Israel

In Jerusalem many ways of giving and giving thanks

Sharon A

As we approach two months into Operation Swords of Iron, Jerusalem is slowly emerging from protected shelters to the streets, as the sirens warning of incoming rockets from Gaza have ceased.

Jerusalem of the City of Lions is roaring back to life.

New posters proclaim the City of Lions offers thanks to those who gave blood and offered assistance.

Schools have reopened with more blue and white and signs for the return of hostages.

Jerusalem also has given shelter to tens of thousands from the south and north who had to leave home.

People in Jerusalem have been giving mountains of clothes to those in need. Some families lost everything when forced to leave burning homes, lucky to escape and save their lives.

Here at one center set up by Chabad of Talbiyah upstairs in the Social Space, gives to those who need for free, more than clothes, most anything they need until they can go home.

From another Chabad house, a truck was waiting for donated food to take to soldiers serving in the Gaza border. The number of initiatives giving food would fill pages, including the Jerusalem Baking Batallion.

Also, the number of pop-up Farmers’ Markets in Jerusalem grows by the week.

Jerusalemites tend to buy more than they need to support the farmers and then have to figure out what to do with it all. We have enough avocado for every meal this week, but it is so good, no complaints.

Standing in lines waiting to pay, giving a little to help the struggling agricultural communities.

Also, too many fresh figs meant guess what cake for dinner?

And then another day and another location and another market near the public shelter.

The Tower of David Museum of Jerusalem is to hold a fair of artists from Jerusalem and from the communities of the conflict line from the north and the south who are hosted in the city.

The fair will be held before Hanukkah, on Friday, December 1st between the hours of 9:30 and 15:00.

Giving thanks, “Thankful & Grateful” was the theme of a special Thanksgiving dinner in Jerusalem.

Thursday night at the StandWithUs Center near the King David Hotel there was a meal hosted for lone soldiers and lone b’nei sherut (volunteers) who came from around the world to volunteer to serve in Israel.

Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the trimmings was served by volunteers from The Michael Levin Base.

The Solomon Brothers were back again playing American oldies to the greatly reduced number of Thanksgiving dinner participants, as so many lone soldiers were on active duty. But a Thanksgiving dinner-in-a-box was prepared for those on the front lines.

Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan Nahoum and Stand With Us director Michael Dickson were smiling at the successful event. With them, was a dentist who came from the US, volunteering and giving dental care to those who need it. One did not have to be from the US to attend of enjoy the food and company.

A highlight of the program was a surprise guest from the US. James David Maslow has millions of followers on social media. However, when the musician/actor posted a pro-Israel comment after October 7 he received an astonishing number of antisemitic replies. With a few days free on his schedule, he took the time to come to Israel to give support.

The young people surrounded Maslow after he spoke. He took time to speak to them and take dozens of selfies. His Instagram posts were of the usual Israeli food and salads. But he also went to the south to report the situation from the standpoint of one who could have been on the stage at Nova where the massacre outside Kibbutz Reim occurred on the morning of October 7.

For dessert, there were donuts instead of pumpkin pie. Herby’s Bakery donated dinner rolls in the past, and this year gave boxes of donuts. Here a father who had arrived in the morning by plane from the US on Operation Hug agreed to pose with his lone soldier sons and a donut.

Hanukah is less than two weeks away with its sweet donuts, and it’s time to give thanks for what we do have, appreciate the miracles, and also, remember the fallen, captive, and injured.

There is a campaign in memory of fallen soldier Roey Weiser to post a photo on social media eating a donut with #donutsforroey. People and organizations have been posting photos on Facebook.

Sorry, I ate one too fast, so I shared the photo of the box before taking one of the plain glazed donuts.

Another sweet memory for educator and fallen soldier Yosef Chaim Hershkowitz, whose mother gave out chocolates after completing the shiva for her son.

Hershkowitz wrote to his students from the front, “There is no left, there is no right, there is no Haredi. There is a Jew!!!

Together we will prevail!”

Good must prevail over evil.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Hope to see you too soon on the Jerusalem streets!

Seen in Jerusalem positive to balance too many lows

Sharon A

This week in Jerusalem, Israel, had too many lows.

However, here are a few positive stories to balance life on the real Jerusalem streets.

An invitation to the Tower of David Museum is one I always try to accept, not just for the photos at sunset.

Going thru the new entrance is still a novelty, an amazing blend of old and new.

I hope to go back soon to explore the new areas that were visible at night.

As I walked up this well-lit staircase I remembered when it was still a dangerous construction site.

A sign of our times, a sign with directions to one of the protected areas.

There was an evening program, an Israeli sing-along with live music with the words on the screen. Israelis sing sad songs on Tisha B’Av. They sing on Yom Kippur Night. They sing as the day shifts from Yom HaZikaron to Yom Haatzamaut. This night the list of songs included Adon Olam.

The appreciative audience included young children and adults of all ages.

There were lights on the flags on the side of the Jerusalem Theater.

Across the street, the lights were on at the new Theatron Hotel. Instead of the expected international tourists, this hotel, like most in Jerusalem, is hosting citizens from north and south who had to evacuate.

Praying for soldiers, hostages, evacuees, and the injured was first on the agenda for an evening program organized by three Jerusalem synagogues.

With children, grandchildren, sons and daughters, and close friends involved in the war in Gaza and along the northern border hostilities – everyone knows someone in harm’s way. Rabbi Dr. Alex Mondrow discussed coping during the crisis and trauma.

Baking. Yes, one extremely active group has been baking for soldiers. The Baking Battalion should have enough stories and videos to fill a book. Part of my contribution last week were vegan oatmeal cookies.

It is hard to ignore the profound sorrow of families of fallen soldiers, especially lone soldier parents. The family of Rose Lubin came from Atlanta, GA to sit shiva, and thousands came and stood quietly in line waiting to offer a few words of comfort.

It is hard to calculate how many hugs from “strangers” Rose’s mother received.

The tragic deaths are growing and getting closer to home. Yosef Chaim Hershkowitz’s parents live nearby in Jerusalem, and the family sat shiva for one day in Jerusalem.

Again, there was a crowd and a line of people waiting to have a few seconds to mumble a few words of comfort and move along. They barely had time to say the traditional greeting:

המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

“May God comfort you among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”

As we left, more and more people were arriving. And sadly, this will not be the last shiva visit this week.

Signs are up. However, the new Jerusalem pool opening is hardly news now.

There were jugglers on the Jerusalem streets on Friday near the Pillbox. Only when I got home did I notice the poster in the photograph and decided not to edit it out.

People are out eating in Jerusalem street cafes again when the weather is warm. Hostage posters ended up in this image too; they are plastered all around and I have yet to see one taken down.

New long Israeli flags are displayed on buildings.

At first, I was impressed by the flag on the Museum for Islamic Art.

But, wow, the ad space on the side of the building is filled with the #BringThemHomeNow poster.

The red strollers with hostage posters are sad to see.

These children have been held hostage in Gaza for over 6 weeks, and now the weather is turning cold.

The way to Gaza is the name of a small Jerusalem side street.

It is off of Gaza Street, across from the current Prime Minister’s home. I decided though the security was low when I passed by, that it was better to refrain from taking photos of the new security being constructed.

But I also decided to save the best for last to end on a positive note!

The gates for the Hansen House were open on Thursday afternoon.

A new exhibit has opened upstairs “A Smart Home in a Dumb Body” by Guy Goldstein.

And downstairs is the Toldot Printing exhibit.

In the always fascinating space on the lower part of Hansen House.

But where were all the people?

Hundreds of people were outside on the Hansen House grounds.

Piles of produce were brought from southern farmers (most of it picked by volunteers since many foreign workers were killed or captured on October 7 or went home) for sale in Jerusalem.

This is one of the locations where people in Jerusalem are trying to help by supporting southern agriculture.

Even the paper cups are going blue and white, “Together we will prevail.”

Hope to see you soon the the Jerusalem streets.

Hatikvah

The contrast of the tragic and good fills Jerusalem’s streets

Sharon A

One day at a time. One step at a time.

The Real Jerusalem Streets was initiated years ago to convey the reality of life in Jerusalem, Israel, with photographs because the negative media was not sharing with the world what was really happening.

Finally, 30 days after the October 7 massacre when Hamas invaded southern Israel from Gaza, it was time to venture out again at night and see what was really happening on the Jerusalem streets

Near Jaffa Gate, at night the Tower of David was lit up and a large Israel flag was unfurled.

The over 200 faces of those kidnapped and held in Gaza were projected on the wall of the Old City.

Over 30 days, no visit by the International Red Cross, and the UN agencies still do not care about Israeli civilians held hostage, a war crime and humanitarian crisis they ignore.

There were not many people out, but the night was quiet, perhaps too quiet.

Jerusalem was slowly coming back to life, good to see a long-time souvenir shop was open.

People were out strolling on Jaffa Road again at night.

New Israel flags were visible, these were electronic and appeared with movement as in a video.

The sounds of music were not heard in the popular Music Square.

However, a new kosher dairy restaurant was preparing to open,

and so good again people were back to eating in outdoor cafes.

Amazing, Mamilla Mall was quiet at night, but still there was a line waiting to enter Cafe Rimon.

A few minutes away another meat restaurant served their customers.

Walking along Jaffa Road near Safra Square more blue and white, and a few girls sitting on a bench.

Bright colorful butterfly lights over Jerusalem streets

in contrast to the sad memorial lights being lit on the Jerusalem streets near Safra Square.

During the day, the Israel Museum was not open for visitors, only for a few scheduled classes.

But across the road, the Bible Lands Museum was open and displayed a big yellow ribbon.

While at Cinema City the lion was tied with a much smaller yellow ribbons.

Israeli blue and white flags lined the perimeter of the new National Library of Israel.

The grand public opening street parties have been put on hold for now.

However, it is open and people have been coming to sit and do work and research.

Israel at 75 now is certainly not how anyone would have imagined it during the Sukkot holiday.

But in Jerusalem, Muslim women still can walk freely on the Jerusalem streets.

Construction on the new government center is proceeding.

After years, the building can be seen at street level with workers doing complicated infrastructure.

Volunteers of all types and efforts have come out to support the soldiers. Here at The Base students are baking brownies for lone soldiers. The list grows of supporters for Hamal HaMatok. The Jerusalem Baking Battalion is part of the effort that sent home-baked challah and cakes to 3,800 soldiers last week.

This Jerusalem bake shop is open again with a “Bring Them Home Now” sign in the window.

The world ignores the plight of those kidnapped on October 7, of many nationalities, held in Gaza.

Meanwhile, life moves on in Jerusalem, however, slower and sadder.

We do not forget those hostages. The light projection on the Jewish Agency Building on King George Street ‘Bring them home’ is highlighted with their faces at night.

The terrible tragedy has brought good in the most unbelievable positive ways, as the names of new fallen soldiers are acknowledged. The Jerusalem streets are full of contrast. Will conclude this week, as in the short video projection –

Am Yisrael Chai.