Jerusalem, Israel – what is really happening
Holocaust Rememberance Day
Jerusalem, April 12, 2010
10:00 am
As the siren wailed,
people and cars at most major intersections came to a complete stop.
A televised ceremony was held at Yad V’shem on the evening of the 11th,
some neighborhoods had their own programs.
The day was a somber one, even traffic seemed less noisy,
as the 6 million dead were remembered.
Pesach 5770 Passover 2010
As Jerusalem residents waited by the bus load to get out of town,
flags lined the roads welcoming the visitors coming to Jerusalem.
After suffering in traffic jams and road closings while trying to get to the Old City,
visitors were greeted by sounds of music from a boys’ choir at the plaza outside of Jaffa Gate.
For the holidays, construction mess at Jaffa Gate was cleared to make room for the thousands of visitors.
Easter celebrations were held this week, adding thousands of Christian visitors to the Passover crowds.
The Kotel, the Western Wall, was crowded all week, and not just for the Priestly Blessing on Thursday morning.
The Old City’s Jewish Quarter was filled with people and activities.
Recently opened Hurva
Synagogue was standing room only
for the afternoon services.
However, there were a few quiet spots to be found,
and even an occasional quiet moment in a busy location.
But the Holiday Week was mostly about lots of people,
like those standing in lines at security to get to the toilets in the Mamilla Mall;
and more crowds.
A week of families and food; a picnic in the park,
a brunch on a roof top,
a meal in a restaurant served with rolls that look like bread,
and white cotton candy.
The boxes for burning Chametz were now cold and quiet on street corners;
but anywhere there was a patch of green grass,
grills full of roasting meat filled the air with thick smoke well into the night.
For most people,
the end of Passover means
no more matzah
until next year.
The Mimouna festival
begins soon after the sun sets
on the Passover holiday;
and it is perfect time
for those who want to party
a little longer and
grill even more meat.
As the Passover holiday approached, the streets of Jerusalem filled with smoke.
On Sunday there were lines of people waiting near the steaming pots of boiling water to kasher metal utensils, and
blow torches were used to burn
every last bit of a crumb
off of metal oven racks.
Monday morning things really heated up, and smoke filled the air,
as people came to burn their chametz, any bread product had to be disposed of during the morning hours.
Young and old came to Bustan Brody Garden
where one large fire was organized for the neighborhood turning it into a major social event.
The air filled with smoke,
it was hard to breathe,
but even these dogs who
had to wait while their
owner socialized,
did not complain.