current-events – Page 9 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Counting Days in 2020 – Lag B’Omer 5780

May 10, 2020Sharon A

What have you been counting lately? Days? Weeks? Months?

A half a million Israeli children went back to gan, nursery school, this morning. Parents have been counting the days for these youngsters who were home to return to their organized classrooms with warm and welcoming, smiling teachers. More than the usual apprehension was behind this “first day” of school – for the second first day of school this year – for their little ones. This new round of “first-day” photos filled Whatsapp groups and Facebook pages.

Children from grades 1-3 went back to school last week. Also, those students in grades 11-12 who have been counting the days until the end of the year or end of school exams.

Hundreds counted the days for the Machane Yehudah Market, shuk, to reopen. Long lines of customers appeared wanting to enter on the first day, Thursday, May 7th, as seen in a video taken by tour guide Eli V.

Transportation, parks, museums are opening, including the Jerusalem Aquarium.

I lost count long ago of the number and reasons for recent protests. Buses lined the road to the Knesset this past week for one.

Counting the days of the week until Shabbat is the old normal.

Jews have been counting the days from Pesach until Shavuot for centuries. During the 49 day time period, the 33rd day or Lag B’Omer has been a day of celebration. In Israel, huge bonfires have been the norm, with children starting before Pesach to gather wood of all types to burn on that night.

This year Lag B’Omer, starting May 11 at night, is to be very different.

From Thursday, May 7, 2020, until Wednesday, May 13, 2020, lighting fires are prohibited throughout the country.

Lighting bonfires and being present near bonfires will be prohibited, except for the bonfires on Mt. Meron according to special directives. The huge fires in Jerusalem parks and open spaces as in the past are not to be this year.

Jerusalem for Lag B’Omer usually is not the place to be.

However, Meron is where tens of thousands of people converge.

Last year I shared photos of Meron without crowds.

For the upcoming holiday of Lag B”Omer, 3 bonfires are to be lit on Mount Meron. One for Ashkenazi Jews, one for Sephardi Jews and one for the Religious-Zionist community, with no more than 50 people at each.

Rabbi Haim Drukman will lead the bonfire of the Religious-Zionist community, the bonfire for Ashkenazi Jews is meant to be lit by head of the Boyan Hassidic dynasty Rabbi Nachum Dov Brayer and the bonfire for Sephardi Jews is to be lit by Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Shlomo Amar.

From Thursday, May 14, 2020, until 6:00 am on Sunday, May 17, 2020, entry to – and presence in – the immediate area of the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and the community of Meron shall be prohibited, including the renting of bed-and-breakfasts and guestrooms in this area to anyone who does not reside there, as stated in the official government memo.

But note near the end of official notice – the Religious Services Minister shall give equal representation to various communities, including fair representation for women.

I did not take the opportunity to go last year, certainly not this year.

Lag BOmer Chabad Rechavia ad from your porch

In Jerusalem, Chabad Rechavia has come up with an alternative to its annual parade through the streets. A limousine parade to be viewed from home.

Chabad Lag B'Omer parade in Jerusalem at Mamilla Mall

And a virtual drumming event, instead of the real deal from past Lag B’Omer celebrations. Chabad Talbiya also has a stay at home and see the parade event planned.

Around the world, we are seeing events, summer fairs, and international conferences begin cancelled because of the current coronavirus pandemic.

The Jerusalem Writers Festival at Mishkanot Shaananim is moving online starting May 13th.

The Jerusalem Film Festival is also to go online at the end of the month with other international film festivals.

Israeli soccer is to return on May 30, the date that El Al flights are also set to resume.

Meanwhile, instead of running around, I will keep on Zooming from meeting to meeting.

Stay well out there.

Old City lions painted with wash your hands during COVID19 — Photo Credit: Joshua Wander

And as my friends, the lions in the Old City, now remind visitors – wash your hands.

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Jerusalem Moving Outside – but Aquarium?

May 4, 2020Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel has completed most of the spring exhausting holiday season.

A very different holiday season it was!

Sunday, May 3, 2020, slowly some businesses and classrooms reopened.

Finally, lights were on inside the Knesset Building, not just holiday lights strung on the street.

The Kotel, Western Wall was divided into smaller prayer areas.

Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, was empty for Yom Haatzmaut, Independence Day,

instead of being crowded with families and friends gathered for the usual mangals, BBQs.

Tourism is a huge factor in life in Jerusalem and its economy.

The municipality is looking for ways to slowly get back to “normal.”

Jerusalem Botanical Gardens is one large open area where people could social distance.

Gazelle Park is another large open green space.

The Biblical Zoo, as the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem is called, is another popular open area that could be reopened.

However, the new Jerusalem Aquarium which is further down the road from the zoo might be one of the last sites to be fully open again to the public.

At the end of January 2020, I finally got to the Aquarium.

I have had it on my list to share and now seems like the right time.

Remember that cute video of penguins walking around an aquarium after it was closed?

Sorry. It was not the Jerusalem Aquarium but could have been.

The Jerusalem Aquarium is an accessible and temperature-controlled space.

The inside venue would have been perfect for a hot summer day visit for all ages.

Beautiful tanks of fish and underwater flora line the walls.

Sections are divided according to Israel’s local bodies of water.

The Dead Sea exhibit will have to be updated.

Recently they have found life in the freshwater sinkholes.

I could have spent hours watching the seahorses.

There was an area to take a break and rest and listen to trained guides.

Have you heard of the LongHorn Cowfish before?

Can you find Nemo? Especially for children of any age or size, there is a special tank. You can get inside to search for and be photographed with the real fish that famous animated feature Nemo was based on.

Coral reefs provide background in one of the seas.

Large tanks of large fish,

and small tanks of colorful fish are inside the Aquarium.

There’s much more to see and to do to keep all ages engaged.

It was a wet wintry-like day when I finally got to the two-year-old tourist site for the first time.

Sure hope it is not another two years until the giant seahorse outside greets visitors.

Who could imagine that an enclosed and interactive space would be a problem?

At least the cold wet weather and this most unusual spring was good for the roses.

Stay well and healthy.

Hope to see you all on the Jerusalem streets one day soon.

Jerusalem Remembering in Time of COVID19

April 26, 2020Sharon A

In Jerusalem, Israel, as in most of the world, these have been unusual days,

days during which we have learned not to take things for granted,

Passover holidays in isolation and coronavirus shut-down.

After seeing them upright for days and unlit at night, I was excited to see the building cranes from the Jerusalem Gateway project moving again in the evening sky.

Slowly people began venturing out, walking on the path in a city.

The Kotel, Western Wall Plaza had a new arrangement on Friday Rosh Chodesh Iyar.

Prayer sections were set for regulated separation and distancing.

But, I am not sure how they managed in the rain Shabbat morning.

Oh, the excitement of seeing lights come on in the Knesset building as a unity government was being announced. So excited I only noticed later, that the large flag was down as Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day 5780 was about to begin.

The symbolic memorial flame in place at the edge of the roof and small Israeli flags had been put in place.

However, this year will have little resemblance to last year’s celebrations with flames and flags.

As I went out on the porch to get ready for the Yom HaShoah memorial siren, police wearing masks and blue gloves were stopping traffic.

Even the Jerusalem city bus was stopped and did not breeze through.

Some travel and work restrictions have been lifted.

A student driver with the symbol of the learner car was in the lineup.

Seconds before the 10:00 am siren, all the traffic was let by.

The officers stood quietly in respect of the two-minute memorial siren.

They then started checking cars again before moving on to another location.

I was so focused on the traffic stop, I did not notice at first that flags were up over the street as usual for the holiday season. At least one thing was “normal” in this year of isolation and coronavirus.

A highlight of the crazy isolation day was a special Jerusalem volunteer project.

plant as a present from the city of Jerusalem. — From Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum

Today every Holocaust survivor in Jerusalem will have a volunteer standing outside their door during the siren at 10am so they don’t feel alone and wii receive a plant as a gift from the city of Jerusalem. Thanks to Mayor Moshe Lion for this moving initiative during times of Corona and well done to Nicky Cregor for executing this great project: as per Fleur Hassan-Hahoun on social media.

One neighbor had their Israeli flag out for Yom HaZikaron, Remembrance Day, and Yom Haatzmaut, Independence Day.

However, In light of the restrictions on movement to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the celebrations for Israel’s 72nd Independence Day to be held at Beit HaNasi this year and the other locations will be recorded and broadcast, not live. I was planning to go, those were quite impressive and fun celebrations in the past.

Oh well, more seriously, families will not be allowed to military cemeteries as usual.

Bereaved families have been asked to make reduced visits to cemeteries in the days before Yom HaZikaron, Remembrance Day, subject to social distancing restrictions.

A general lockdown – similar to that which applied during Passover – will be imposed on Independence Day. The site at Har Herzl for Yom Haatzmaut, Independence Day celebration was already well under construction at the beginning of March. That event also was pre-recorded, there will be no huge crowded stands as in the past or all day picnics and trips.

This year it’s back to small private parties and pleasures. We have a new package of hot dogs in the freezer. Maybe it’s time to clean up the backyard grill and just Zoom with friends and family.

The cold winter rains and cloudy skies are over for now and the String Bridge near the entrance of Jerusalem can be seen on a clear day. You never know what will happen (or not happen) next on the Jerusalem streets, as the Municipality is planning major musical productions throughout the city. And fireworks in some neighborhoods. But count on closures for the usual holiday travel time.

When planes fly over Jerusalem to practice for a Yom HaZikaron flyover Har Herzl Military Cemetery, people got excited and ran out to see. Good thing there were multiple flights and I was finally able to get a bit of video. Oh, they are loud and so very fast.

For Yom Haatzmaut, the President has a special message and a chance to have him come to your home in a hologram.

For now, you can take a tour of Bet HaNasi garden from anywhere in the world.

Weather extremes. Hot. Cold and wet. Sand filling the air, turning the sky yellow on Friday.

And we can keep on Zooming along, until next time.