As usual, there is too much happening to share in one Real Jerusalem Streets photo essay.
This week it was again hard to cut down, but here are highlights of just 10 new events that may have not made your regular media headlines.
- The first of two Jerusalem Marathon 2024 finish lines is up over the Jerusalem street for all to see.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organization’s annual National Leadership Mission, February 18-22, began with Minister Benny Gantz speaking to delegates at the Inbal Hotel.
2. The mission concluded at the StandWithUs Center with Michael Dickson moderating a panel on social media featuring the new success in numbers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Digital Diplomacy.
Check out them out, trying to combat the billions of hate posts out there.
It is worth a visit to the Jerusalem Shalva Center if only for the writings on the walls.
3. But this time a new sign was also worth noticing, happy that one of the hostages has returned home.
4. The Taub Center Conference at Shalva focused on municipal elections, with more women on a panel of experts than men.
5. New advertising boards are showing election posters for the February 27th Jerusalem municipal elections.
6. The new entrance to the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum is to open soon to the public.
7. Also new, is a public area to sit and enjoy the view outside. Notice the entrance is intentionally not visible from the street. The new modern look respects the old stones of the ancient walls.
On a personal note, I was surprised to see my photo in the informative session for media before the tour of the new entrance and Tower of David’s historic galleries.
The Tower of David is an iconic symbol of Jerusalem – used on everything, including cheese.
8. The new technology used in the exhibits could fill a book and fill the galleries.
Of course, a favorite when visiting the Tower of David is to climb to the top for the views.
Especially on a clear day after a few days of rain, the scenes are amazing.
9. But new to the view is the white Dome of the Tiferet Israel Synagogue nearing completion. The Hurva Synagogue is closer on the right side. In the distance, you see the mountains in Jordan over the Dead Sea.
The Tower of David Museum finished its accessible entrance near Jaffa Gate, and now plans are underway for the area revealed under the plaza outside of Jaffa Gate.
Some southern families are returning home, however, there are still thousands of evacuated people living in various hotels in Jerusalem and throughout the country.
An opportunity to be on the roof of the Aish Center Building in the Old City is hard to pass up.
In the dark is the model of the Temple shines, with the Dome of the Rock in the background.
10. New is the gold lighting on the Al-Aqsa Mosque at night, in contrast to how it looks during the day.
Rabbi Eitiel Goldwicht was inspiring a solidarity mission from the West Side Institutional Synagogue.
11. Nearby on a rooftop, a new couple was posing for photos and video – mazel tov.
Akiva Turgeman and Ishay Ribo were at Aish for a benefit concert for soldiers and evacuated Israelis.
I didn’t get a video of their performance, but I did get a short video of one of the exhibits at the entrance of the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum.
And it was good just to have a chance to walk through the Rova, Jewish Quarter, and see the golden menorah outside the Hurva Synagogue at night.
New things are happening on the Jerusalem streets,
hope you can come soon to see for yourself.