Israel Museum – Page 15 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Jerusalem Summer Nights to September Days

September 3, 2014rjstreets

Ah, in Jerusalem, Israel,

summer nights are usually cool and clear.

Not many were out riding on the newly-constructed bike paths,

but the music at First Station had crowds on their feet dancing.

image sing in Hebrew

There was a big welcome sign at the only entrance to the Jerusalem Beer Festival.

בירה the Hebrew word for “beer”‘ and “capital” is the same.

The annual event drew a protest from the Arab media this year.

Located in Gan Ha’atazmaut, Independence Park, is it possible

that little white circle in the bottom left,

could really be a danger?

These “Make an agreement with Abbas, not with Hamas'” signs

were in many more locations and more on people’s minds.

Days this past week were hot enough to make the cats lazy,

but the summer signs

were being replaced with lots of new ones

promoting education in Jerusalem,

as school children returned to their classrooms.

Adults took advantage of end of summer

at The Israel Museum.

In the Garden,

next to the Big Bambu, all lit up at night,

was the hugely popular Wine Festival,

where twenty wineries shared samples.

Not all of the samples were wine,

and not all were popular,

as tables were filled with these discarded orange shpritzes.

Usually the children’s wing and playground are busy places,

but not on the four nights of this festival.

Not to worry,

on the way home I saw that signs were already up for a new event

at the Jerusalem Theater, “24 hours of PIANOS,”

plus there is another free concert in Kikar Safra on 11th,

just part of what is happening

on the Jerusalem, Israel, streets this week.

Jerusalem Getting Back to Normal

August 13, 2014rjstreets

This summer was not normal.

Rockets were falling and tourism was way down

But those tourists who did come had a great time.

The Tourism Ministry recorded 218,000 visitor entries in Israel in July 2014.

Groups from southern Israel were brought to Jerusalem for fun days.

President Reuven Rivlin and his wife hosted more children this week.

Slowly we are returning to “normal.”

The last two weeks in August there is no regular child day care,

which makes some workplaces look like day care centers.

Grandparents, cousins,

or any family member or friend can be called to help out.

A popular summer activity was the view from Big Bambu at the Israel Museum.

Some ‘seniors’ finding out they had to go up with their young children,

were not so thrilled about having to make the climb.

The new play area at the Israel Museum was much easier to experience.

The Bloomfield Science Museum, an old favorite, is always great for a day outing.

The water activities on a hot day are always a winner.

The new sand area is usually a busy place,

but not this early morning in July,

though learning activities led by staff were well under way.

I wonder how many of the children ever saw a meat grinder like this,

or would have any idea what it is?

It was seen on my way to a new building for a special exhibition:

The Machine Within: Bio-mechanics,

the machine inside is built to survive.

Using small screens

and large ones,

and animals to attract attention and teach.

This shows the outside of a pouncing animal,

but walk around it,

and the exhibit shows how it works inside.

One of my favorite scenes was this boy,

who figured out how to interact

with all the right moves.

During the month of July with all the troubles and tensions you heard about,

at places like the Science Museum, where this Muslim girl is on staff,

and in the Israel Museum where Muslim men worked and rested on Ramadan,

life went on as “normal.”

That was the real Jerusalem, Israel streets.

Will the cease fire and quiet hold?

We will all have to see what happens next.

Israel’s President Shimon Peres

June 10, 2014rjstreets

The day was sunny, clear and warm in Jerusalem, Israel.

The flowers offered a colorful ‘Welcome to the Knesset.”

The streets outside were unusually quiet.

But inside was a different story.

With Israeli flags flying, there were three puffs of white clouds

over the Israeli Knesset building and

Reuven Rivlin was elected Israel’s 10th president.

RJS was with outgoing President Shimon Peres

before his trip to Rome to see the Pope.

Peres hosted basketball player Pau Gasol at Beit Hanasi,

the official Israeli President’s residence.

The seven-foot tall Gasol plays for the LA Lakers,

but also was on the Spanish Olympic team

and presented Peres with this team shirt.

Gasol signed the shirt as requested.

Though looking serious in this photo,

Shimon Peres made a few age and height jokes.

Then posed for an official photo

with a mixed Arab-Jewish teen basketball team.

One thing for sure,

Peres’ staff had schedules which ran like clockwork.

Diplomats were leaving as the basketball players arrived,

and when we left another event was being set up.

RJS first close-up photo of Shimon Peres was on October 2009,

greeting the public at a Sukkah open house.

Peres was in great form at the Israel Museum 50th celebration.

Receiving a photo of himself from the groundbreaking

50 years early had to be special moment.

At a conference in Jerusalem after leaving office,

Peres was talking about the human brain and its function,

and used the word “orgasm” instead of “organism.”

Any other politician would have made headlines,

only Peres could get away with such a slip-up.

Shimon Peres is in the garden of Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli presidential official residence,

the last in row of nine former Presidents of Israel.

No age jokes now.

Updated: September 27, 2016

after family called to hospital.