Beit Hanasi – Page 21 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Sukkot Surprise in Jerusalem

Sukkot Surprise in Jerusalem

October 11, 2017Sharon A

The Bible Marathon was held October 6.

People raced from Rosh Ha’ayin to site of ancient Shilo,

a distance of 42 kilometers, a full marathon track.

I did not have time to go,

I was on a personal marathon,

racing through a packed holiday season.

So much happening in Jerusalem,

it is really hard to keep up.

For the first day of Sukkot lunch, we were 22 people,

from US, Mexico, USSR, Australia, France, South Africa

and more, all gathered in our sukkah for a meal.

Amazing if you take time stop and think about it.

President Rivlin honored a long-time tradition

and opened the gates of Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli President’s official residence, to the public.

As usual the Presidential sukkah featured

Israeli grown agricultural products,

this year a map of world was unusual and special.

From Beit Hanasi in the morning,

I had planned on walking into town to attend a bar mitzvah.

But also special on that day, was the weather.

Sure they had called for rain in the morning.

But first rain usually is a few drops of wet dirt.

But, surprise!

Thankfully, I made it to a bus stop,

before the heavens opened up.

Below is one of several videos,

in case you think I am overstating.

I made it to the bar mitzvah.

It had moved inside from the sukkah,

but cleared enough to come out again for dessert.

So much more, but for now here is

one special photo from Beit Hanasi Sukkah Open House

“Happy Holiday”

Check back next week for holiday highlights,

Jerusalem March, Kites at Israel Museum, sukkot, etc.

Now back to kitchen to prepare for end of holiday week.

חג שמח

Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, Raise Your Glass

Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, Raise Your Glass

September 19, 2017Sharon 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

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,

both outside and inside the building.

But the mess of construction has not interrupted

holiday preparations or official receptions.

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,

with the highlights of the day being Walter’s outfit

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

The program was held in the formal meeting room,

with a group photo at its conclusion.

Then on Monday, it was back to Beit Hanasi again

where glass pieces had completed this design.

At the President’s reception for foreign Ambassadors

business cards were exchanged and

newly arrived diplomats from around the world met.

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

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

but Egyptian Ambassador Hazem Khairat

and Jordanian Ambassador Walid Obeidat

were seated in the front row

and greeted me later with “Shanah tovah.”

The holiday treats were impressive

enough for Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely

to take a photo of them on her cell phone.

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,

and now it’s changing to 5778

Shanah tovah

Good New Year to all.

Presidential Visit Trumps Jerusalem Day

Presidential Visit Trumps Jerusalem Day

May 24, 2017Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel,

prepared for Yom Yerushalayim,

Jerusalem Day,

with large Israeli flags draped on old buildings,

and painted across the modern light rail trains.

The footbridge over Derech Hevron, Hebron Road,

was covered by a long Israeli flag on one side

and the Jerusalem city flag on the other.

School trips this time of year are a common sight.

But this year,

US President Donald Trump was visiting.

US and Israeli flags flew over the King David Hotel

where the Presidential entourage secured the entire building.

Big red signs lined King David Street, warning of closings.

By Tuesday,

only a bird could move freely around the area.

Now a beautiful, prosperous and popular neighborhood,

from 1948-1967

Yemin Moshe – Mishkanot Sha’ananim, and the King David Hotel,

were on the border of No Man’s Land

and in the sights of Jordanian snipers.

This bollard was left as an example of the old security measures.

For this presidential visit, metal barriers lined

the route of the motorcade.

It was a good week for the people who rent metal barriers

and these fancier barriers too,

but many local businesses suffered from the street closures.

The first stop in Israel for the US Presidential visit

was at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s residence.

The red carpet was rolled out and covered to stay clean.

The media came early, and watched Air Force One

land in Ben Gurion Airport and waited.

I lost count of how many times the red carpet was cleaned.

Here is the signing of the official guest book,

the US delegation had not yet arrived.

But for the official speeches

everyone was in their assigned seats.

The Presidents and First Ladies went to the garden,

to see a tree planted in honor of the visit.

The ceremony was over,

and the Presidential motorcade sped off to the Kotel,

the Western Wall, for the next stop on a packed itinerary.

Pedestrians were permitted to start walking.

But not even this official Israeli limo could leave until

the buses blocking the roads were given permission to move.

Most of the US Presidential visit was live-streamed,

so you can find it all on line.

For the grande finale,

after what seemed like dozens of Israeli police helicopters flying over,

a military helicopter flight parade started,

accompanying Marine One

and ending with more helicopters and flares.

I have not seen the official number of helicopters,

but they were noisy and flew in a long convoy over

Jerusalem, Israel, as they escorted the

US Presidential visitors away.

Now, back to flags

and Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, and major celebrations

marking 50 years after the Six-Day War victory

and the liberation of the Old City from Jordanian rule.

What a week to be on the Jerusalem streets!