Friends of Zion Museum

Oh What a Week in the Warm Jerusalem January

Sharon A

What did you hear happened on the Jerusalem streets this week?

Always something happening on the Real Jerusalem Streets that you might have missed.

It’s the end of Tevet. Tu Beshvat is over two weeks from now. But along the Jerusalem streets, the almond trees are blooming. It has been one warm and dry winter.

The dry weather has been bad for farmers but is good for road construction.

To and from Jerusalem, one must move mountains to make room for new roads.

In Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, a group of new young IDF soldiers were sitting in the midday sun.

I was walking home from the Gevura Tent or Tent of Heroes.

Families of fallen soldiers want their children not to have fallen in vain and be forgotten.

Many families came to Israel for the US Jewish school Yeshiva Week. Talks in English were scheduled from Sunday to Thursday night by widows and parents of fallen soldiers. I would have liked to have time to attend them all. But got to the first one on Zechariah Haber Hy”d – a young father of three who was extremely accomplished in Jewish and academic studies.

And on Thursday evening, Roey Weiser Hy”d was remembered by his parents. Roey was one of the first known causalities on October 7. He was killed defending Erez Crossing Base with too little ammunition against the hordes attacking from Gaza.

January 20, 2025, was Martin Luther King Junior Day in the US. Each year we acknowledge the Jerusalem street named for MLK. However, this year the US inauguration received much more attention.

The Friends of Zion hosted a mega-event to congratulate Donald Trump, with huge signs outside.

People lined up and crowded in before the announced opening time.

American-style food was served, including giant hotdogs and burgers, ending with donuts and waffles.

A few South American Ambassadors were seated in the front row.

In the main hall, the huge screen was ready for a live broadcast, after Emily Schrader interviewed Sharren Haskel, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Trump was sworn in as the 47th US President. We saw the ceremony and his talk but missed all the music.

There was a panel discussion and then the live music started with the Solomon Brothers doing US songs.

The crowds had filled every spot inside, the red hats and pins were long gone but the lights stayed on.

On the Jerusalem streets this week the hostage situation overshadowed most events.

However, one could only smile with the birthday boy Walter Bingham celebrating his 101 birthday. When you get to 101, one starts over with a ‘one’ balloon and friends and food.

I am not sure ‘until 120’ is appropriate – Walter is still working as a journalist.

This week in the sunshine and warm weather Gan Sacher was popular with young children.

Next week for the older young at heart, the Shaon Horef, Winter Noise Festival, is back on the Jerusalem streets on February Monday nights starting on Shushan Street.

Flights are to start and more tourists were around this week.

Are you coming soon to Jerusalem?

The time is good to book a Jerusalem Photo Walk.

The President of Paraguay Received Warm Welcome In Jerusalem

Sharon A

The Real Jerusalem Streets has published over 1,200 posts.

Along the way, RJS received over 1.2 million spam comments.

And a couple of viral posts – so many loved those Arab girls.

Each week the goal of RJS photo essays is to show what is happening in Jerusalem, Israel–

what legacy media does not share – there is much more happening than conflict and protests.

This week was a week to honor the Republic of Paraguay and its President Santiago Peña.

Knesset flags in blue and white were joined with blue and white with red – for the Republic of Paraguay.

Yards of red carpets were out and the Declaration of Independence moved to a new location

to officially welcome the President of the Republic of Paraguay Santiago Peña.

Anthems were played before the review of the honor guard.

The Paraguayan delegation entered the Knesset building led by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

After cutting a ceremonial blue ribbon, Peña cut off a small piece of the blue ribbon to save.

The President signed the official guest book as Ohana stood and dignitaries sat to watch.

Audience members taking photos and videos with their cell phones has become common practice.

Even an army officer took his shot as the two leaders spoke briefly in the Chagall Hall.

Peña’s wife was escorted to a private reception after the official photos and led past the October 7 display. The hostages and war are not forgotten even at the most festive of events in Jerusalem.

The official motorcade waited outside to rush them away to the next event on a short, tight schedule.

The Kotel, Western Wall, Yad Vashem, and the official ceremony in Har Hotzvim where the Jerusalem Embassy of Paraguay is located lasted two days.

The umbrellas have been replaced with new lights over Yoel Salomon Street awaiting winter holiday visitors in Jerusalem near the Friends of Zion Museum, across from the Museum of Tolerance.

On Thursday night the Paraguayan delegation was hosted at the Friends of Zion Museum,

and the President was presented with the Friends of Zion Award.

The new Chief Sefardi Rabbi Dovid Yosef arrived wearing his new official Rishon Lezion attire.

The room was crowded and all stood as the Presidential couple entered,

Fleur Hassan Nahoum was the moderator, she spoke in English from the podium, but in Spanish to many of the guests.

Even at this event, the memory of those murdered was not forgotten.

Mayor Moshe Lion presented a gift and Rav Yosef blessed the President.

They left before the toast and the meal was served.

The meat came from Paraguay and the wine served was a special label “PARAGUAY,” bottled by Psagot Winery.

A hamsa for good luck was presented by Israeli Minister of Culture Miki Zohar.

However, the Friends of Zion Award was the main event of the evening which was co-sponsored by the Zionist Organization Kol Israel.

Knesset Speaker Ohana was all smiles during the singing of Hatikva at the end of the evening. He had gone to Paraguay to open an Israeli consulate and must have been relieved to see the results of his efforts. See who was there in more photos HERE.

So the Paraguay events were fun, but not real streets unless you saw the motorcades go by.

On International Humanitarian Day December 10th, a special session was held at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence, concerning the health and welfare of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza.

Freed hostage Noa Argamani spoke after the health experts presented data.

Several freed hostages attended and comforted each other.

But families, some wearing the faces and names of their loved ones on their shirts, are still waiting after 435 unimaginable days, more photos HERE

But then, new signs are up for fun next week, with the Doll Festival and More at the Train Theater.

The first night of Hanukkah is December 25th and I started planning and baking.

Stores have dreidels and Hanukiot on display – it’s time to prepare for Hanukkah. The holiday where they tried to kill us and failed – so we eat sufganiyot and latkes and spin the dreidel to see our fate.

As President Peña said ending his remarks to the media at the Knesset – “This year in Jerusalem!”

Book a photo walk to see the sights and lights for yourself.

Jerusalem Streets See the Colors of February

Sharon A

Where should I begin to share a week where moods change as quickly as the weather?

It seemed every time I went outside the sun disappeared behind the clouds.

Often it rained, and rained hard.

But at least one evening I was in the right place at the right time to capture the colors in the sky, and with no filters, nature’s beauty appeared before the onset of darkness.

And look at this cactus, a wonder of nature growing so high and with new fruit.

The stalls at First Station were empty in the evening without the regular tourists in Jerusalem, Israel.

The carousel was wrapped in protective plastic and the Ferris wheel was not turning.

One Muslim man took advantage to say his nighttime prayers with no customers around.

I was on my way to the Menachem Begin Center for a program with Elliot Abrams and Dennis Ross.

Barbara Diamond moderated the live discussion as the two US experts discussed growing antisemitism.

A video with Bill Maher concluded the evening. His method of inserting humor while presenting historical facts that counter fictional narratives was greatly appreciated.

One of too many reminders of deadly attacks in Jerusalem is this memorial plaque listing the 11 names of martyrs murdered by a suicide bus bomber on January 29, 2004.

A reminder that 20 years ago, there were also calls for an intifada. Do people have such short memories?

Car-rammings became a new method of terrorism. Bigger, higher, and better bollards are now placed at Jerusalem bus stops to protect people waiting to board a bus.

But the Jerusalem streets, even during this October 7 wartime, are not shut down and dark.

The annual Shaon Horef, Winter Noise Festival is scheduled for the next four Monday nights on various Jerusalem streets.

The runners are out training for the Jerusalem Marathon set for the morning of March 8, 2024.

This week, at the Friends of Zion Museum, the Government Press Office held an evening event. Maayan Hoffman moderated a panel that included international journalists based in Israel.

CBN’s Chris Mitchell listened to Israel spokesperson Eylon Levy, while I was more focused on his socks.

Thousands of journalists came from around the world after the October 7 Massacre. I decided not participate in those early trips to see the death and destruction.

The panel with family members of the hostages was a somber conclusion to the evening. It boggles the mind that so many around the world deny the proof from videos and testimonies of survivors.

Some of the families of hostages have traveled the world to give testimony to get their stories told.

In the same place where the protest tents for the release of Gilad Shalit were, new are ones calling for the return of today’s hostages.

Frustrated after four months of captivity, protesters have taken to the Jerusalem streets calling for release.

The lights on Rivlin Street on the way to the Friends of Zion were twinkling on Thursday night.

I started on a positive note with colors in nature and want to end with one particularly colorful event.

Back on Thursday night, I was again at the FoZ for the opening of the Indigenous Embassy in Jerusalem with the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The program began with a moment to remember those murdered in the horrors of October 7.

Then we heard about the love of Israel coming from around the world, from Hawaii to Tonga.

Traveling thousands of miles to stand with and pray for the people of Israel.

IEJ is to become a hub for indigenous peoples visiting Israel and a tangible expression of their support. IEJ will also support and promulgate the academic work being undertaken to respond to false narratives. 


However, IEJ does not purport to be an official representative of any of the governments that host nations of the respective indigenous peoples. It will engage in educational and cultural initiatives and mutually beneficial collaborative projects. 

The Solomon Brothers added musical highlights to the event. But, when many participants got up to dance to Hava Nagliah, I thought it was my time to go home.

It’s over ten years since Ryan Bellerose shared his enlightening essay on Indigenous peoples. I thought of him throughout the evening even though he was not there in person.

Closing with a video also from 10 years ago, the prayer for Israeli soldiers.

At that time IDF tanks were lined up along the Gaza border.

Then, international opinion forced a ceasefire.

Hoping for the return of all the hostages and less gloomy days ahead on the Jerusalem streets.