Lights Back On

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There are many museums in and around Jerusalem,

 including the Museum of Natural History,

the Museum for Islamic Art,

and the Tower of David.

 

There are displays from angels & demons

at the Holyland Museum 

to water at the Science Museum.

Located high on a hill is the Israel Museum.

  After months of construction noise, in November 2009, renovations were well under way

and in December 2009 the last building crane was removed.

 

May 24, 2010, the chimney was really smoking.

Work has also been done in the area surrounding the museum,

 resulting in newly paved walking and biking paths

with “street” signs,

 a sculpture, “The Struggle”

and new sidewalks.

For the official opening on Sunday night, the viewer stands were up, but there was still work to finish.

The dome of the Shrine of the Book, site of the Dead Seas Scrolls,  was visible behind the security area.

Streets were closed to the public long before the Prime Minister and President were to arrive.

The fireworks ending the program of the grand opening could be seen by all in the area.

 Inaugural events continue all week with musical performances at night.

The rock concert in the Art Garden 

could be heard not just by the new entrance and cafeteria, but in the surrounding neighborhoods as well.

The closed gift shop was well-lit

but more impressive when viewed from a distance.

The Israel Museum, popular with locals as well as tourists, has signs up seeking renewed membership.

After a very long time, the lights are back on at the Israel Museum. 

Next week a wine party, all you can drink…

Still Waiting

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If you wait one nano-second after the traffic light turns green, the cars behind will honk,

but a shopkeeper will arrive two hours late to open his store.  Still waiting?

 The Knesset summer recess has begun,

 all pending legislation will wait.

The proposed new conversion law caused such an uproar that even visitors got into the fight.

 Now all sides have time to read the bill carefully and work towards a compromise.

Also, in the week leading up to Tisha B’Av, doctors picketed against the proposed budget

and civic groups again gathered to protest new pending Holyland building legislation.

For three days, Jonathan Pollard supporters protested that he has been held too long,

but he remains in a United States’  jail, so he and his supporters are still waiting.

Before Tisha B’Av, hundreds of groups

including many children on outings

passed through the streets

 of the Old City.

For Tisha B’Av,  tens of thousands of people made their way to the Kotel, the Western Wall

to quietly pray and recite Eicha, Lamentations, at night and Kinot during the day.

Restaurants and entertainment venues were closed at night for the day long fast,

and usually busy streets were quiet as many people stayed home to fast and not use any extra energy.

But there were hundreds of venues, including “Tonight we don’t learn Torah”

where Tisha B’Av was observed.

There was even a special reading of Eicha by Chief Rabbi Metzger to hundreds of people

who gathered near the Shalit family, who are still waiting for over four years to see their son.

It is five years since the Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip were forced to give up their land,

  many are still waiting to get into permanent homes

and we are all still waiting for peace.

 It took many years to finally agree on building

the magnificent Hurva Synagogue in the Old City.

So many disagreements,  so many people still waiting to come together.

As the sun set on Tisha B”Av, there were clouds on the horizon,

  at least on one issue there is agreement, in spite of the clouds and humidity,

we will still be waiting for rain for some time.

Summer Nights in Jerusalem

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Spain has won the World Cup, so finally soccer fans 

are freed from their TV sets to enjoy the Jerusalem summer nights.

Playgrounds can be unbearably hot during the day,

 so at night, even little children come out to play.

Not everyone stays inside to avoid the blazing sun,

but streets are quieter than usual.

One busy spot is the tent where the Shalit family is receiving a constant stream of visitors.

 Across the street there has been a small counter protest in the evening,

but the number of yellow ribbons continues to grow.

The usual crowds of visitors are near the Jaffa Gate all day

and at night,

and at the Kotel, the Western Wall, all night long.

Tower of David

Light and Sound Show

is an extremely popular

night attraction.

Ben Yehuda Street Mall

Machane Yehuda, the shuk  and

 Mamilla Mall are popular for shopping, eating out, or just getting out at night.

The fountain in Paris Square takes on a whole new look in its night-time colors,

as did this construction site when it was lit up at night.

A sign of change, a coffee shop is to be open all night long.

A new sign promoting the municipality’s summer cultural events

seems to be everywhere.

 Free summer musical programs attract large crowds.

 However, the Jerusalem Film Festival showing

of “Blazing Saddles’ was free in the park

and did not draw a large, early crowd, eager to get good seats.

 If the movie was not shown during the Nine Days leading up to Tisha B’Av

 there certainly would have been many more people in attendance.

All is not fun after dark, there is often road work being done. 

Judging by the large number of cars with diplomatic license plates

parked near the American Consulate last night, 

 there was plenty of work to be done before today’s arrival of special envoy George Mitchell.

 Too much summer sun or night-life?  Try a mid-afternoon nap.

 

Though not a picture from this week,

 a beautiful night scene from Jerusalem, like a cool summer night’s breeze…

with thanks to M  Hurley.

 Update July 2012: the coffee shop is gone and so are those lions, 

the Olympics are the sports to follow,

amazing how so much of today is the same as two years ago.

The Gilad Shalit tent is becoming a memory.