gilad shalit

Jerusalem Spring

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 Syria is lifting emergency law after 48 years and

the ‘Arab Spring’ is grabbing headlines coming from the Middle East.

News of the murder of an anti-Israel Italian ISM member in Gaza,

came as Jews were busy shopping before the Passover holiday.

Many Arab shoppers were also in the stores buying the potato noodles and matzah.

 Daniel Viflic, the 16-year-old riding on a school bus who was injured by an anti-tank missile from Gaza,

died from those injuries and was buried just before the holiday began.

A tragic beginning…

for the Jerusalem spring.

There were photos of President Peres visiting the Shalit family and reports of new negotiators, but

 Gilad Shalit missed the Passover seder for the fifth year,

the protest tent was dark and empty on Tuesday night.

Nevertheless, Jerusalem spring

 is a time of families get-togethers,

 

and fanning

the flames

of the mangal in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park–

that has evolved into a Passover holiday tradition.

While millions of people take to the roads to travel North,

many others descend on Gan Sacher to picnic,

to play ball,

to relax,

to take a walk,

and enjoy nature.

It is a place

 where even used coals can be shared and the news can be forgotten…at least for a bit.

Happy Passover… it’s time to eat.

Snow, Ice and Ethnic Profiling

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With the massive disaster in Japan, the brutal murder in Itamar,

and the Israeli navy seizing a ship full of weapons on the way to Gaza,

it is possible you did not see anything about the snow and ice in Jerusalem.

It seemed totally absurd,

the trees are blooming and the weather is warm,

but the skies and weather often change in a day or a minute.

Even though the aloe plants are in bloom

and there was a rose in the Old City,

and lemons

and oranges look ready to pick…snow was predicted for Jerusalem.

A major storm did not happen…too bad,

snow pictures of Jerusalem are really popular, but

in Kikar Safra , Safra Square, there was enough snow to shovel,

enough ice to skate

and get the skates out of storage.

The city’s new ice skating rink was quickly gaining in popularity,

attracting

many visitors

 to check it out

and to take pictures.

It has also become the scene of an unusually high level of ethnic profiling.

Observers are picking out the Canadians in the center of the rink,

who look comfortable on the ice,

as opposed to the beginners holding on to the sides.

The days leading up to Purim holiday are meant to be festive,

children can be seen in the street wearing crowns, costumes and face paint.

Mourning for the murdered Fogel family goes on,

as does the holiday preparations,

and five minutes of silence for five years of captivity of Gilad Shalit.

Quite a week in Jerusalem.

Updated Rosh Chodesh Adar 5773, 2013

Jerusalem: Signs of Progress

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Progress…The Jerusalem light rail system now has power for the entire length of its track.

It’s much easier to cross the intersection of Jaffa and Strauss Streets in the center of town.

A short walk from that intersection is the Bikur Cholim Hospital,

which has provided medical care in Jerusalem for over 140 years.

The privately owned buildings are threatened with closure.

There is a serious shortage of hospital beds and neonatal units in Jerusalem, 6000 babies are born here every year; where will the mothers go?

 Bikur Cholim Hospital was critical in saving many lives when suicide bombers targeted the city center, now 30 million shekel is needed to keep the hospital running.

Signs to rally residents’ support are plastered along the street.

Doctors and staff who are faced with losing their jobs and pensions have recently organized protests.

Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi, who trained as a obstetrician, did part of his residency at Bikur Cholim, publicly supports keeping it open, as do many residents and patients.

There will be a four-hour strike,  and non-essential  personnel will be on the streets in a protest.

All around hospital buildings there is new construction.     Signs of  progress?

The old stone buildings next door have been razed and

the area between the hospital and

and  Ticho House on Rav Kook Street is being excavated for development.

Last week, if one took a short walk along Jaffa Street to the walls of the Old City,

Jaffa Gate Square was once again the place where the city is distributing free Christmas trees.

 Last year these bins were quickly emptied.

Again this year Santa was available to pose with a tree for photographers.

 

The free trees provided by the Municipality and the Jewish National Fund were given to those who showed proper identification.

Organized distribution…a sign of progress!

While we think of those in the northeastern United States dealing with too much snow.

 No snow or much-needed rain here, just sunshine and warm temperatures perfect for jogging,

walking or sitting in the park,

and for thousands of holiday visitors. As 2010, comes to an end, there are no visible signs of progress on the release of Gilad Shalit,

 each morning the numbers on the sign change as the days of captivity increase.