Signs of Rosh Hashana in Jerusalem

The days are getting shorter and the nights are cooler.

Summer is coming to an end.

All around there are signs of the new year.

The first day of school is a big deal in Israel, 

 the Prime Minister, the President and

a long list of politicians get involved.

Lining the Jerusalem, Israel, streets,

are new signs announcing the new school year,

New school year starts in Jerusalem

 “There’s nothing like the education in Jerusalem,

good luck to us all in school.”

Jerusalem streets photo, posting announcements

Here is a new, special place to post community announcements.

I can’t wait to see how it will be used. 

sign Jerusalem streets

Not sure why this sign is still up,

as Maccabiah events are long over, so there is no need for parking now.

Jerusalem sacred music festival

The Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival attracted extra attention this year.

It certainly was not a good sign that one performer,

 Selif Keita, had to cancel due to threats.

Israeli apartheid, Palestinian in Al=Quds, image Palestinian Israel

If he had come he would see what is really happening

 on the Jerusalem streets.

Jerusalem music, end of summer concert

There were signs all over for many musical performances,

like this one is for an end of summer concert in Kikar Safra, Safra Square.

IMG_2637b

These fresh limes on the tree almost ready to pick

has to be one of my favorite signs of the Rosh Hashana season.

It is really coming soon this year,

 too soon for some of us,

image for rimonim, pomegrantes

but mountains of rimonim, pomegranates, are a sure sign that of the new year is almost here.

They even appear above the streets on this new sign

poster Shanah tovah, sign new year, image rosh Hashanah

wishing all a Shanah tovah in Jerusalem,

a very good new year to all.

Jerusalem Formula One – Peace Road Show Photos

 Jerusalem came to a stop for two days,

as thousands upon thousands of people came to see,

Jerusalem Formula Peace road show

this Ferrari Formula One race car.

watching Jerusalem Formula Road Show

Some people paid a fee and sat in the stands constructed for

the Jerusalem Formula One Peace Road Show.

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Special video cameras recorded the event,

photo Jerusalem Formula Peace Road Show

which was projected on screens at several locations along the track.

Jerusalem Formula Road show

Several Ferrari GT Challenge 

Jerusalem Formula Road Show

 sports

Jerusalem Formula road show

cars

photo Lotus LMPZ

and a black Lotus LMPZ zoomed around the track.

Each lap took these cars around two minutes,

Jerusalem Road Show Old city

but this was a show, not a race.

race car Jerusalem Formula 1 show

Many residents were furious that so many streets were closed,

man sitting on top of bus stop

but people came early and from all over to find a good spot.

Formula Jerusalem race

Large crowds could be found

crowd watching road race

at every one of the free vantage points,

Jerusalem Formula Road Show

from high on top of walls of The Old City

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to along the street across from the Liberty Bell Park. 

people watching Jerusalem car race

Huge crowds lined the track both days.

Remember that guy on top of the bus stop?

Jerusalem Formula 1 Peace Road Show

The only “action” from the sports cars,

a deliberate smoke producing spin took place in front of us.

Jerusalem road show photo

He had the front row seat and got the shot

and it was so loud, I still do not have normal hearing in one ear.

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The Formula Peace Road show was promoted for the racing cars,

but there were also motorcycles,

Jerusalem Formula one

and by all accounts the show stopping favorite

was the dare-devil stunt routine of Chris Pfeiffer on a BMW 6800R.

photo police horse

And as always, I thought that the police horses were beautiful.

Was this Jerusalem Formula Peace Road Show

worth all the inconvenience?

Getting stuck on the inside of the track,

it took me over an hour to walk what is normally a ten minute distance.

One girl I saw was literally in tears trying to get to her destination.

Arab family Jerusalem photo

Some loved it, some thought it was a total waste of time.

Jerusalem security photo, JStreet

I do know, it was a very diverse crowd and there was no violence.

Formula Ferrari drivers

And Italian race car drivers,

Ragazzi Riccardo (left)  who drove a Ferrari GT Challenge 430

and Daniel Mancinelle who drove a Ferrari GT Challenge 458

were very excited and happy to be in Jerusalem for the first time.

And I know a lot more about race cars.

 Who would have thought that would happen in Jerusalem, Israel !

More photos on The Real Jerusalem Streets Facebook page, HERE.

And Ferrari video from on the car, and more see HERE.

Muslim Rage and Yom Kippur in Jerusalem

Tens of thousands of Muslims have been killed in Syria, 

and thousands more rioted around the world “about a movie.”

I wasted 13 minutes of my life watching this awful thing,

please save your time, I am being very generous to call it a movie.

A judge in Jerusalem, Israel ruled that Google does not have to take it down.

Too bad that over 11,000,000 people have viewed this poorly acted,

badly dubbed, lowest-budget piece of vulgar junk.

It is sad to think about how many better ways to use all that time.

If so many people did not die and so much damage wasn’t caused,

it might be considered funny.

In Jerusalem, Israel it is a time of feasting, fasting and food shopping,

so what about Muslim rage?

Supermarkets are usually crowded, crazy places at this time of year.

I hate going shopping, but big meals have to be prepared for the holidays.

While I was trying to decide on what kind of canned olives to buy,

niqab

two Muslim women dressed in hijab and one with niqab

covering her face were in the same aisle.

Arab women regularly shop in stores in many areas of the city,

 no surprise about that.

niqab

However, the young woman in niqab was also wearing long black gloves.

Often Muslim women cover their arms and wrists, but fingers too?

This was the first time I had seen such a thing, not only did it get 

  my attention, but also that of an Arab man working in the store.

Stores have lots of security checks for bags and people,

but what was happening on the streets?

Arab women

In Mamilla Mall, Muslim couples were strolling about as usual.

Arab girls

These Arab girls had a big crisis: deciding where to eat lunch,

arab girls

but these Muslim women picked a different restaurant.

Going to the Old City, near the entrance for The Kotel, the Western Wall,

Arab women

this was the scene, an Arab woman and boys walking freely.

Meanwhile, in Syria near Damascus, 400 Palestinians

 have been murdered in the Yarmouk refugee camp by Syrians,

  with another 18 killed yesterday, including 4 women & 3 children.

Arab women

And in Mamilla Mall, more Arab visitors arrived and went on their way.

The most shocking thing that I saw was in the Jewish Quarter,

old city jerusalem

 it seems barbed wire is being put up in some Jewish areas of The Old City.

On the way home I passed by Gan Ha’atzmaut, Independence Park,

Muslim prayer

where two Muslim men were bowing on their prayer rug.

I did spot an Israeli soldier standing with an Arab man at a traffic light.

Israel soldier and Palestinian

  Holding his lunch, not a rock or Molotov cocktail,

 my taking a photo seemed to be the only thing annoying him.

Yom Kippur, the Jewish holy fast day will be in a few days.

39 years ago on Yom Kippur most Israelis were fasting and praying, 

when the surrounding Arab countries attacked.

This year there is a new threat of a nuclear Iran

and growing Islamic extremism.

 Muslim calls have been to prayer and not rage in Jerusalem until now.

 We hope and pray that rational minds will prevail, in 5773 and in the future.

bus sign Yom Kippur

Bus signs have changed from a happy new year greeting to Yom Kippur one. 

May we all be sealed for a good year.