Jewish Holiday

Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, Raise Your Glass

Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, Raise Your Glass

Sharon A

In Jerusalem, Israel, it seems everyone is

is getting into the holiday mood,

as Rosh Hashanah,

the Jewish New Year, approaches.

Finally on Sunday, it felt cooler, as

Beit Hanasi symbol

  I was at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence

and noticed this new arrangement in the front garden.

Major renovations have been underway for months,

Beit Hanasi renovations

both outside and inside the building.

But the mess of construction has not interrupted

Beit Hanasi getting cleaned by power-wash

holiday preparations or official receptions.

Flowers with pomegrante

The flower arrangements included a fake pomegranate,

as the First Lady and the wife of Chief of Staff of the IDF

hosted 30 lone soldiers.

It was a rather modest event,

Walter Bingham ai Beit Hasnasi

with the highlights of the day being Walter’s outfit

Box for phones

and this box for soldiers’ cell phones to be deposited during the program.

New Year reception at Beit Hanasi for lone soldiers

The program was held in the formal meeting room,

Fist Lady Nechama Rivlin with lone solders at Beit Hanasi

with a group photo at its conclusion.

Then on Monday, it was back to Beit Hanasi again

Beit Hanasi new emblem

 where glass pieces had completed this design.

Ambassadors at Beit Hanasi

At the President’s reception for foreign Ambassadors

business cards were exchanged and

newly arrived diplomats from around the world met.

Beit Hanasi food

There was no comparison to the simple food served the day before.

It was disappointing that the US Ambassador was back in the US,

Ambassadors at Beit Hanasi

but Egyptian Ambassador Hazem Khairat

and Jordanian Ambassador Walid Obeidat

were seated in the front row

and greeted me later with “Shanah tovah.”

Rosh Hashana table at Beit Hanasi

The holiday treats were impressive

Tzipi Hotovely taking a photo of the food at Beit Hanasi

enough for Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely

to take a photo of them on her cell phone.

Rosh Hashana at Beit Hanasi reception for Ambassadors

Israelis do take “raising a glass’ seriously,

from lone soldiers to diplomats,

businesses and organizations,

reception after reception,

l’Chaim,

to celebrate Jewish New Year.

I finally got used to year 5777,

5778 Shana tova on Jerusalem Israel bus

and now it’s changing to 5778

Shanah tovah

Good New Year to all.

19 Photos of Jerusalem on Tisha B’Av

19 Photos of Jerusalem on Tisha B’Av

Sharon A

The Nine Days leading up to Tisha B’Av

are always hot, unless you live in Southern Hemisphere.

This year was no exception,

unless you count hotter than usual temperatures.

Jerusalem, Israel, is known for its cooler evenings,

but the night of Tisha B’Av stayed warm and humid.

People at Gan Haatzmaut reading Eicha

In spite of the uncomfortable weather, thousands ventured out

to sit on the stones and streets to hear a reading of

Eichah, the Book of Lamentations.

At Gan Ha’atzmaut, Independence Park,

Eicha at Gan Haatzmaut

this woman sat on a bollard to listen,

Police man sitting next to motorcycle during Eiacha

while this policeman sat on the ground.

I have joined the Walk around the Walls since 2011,

 security threats seem to be an annual feature of this event.

Walking from Damascus Gate to Lion's Gate

With the recent murders and riots on Temple Mount,

the walk only got permission to proceed at the last minute.

It was hard to get the long line of participants into one photo.

Muslim women working as journalists reporting on Walk around walls

As we approached the Damascus Gate,

the location of many recent troubles,

the Arab media was waiting to record the marchers.

Policemen on horses for security

Police on horses were ready

Walk around Walls of Old City Jerusalem

as the crowd proceed along with Israeli flags.

walking walls Jerusalem

A few stopped to rest near Damascus Gate,

Two men walking on step of Damascus Gate

just before the steps came into view.

Shar Shehem on Tisha B'Av

This year Tisha B’Av fell after Ramadan

and the Damascus Gate was quiet.

Walking around walls of Jerusalem Israel

This is the only time all year

that I walk by this gate

Jerusalem views at night

and around it to capture the dramatic night views on this side of wall,

Gate of Jerusalem Old City

on the way to the Lion’s Gate.

This was the scene of Muslims worshipers

filling the streets and rioting and being controlled by the police.

However, hundreds of Jews filled the same streets

and sat late into the night on the stones peacefully listening

to the Women in Green’s list of speakers.

Continuing around the walls and entering through Dung Gate,

Western Wall has large stones from destruction at base of wall

one sees the huge stones that have remained over the centuries

at the base of the wall,

reminders of the ancient destruction of Jerusalem.

On to the Kotel, the Western Wall,

Tisha BAv Kotel at night

where thousands gathered, to sit, to mourn,

Men's section Kotel for Tisha B'Av

even to spend the night on the ground.

street on Tisha B'Av night

People were arriving throughout the night.

Western Wall Plaza view at night

The gilded of Dome of the Rock,

built over the foundation stone, glimmered above the Kotel lights.

Jerusalem, city of peace, has seen many rulers

and thousands of years of conflict.

This year passed quietly,

the only words one heard on the walk around the walls were

“תודה – Thank you!” over and over,

to the police and security personnel guarding along the route.

Old City Jerusalem Menorah for Temple lit for Tisha B'Av

The lights on the Old City streets were dimmed

for Tisha B’av night,

but the large Temple Menorah glowed brightly.