Damascus Gate

Looking To September

rjstreets

While Hurricane Irene soaked the eastern United States last weekend,

it will be some time before there is a threat of rain in Jerusalem.

Seems the only ‘rain’ here are the missiles, grads and rockets from Gaza,

which continue to fall in southern Israel in spite of a Hamas call for a truce.

All was quiet this morning, but last night

  loud music and the sounds of teenagers laughing ended near midnight,

possibly neighborhood complaints of noise were all that dampened

 the end of summer party for a Jerusalem Israeli scout troop.

It was quite a contrast to the terror attack the night before in Tel Aviv.

A man from Nablus carjacked a taxi at knife point, cutting the driver,

 then rammed the stolen vehicle into a police barrier that

 was erected to protect a dance club teenage end of summer party.

Eight people were stabbed as the terrorist yelled “Allah is Great”

August coincided with the Muslim Ramadan holiday this year.

The Eid Al-Fitr, end of month celebrations silence the jack hammers in Jerusalem

and the construction cranes stop flying, while in Syria more people were killed.

In the Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan

the colored lights at night were bright

as were the ones in the Old City.

Colored lights were strung at Jaffa Gate,

 Damascus Gate,

and Herod’s Gate.

Late at night, young men came to sell food and merchandise

and women sat to enjoy the cool night air.

Even young children would be out late at night during the month of celebration.

As the sun set, smoke

and more smoke from the food being cooked to break the day’s fasting

 filled Gan Ha’pa’amon, the Liberty Bell Park .

There is often a rise in violence after this month devoted to Koran study.

A molotov cocktail was thrown at an Israeli ambulance this week,

no one thought to bother this PA ambulance.

As we look to September, security is again heightened near Eilat

and security precautions are in the news.

Hype about a PA statehood vote in September at the UN  is gaining steam,

while the PA and Hamas cannot even agree on one time zone.

As for the real streets, everyone is looking anxiously to September,

  September 1 is the first day of school.

The last week of August there is no regular day care,

  every grandparent, friend and neighbor is called on to help out hassled parents.

Who is the most excited for the first day of school?

The sound of the shofar this morning announced the Hebrew month of Elul,

 Chodesh  tov…

here’s hoping and praying for a good month 

and

looking to a peaceful September!

After the Fasts

rjstreets

Not eating or drinking is called a “fast,”

but without water and morning coffee…”slow” would be more accurate for me.

 The Tisha B’Av fast started on Monday, August 8, 2011 at nightfall,

this post should have been out on Tuesday, but even after the fast…sorry–still slow.

 Mourning the destruction of Jerusalem in the reunified Jerusalem

is a unique experience.

 Tens of thousands of people gather at the Kotel, the Western Wall,

and sit on low chairs or on the stones to recite the sad verses of Eicha and Kinot.

For so many centuries,  The Book of Lamentations asks…Alas, how could it be?

Some opt to sit

 alone,

while others prefer to sit in small groups.  Many stay all night.

As the Jewish Quarter closed for the fast day,

 much of the Muslim Quarter was open

with colorful displays of food to break the Ramadan fast.

Colored lights lined the way of most

but not all the alleyways.

For the seventeenth year in a row,

  Women in Green assembled a large group in Gan Ha’atzmaut, Independence Park

 for prayers and speeches, followed by a walk around the walls of the Old City.

This year they shared the park with the “tent city” protesters

and the night with Ramadan celebrations.

 The march was to begin at 11 pm, much later than usual because of Ramadan.

 For the first time the marchers had to watch out for an empty light rail train.

  It was well after midnight when the group arrived at

Sha’ar Shechem,  the Damascus Gate.

Street vendors and Israeli flags filled the sidewalk and on to the street

 and families and more vendors kept coming.

 Security personnel watched the quiet scene.

After passing Herod’s and Lion’s Gates


the end of the route was in sight.

Dozens of idle buses lined the road ready to transport

 the hundreds of people still coming and going after 1:00am.

The Kotel entrance plaza was a busy place all night.

Near Jaffa Gate a new table was set up to sell photos of the Baba Elazar z”l.

While tens of thousands of people were out on Tisha B’Av in the Old City,

a few minutes away this normally busy intersection was deserted.

This year, Ramadan coincides with the month of August,

so devout Muslims will fast all day and at night crowds will gather to eat and shop.

Abu Sharif, a member of the PLO and former advisor to Arafat,

has called for “Friday intifadas during Ramadan”.

Walking around the Walls on Tisha B’Av concluded peacefully.

Last year thousands of Muslims prayed in Jerusalem every Friday of Ramadan.

It is possible to share the streets of Jerusalem peacefully.

 After the fast, as Israelis head to the airport and up north on vacation

…at least the streets should be a little less crowded.

 

More photos of  Walking around the Walls on The Real Jerusalem Facebook Page.