multiple protests near the entrance to the city.

Finally, renovation work on the Wohl Rose Garden has resumed after a long break.

Even the grounds of the Monastery in the Valley of the Cross are being landscaped after years of neglect.

First Station is to undergo a major renovation. Now most of these stalls wait for tourists to return.

The US Ambassador moved out. The new one should arrive and present his credentials soon.

New community projects are moving along as buildings are renovated.

Look up and Jerusalem, Israel is thriving despite over a year of war.

Today, as I walked along the Israel Museum, the Knesset was getting a power wash, flowers were blooming in the park, and a Muslim man was praying under an Israeli flag.

But, look up and see the yellow ribbon calling for hostages to come home,

and below on the park grounds, the face of one murdered, but not forgotten.

Some of the Armenian gift shops were open again.

But, other shops closer to Zion Gate are still shuttered.

The Armenian parking lot was full,

but the roads near it were empty,

missing the cars

and the crowds for this time of year.

However, the stickers remembering fallen soldiers fill the metal doors of Jaffa Gate.

A few tours listen to the history of the stones and destruction of old.

There are people at the Kotel, Western Wall,

on these sunny warm winter days,

where the Western Wall Heritage Foundation is doing work again.

Digging up the Plaza to work underneath the stones.

Fewer holiday visitors make taking photos easier.

But I would rather see the plaza outside of Jaffa Gate filled with tourists.

I am certain the shops in the Old City would like to see those tourists back.

Even in these days of extreme stress and war, the Roman Cardo pillars stand to remind us of the past.

The dome of the Tiferet Israel Synagogue rises above the Old City to remind us of rebuilding for the future. The last synagogue destroyed by the Jordanian Legions in 1948 is finally nearing completion.

The birds are singing. The sun is shining.

Next Year in Jerusalem – we’ve been saying it for a very long time.

New year, new beginnings in Jerusalem

Sharon A


Before sharing what is happening on the Jerusalem streets, one must first acknowledge the shocking and dramatic photos from California of the raging fires and destruction of entire neighborhoods.

Tens of thousands of Israelis have been evacuated from their homes for over a year. In northern Israel, destruction by Hezbollah rockets is starting to be cleared and regrowth is expected.

Hopefully, all will find some respite as their worlds were turned upside down and homes destroyed.

In Jerusalem, the streets are lined with construction projects as buildings continue to rise.

Construction cranes also surround a future sports field.

The newly opened, long-anticipated tunnels to Gush Etzion make driving to and from Jerusalem, a pleasure. Unless it’s rush hour then you need patience. It will be a while before the roads are finished with those extra lanes necessary because of all the traffic.

But this week I traveled to the other side of Jerusalem, and up into the hills at Neve Ilan for a conference.

Momentum Fellowship was holding its first conference for women in Israel and Hebrew.

Lori Palatnik started Momentum fifteen years ago to bring Jewish mothers to experience Israel. It has grown internationally to involve tens of thousands of women. Now Momentum has come to Israel.

The views were spectacular as the sun was setting,

and after sunset, from the deck area outside the hotel.

On a clear day, you can see not quite forever, but almost to the sea.

However, most of the time we were inside meeting, networking, and listening to impressive speakers.

Rabbanit Adina Bar-Shalom, the daughter of former Chief Rabbi Rishon LeZion Ovadya Yosef z”l, has led impressive initiatives in Haredi education. This diverse group of Israeli women listened as she spoke about the Haredi draft issue. Many did not agree with her but were respectful, they did not interrupt her.

Shelley Shem Tov, mother of hostage Omer Shem Tov, was not originally on the program. She has actively spoken out for her son’s release for well over a year.

You could hear a pin drop when she was speaking. Then as she tried to leave the hall, all the women in the room rose singing in one large circle, surrounding her, united and showing her support.

The hostages’ faces were on display for the three days of the conference, ending on Thursday afternoon.

Friday was the 10th of Tevet, which the Chief Rabbinate of Israel chose as a “General Kaddish Day” for the relatives of victims of the Holocaust and others, whose yahrzeit, the anniversary of their death, is unknown.

Interesting timing, one of the women brought these memorial candles from her organization to memorialize victims of the Nazis – so the world would know their names.

Oh it was an Israeli event, so the lyrics of the songs were displayed on the wall – Israeli style.

Thanks to Adi and Nathalie for this unique opportunity to participate in this inspirational conference.

While online connections are great, there is nothing like in-person meetings.

Now I need to keep up with all the fantastic ladies I met.

Stay tuned for what’s next!

Am Yisrael Chai!