The Real Jerusalem Streets

The tons of dairy products prepared in honor of the festival of Shavuot

including  a lot of blintzes and cheese cake are all gone.

Thousands of holiday visitors from all over the world have returned home.

The extra chairs for the festival ctrowds in the plaza near the Kotel, the Western Wall are stored

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and the temporary emergency locations closed.

The variety of clothing, religions and languages was fascinating as always.

 

Many of  the visitors for the  festivals wrote a note to leave in the Wall.

The white between the stones are paper notes,

 

usually written on little pieces of paper that fill every crack,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 written standing or

sitting.

 

 

Reaching for a good spot

 

to find a safe place, high above the crowd.

 And what happens to these notes?

Warning: The following is not for the sentimental or weak-hearted.

Cleaners sweep up

and unceremoniously

remove the precious notes to a special yellow plastic bag.

 

Almost three months of various celebrations came to an end and

this week a new festival season begins, with International Sports Week,

 

 the Israel Festival,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                       and many more.

 

 

The fine print says,

Something good is happening in Jerusalem!

 

 

While a few protesters grab media attention and set some trash bins on fire,

this week most people were just trying to get around in the heat and

prepare for the Shavuot holiday. All is not blue and white this season,

there are also many shades of

 

 

 

 

 

 

purple.

Flowers

 

 

 

 

 

 

low

and  high

and in between are

 

 

 

 

 

  bursting with color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even some trees are purple.

Graffiti,

 

 

 

 

 

 

little clothes and ladies’ hats

are purple.

 

 

 

 

Holiday time:

there are piles of full grocery bags, as masses of people do their shopping well into the night .

 

 All those stamped eggs and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                the  Jerusalem Symphony sign are shades of purple.

                                                    At the end of the day,

Jerusalem skies often have shades of purple.

Chag sameach!

On May 28, 1948 Jordanian troops entered the Old City of Jerusalem

and forced out the residents of the Jewish Quarter.

 

For 19 years the walls to the Old City could only be seen through barbed wire;

No Man’s Land divided the city. 

 

Bullet holes can still be seen in the outer walls of the Old City.

  In June 1967 Jerusalem was reunited and Jews returned to the Jewish Quarter.

For the past 43 years, 28 Iyar  has been celebrated as Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrations are numerous and varied.

 

Plenty of blue and white and flags decorate the city. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thousands of tons of equipment were installed in Gan Sacher for a musical extravaganza

 which was enjoyed by thousands of people all night long.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu attended the large night-time gathering at Merkaz Harav Yeshiva.

 

At Yeshiva Hakotel in the Old City, evening prayers

were followed by dancing.

In the public area near the Hurva Synagogue a video about Jerusalem was shown.

Visitors came to the Old City and to the Kotel, the Western Wall, throughout the night.

The next day special classes and activities were held in schools.

In the afternoon, many streets in the center of town were blocked to traffic and a blimp hovered overhead,

as thousands of participants in the annual ‘Flag Dance’ Parade marched to the Old City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most marchers were young and ethusiastic.

 

They filled King George Street

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 and turned at Agron Street to go to the Old City.

 The crowds and flags kept coming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrations continue with another

huge musical event in Gan Sacher tonight.