Israel National Library

November ending in Jerusalem with ups and downs

Sharon A

It was another busy week of ups and downs on the Jerusalem streets.

A favorite Jerusalem, Israel, the site is the Tower of David. The changes over the years have been fascinating to watch and admire.

I am not the only fan. One family went to the trouble to build temporary protection for a wedding ceremony. It was up during the day and then down after a night.

However, years of preparation have gone into making the fortress accessible. I remember how hard those old steps were to climb and go down. The new walkways are so much easier.

Eilat Lieber explained the upcoming International Day of People with Disabilities on Tuesday, Dec. 3rd. An online conference will be hosted by the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum with free registration.

The conference aims to share knowledge gained from archeology and innovation in Jerusalem with the world. This initiative is intended to enhance mobility and also enable accessibility for those with vision and hearing impairment.

A sign is up for the Mamilla Pool Project. How many knew it was there was such a thing?

First Station is struggling with few tourists but is ready for winter by putting up weather enclosures for people to sit and eat protected from the cold.

The Menachem Begin Heritage Center auditorium was filled for Douglas Murray. He received a standing ovation, and as he entered people stood up and applauded before he uttered a word.

During a conversation with Dr. Gerald Steinberg and Olga Deutsch, his wit and timing were impressive.

The old home of the Hebrew University Library at 44 Jabotinsky Street is in a sad state.

However, the new National Library of Israel has become a popular research and busy tourist site.

The main area has its research spaces filled daily by students and scholars of all types.

The landscaped outside space, with its autumn colors, is also worth seeing.

Inside the chairs, await the hostages, with their favorite books – still after too long.

The signs are up for the opening of the new temporary exhibition on Kafka.

More on that next time. I went on the preview tour and will share.

But this is getting too long and I want to end with one more event.

A special Thanksgiving dinner was held for Lone Soldiers and Bnot Sherut at the Nefesh B’Nefesh Jerusalem Campus on Thursday night.

Hundreds of young men and women from around the world (for a good meal you did not need to be from a place that celebrates Thanksgiving) gathered to eat, meet, and enjoy themselves.

On the way home we passed two women standing on a street corner, in the dark and cold.

Their sign is “Together we will be victorious!”

That sums up a week of ups and downs and in between on the Jerusalem streets.

Jerusalem in June: Tourists, Books, Sports, and Much More

Sharon A

It’s the middle of June in Jerusalem, Israel.

Too many events and conferences and good things to keep up!

Jerusalem’s Rivlin Street was brightened with new decorations for summer.

The colorful umbrellas were back. But did anyone really expect it to rain?

Near the newly opened Museum of Tolerance, there were tourists from Africa

and another large group from Japan arrived in their buses.

This is the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem illuminated at night – the sign says Treasures of the Ancient Near East – the Lands of the Bible.

People of the Book.

It’s the annual Hebrew Book Week. Shauvah HaSefer was held in Liberty Bell Park and is now going strong in First Station.

The National Library published data from 2022, three of the items were:

  • 6,971 books were published in Israel in 2022
  • A record number of 2,004 prose and poetry books were published
  • Women writers comprised 60% of all authors

June is the season for universities to give out degrees and for their Boards of Governors to meet. At Hebrew University the closing event was the groundbreaking after the long-planned Einstein House.

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 In 1923, Albert Einstein attended the inaugural ceremony of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and was one of the original founders. He donated his archival materials to the Israeli university upon his death in 1955, and an estimated 80,000 documents have been stored in a Jerusalem warehouse.

Prof. Hanoch Gutfreund, President from 1992-1997, attended with his wife.

For the groundbreaking ceremony, President and Mrs. Herzog arrived and greeted donor Jose Mugrabi.

The space near the entrance to the Givat Ram Campus was prepared.

The ceremonial hard hats were in place on the heads of the honored donors, and the architect Daniel Libeskind who stood between HU’s present and immediate past presidents.

And shovels of dirt were dumped.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion spoke at the ceremony.

The ground was broken for the cornerstone. Now how long until it opens?

Near the entrance, outside the university gate

and inside, a few students grabbed photos.

A favorite photo from the night, when at first I didn’t recognize Ido Aharoni.

The man who talked about Israel, Einstein, and branding, in 2007, at the GA in Jerusalem, where the woman next to me said “hasbara – hizballah sounds the same” and was an influence to begin doing The Real Jerusalem Streets.

Presidents and Mugrabi speeches, gala dinner – then there was Einstein.

A shortened version of the brilliant Einstein performance needed a video.

While Einstein House is to go up on the Givat Ram Campus, the National Library is set to leave. On Wednesday there is a day planned for farewells.

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The new Israel National Library has been under construction for years.

Roof of National Library under constructioini

I have been fascinated by the roof construction, with so many layers.

At least I found out what those strange-looking things on the new campus are, the changing positions of the sun form the shapes of Hebrew letters.

Jerusalem church property where HU library was located

How many remember the Hebrew University Library at 44 Jabotinsky Street? The day workers took down the sign and smashed it was the day I started carrying a camera in my pocket, and not in my backpack.

It was a week of books – with a special book launch at the Kosovo Embassy.

“Flower of Vlora” by Anna Kohen on how her Jewish family was saved from the Nazis by Muslims in Albania. I have heard other fascinating stories of how the Muslims in Albania saved Jewish families.

Beit Avi Chai has a cute sign for Hebrew Book Week and a family festival.

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The Knesset was the scene of activity for international media focus.

However, as always much more was happening off the Jerusalem streets.

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The 12th Temech Conference was held at the Jerusalem International Conference Center. Hundreds of Jewish women, hundreds of Haredi entrepreneurial businesswomen, meet each year to network and expand their financial potential.

In the past, when I was their conference photographer and under contract, I could not share the amazing photos I took each year. Invited as media, I feel it’s a positive event more people should know about.

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Sports? The Weight Lifting finals are next week in Jerusalem.

But the big sports news – signs are posted for the arrival of the Under 20 Soccer Players who came in third place in the world competition.

They will get a lot more media attention than the Jerusalem Youth Orchestra who recently came in first in the European competition.

Another busy week ahead as the school year comes to an end, and many more good things happening in Jerusalem.

Hope to see you here soon on the Jerusalem streets!

Three Best Things That Happened in Jerusalem

Sharon A

After living in Jerusalem for several years, I was upset. The world did not see what was really happening, only sensational media images. So I started posting photos online on The Real Jerusalem Streets.

I decided to share events from this week you would not have seen as anti-government protesters captured world attention.

It’s a busy time of year, so keeping to the three best events I attended.

The new National Library building was lit up at night as I walked by on my way to the National Library currently on the Hebrew University Givat Ram Campus.

They say the new building is to open in the fall, and I’m looking forward to finally getting to tour inside!

The National Library welcomed NASA Astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman who donated his space diary and memorabilia to the Israeli National Library.

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Jewish Astronaut Jeff Hoffman’s flights on the Space Shuttle included the mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993.

He also took a Space Torah for a mission, explaining how he used velcro to attach the yad, and clamps to hold the parchment down in the shuttle capsule. Velcro was also used to attach a mezuzah to the sleeping cubicle.

Hoffman flew five missions, a patch was designed for each and was included in this donation to the National Library.

Along with new autographed stamp sets, the Israel National Library now reaches the moon and into space.

Amazing how quickly Jerusalem Marathon 2023 is old news. I am pleased when someone comes along and identifies a runner’s photo on Facebook days later. Did you know I updated the post with a video?

Two weeks ago, going past Hansen House, Primavera caught my attention.

Thursday and Friday, the Hansen gates were open for Primavera.

Not a new Jerusalem pasta dish, but a designer festival was being held.

Jewelry, clothes and bags, and a variety of wares were on display,

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to all types of clothing including this knit top

and diverse as Roota sprouts.

Ok, I stopped and laughed there, as I remembered the sprouted potato I found while cleaning under the dishwasher for Passover. New art form?

There were 36 more displays, MORE PHOTOS were posted on Facebook.

And for the third and biggest event, which ended Diaspora Week.

For the eighth time, from March 19 – 23, 2023, the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism held Diaspora Week events.

During the course of the week, Diaspora Week events and activities were held throughout Israel, in the education system, on campuses, in cultural institutions, in the IDF, and at this gala in the Jerusalem Theater.

The Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli introduced the program theme of unity and “loving one another.”

Israeli performers took to the stage, in a well-executed program.

Along with the IDF band, the performers were applauded by an enthusiastic audience for the #FOREVER_AM 2023 program.

There was an excellent video screen running in the background,

to the audience filled with representatives of youth groups and MASA.

After the show, which was broadcast live, ended, Chickli stayed around to the very end. As I commented to some passersby, he reminded me of the last one out of shul after sponsoring an elaborate kiddush.

Photos did not do justice to the night, so I made a short video with clips of the music, and there are more photos on Facebook.

Now on to the holiday season!

Whether you call Pesach the Holiday of Freedom

or the Holiday of Spring, new signs are up along the Jerusalem streets.

Easter and Ramadan coincide with Passover this year.

The important thing is it should be a Happy Holiday for all.

Hope to see you on the Jerusalem streets soon!