Israel

Check out the Jerusalem End of Summer Festivals

Sharon A

Do you know where your children are?

 It was a question used as a public service announcement on American television from the late 1960s through the late 1980s.

This time of year, late August in Jerusalem, the catchphrase comes to mind often.

We live in a unique and complicated neighborhood. The past three weeks have been under increased threat from Iran and Hezbollah. School holidays and families try to get away for a vacation or at least a rest.

I know that the family members at summer camps in the US got safely to Europe.

I don’t know the future, but can share what happened this past week in Jerusalem.

Yemin Moshe’s neighborhood and streets are photo-worthy day or night.

The views from Yemin Moshe over the Sultan’s Pool to Jaffa Gate and the Old City never get old.

The lanes of the Artists’ Colony are lit at night at the end of August.

The Hutzot Hayotzer, Arts and Crafts Festival was back in Mitchell Park. Not the international event of the past but welcomed artisans from the North and South to the annual Jerusalem event.

Food. All varieties of Kosher food stalls have taken over the space where the international booths had been in previous years with the Old City walls in view across the street.

Another main attraction is the lineup of Israeli performers, each night thousands fill the stands of the Sultan Pool for concerts, with Ishay Ribo on, August 26, 2024.

New this year a booth in the artisan area of the park with yellow ribbons and hostage posters.

The First Station was also filled with people, food, and music each night.

Families with babies in strollers in the cooler night temperatures got together.

People sat in the main areas to chat, eat, and drink at the Jerusalem Cocktail Festival.

As the musicians tuned up I was leaving, but one young girl was ready for the show.

The end of August is Jerusalem Festival time, and new announcement signs were posted.

Planning for the future, the Jerusalem Design Week is to be September 19 – 26 at Hanson House.

Not a festival, but important lecture, Natasha Hausdorff was at the Begin Center to speak on “Defending Israel from ‘Lawfare.'” If you haven’t heard her clear, concise, and intelligent remarks – look up and listen.

Another end-of-August annual favorite is behind the King David Hotel in the Bloomfield Garden.

The Shakespeare adaptations take place with the audience seated or standing in the park area.

The cast and audience move during the performances of “As You Like It” by the Theater in the Rough.

The exuberant performers selected a comedy this year, I admit, complicated to follow, but fun to watch.

Most of the original audience moved along and was present for the finale as it got dark.

More culture? The Metulla Poets Festival, “From the Place Where We Are Right” will be in three Jerusalem locations including the Kahn Theater from August 28-30, 2024.

Metulla has been under Hezbollah rocket fire for over ten months.

Special buses are being arranged for evacuees to attend. Hoping this will not become an annual Jerusalem event and they may all be home safely next year.

As August ends the bird migration begins. The water no longer follows on the top of the Lion’s Fountain.

But children are back in the park in the water cooling off from the August sun.

In Teddy Park, the fountain was quiet, with water on only at 11 am, 1, 3, 5, 8, and 9 pm.

As seen from Yemin Moshe, the new bridge over the Hinom Valley was popular with families.

The end-of-summer events are at the Jerusalem Theater, Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, Train Theater, Tower of David Museum, and more locations.

The sign went up for the Shalom Kitah Aleph Festival of Letters for children at Beit Avi Chai.

The Jerusalem streets are preparing for the new school year and Shana Tova, a good year.

From a Yemin Moshe photo walk, a goodbye – to August and summer.

But it is cooler and the perfect time to see some of the old and new on the Jerusalem streets.

Still, a few slots left for a Jerusalem Photo Walk.

In Jerusalem from Tisha B’Av to Tu B’Av Emotional Rollercoaster More This Year

In Jerusalem from Tisha B’Av to Tu B’Av Emotional Rollercoaster More This Year

Sharon A

Every year the days leading up to Tisha B’Av are an emotional time.

This year more so on the Jerusalem streets after October 7, the past week was one of highs and lows.

Har Herzl Military Cemetery was where I began the week on Sunday evening with a memorial service.

It is 18 years since Michael Levin z”l fell during the Second Lebanon War. But he has not been forgotten.

At the annual service, were prayers and words of remembrance from friends and new young soldiers serving in Gaza. During the war in 2006, on Tu B’Av, we made aliyah. Lebanon is once again a threat with constant rockets raining on the north of Israel. Israel has been at war for the past 10 months.

However, walking home from Har Herzl I passed the construction site of the new light rail station.

Amazingly, Israel has been under constant threat, yet over the years, construction continues, buildings have gone up higher and higher, and so have the purchase prices.

Tisha B’Av began on Monday night with nightfall and the recitation of Aicha (translated as Lamentations).

Of thousands of mournful readings, one new location was held in Jerusalem, Israel, near Balfour Street. With the hostage families, on both sides of the street, people sat on the ground on the stones and plastic chairs, hundreds came to support the families and pray for their safe return, as they recounted past tragedy and destruction in Jerusalem of old.

The walk around the Walls on Tisha B’Av night was held, led by a new organization with new faces.

As the walk was leaving Gan Haatzmaut, Independence Park, I seemed to be the only one who noticed a Muslim family walking by, as security blocked the street to vehicles.

We went past New Gate and arrived at Damascus Gate where the scene was unusually quiet.

Strange no Arab media and no trouble. Could there be a connection? I have done the walk for over 12 years – and nothing exciting or newsworthy has happened.

Zedekiah’s Cave or King Solomon’s Quarries has a new light show that opened. But it was already fully booked through August last week. With travel limited this year, many Israelis have plans to come to Jerusalem for the end of August holiday time.

At Herod’s Gate, you can see the security watching as Israeli flags of those walking pass by.

While in most of Jerusalem, food places were closed on Tisha B’Av night, this kiosk across from Damascus Gate was open. A big difference is how much cleaner this area is than when I first saw it years ago.

Then the view as you walk around and see the lights and Mount of Olives far ahead on the left side.

Finally! I could not see Shar Rachamim, Golden Gate, or Gate of Mercy on the eastern side in the past years, The overgrown trees had blocked the view from the street below.

This gate was sealed by Muslims in 810 and reopened in 1102 by the Crusaders. It was walled up by Saladin after regaining Jerusalem in 1187, then sealed in 1541.

In Jewish tradition, Moshiah will enter Jerusalem through this gate, by way of the Mount of Olives. The Ottomans also built a cemetery in front of the gate. Much more to that story…but I kept going after leaving the group at Lion’s Gate.

The views of the valley below the Mount of Olives are another favorite and another reason I do this walk.

The lights added over the years have improved the image of thousands of years of history.

Then arriving at the Kotel, the Western Wall, the crowd, was almost as large as usual. Thousands came at night to sit on the stones, pray, and some to sing slow sad songs. Women, men and children.

As I left around midnight, these people were waiting for security checks to enter the plaza.

The crowd was almost as large as in past years. Even larger was the crowd as Tisha B’Av ended, threats from Iran, and people arrived by the tens of thousands in Jerusalem for Tisha B’Av.

This year new to the sad stories of past years, “For these things Do I Weep” in the ancient Roman Cardo.

The Golden Menorah of the Temple in the Rova, Jewish Quarter in front of the Hurva Synagogue was lit.

All the stores in Mamilla Mall were closed, but hundreds of people came and went most of the night.

Israeli flags and fasting, the lows of Tisha B’Av were seen on the Jerusalem streets.

However, as the day ended, life again moved on…

the end of August, and school-age children need activities.

Summer Nights at the Tower of David is a new evening program for families, aimed at young children.

The usual fairs, exhibitions, and concerts are happening, like the Puppet Festival at the Train Theater.

Parents try to work and find ways to keep their children busy and safe.

Infinity, which I mentioned last week, opened near the Pais Arena in a large tent in the parking lot.

It is hard to describe the various rooms with light, music, and interactions in a few photos or words.

From the main hall, there are seven areas for people to enter with hands-on wall interactions.

In this 12-minute show, the surroundings change with the season and various-sized balls are to sit or jump on. One man I saw stacked the balls in a corner. More on this another time.

Tonight begins Tu B’Av and is a time for celebrations.

Many weddings are planned, and at each, a glass is broken to remember Jerusalem.

A rollercoaster of emotions week even in the best of times, but this year steeper twists and turns.

After a wild ride this week, ending with Jerusalem of Gold – the sweet music from the Rosmarin Trio.

August Highlights from the Jerusalem Streets

Sharon A

On the Jerusalem streets, life goes on.

Despite being under constant rocket fire from Lebanon and the psychological threat from Iran, things have been happening on the Jerusalem streets.

Surprisingly even at late night, the Kotel, Western Wall, plaza was full of people.

So many people, that I didn’t realize until the next day that I had family in the crowd.

Venturing outside from home, things were happening, a few highlights.

Literally, around Jerusalem, one must move mountains to build new roads.

Now that the new tunnels are finally open to Gush Etzion, Route #60 is being expanded to accommodate the traffic flow. Such a short distance to drive can take a long time, especially in rush hours.

The campus of Har Etzion Yeshiva was where I was headed to start the week.

The annual Yom Iyun Bible study sessions were held as usual during the week before Tisha B’Av. In the past, I tried to run around to capture many of the important rabbis and lecturers. However, this time I stayed in the auditorium for the day in Herzog Global dedicated to international educators.

The panel discussion after lunch was “Beyond the Text: Can We Effect Change Inside the Classroom.”

“Effect” and “affect” were the topics of the day, with examples of educational styles shown.

The last session late afternoon was with Dr. Tovah Lichtenstein and her daughter Rabbanit Esti Rosenberg. Their discussion on Biblical figures was engaging enough to fill the auditorium, even at the late hour after a long day. The Herzog Global sessions are available in English online. More photos HERE

The Yeshiva has lost many valued students to terror and war, and the fallen are remembered.

The Knesset plenum is in recess until after the fall holidays, but the building is far from empty. Twice recently I have seen young families arriving at the same time I am headed to a session.

The Knesset attendance board was lit with who was in the building Wednesday morning.

The session I went for was on “settler violence” and the US sanctions issued on February 1, 2024. US President Biden’s Executive Order 14115, has been copied by other countries.

The room was filled when the session started with people outside clamoring to get in. MK Simcha Rothman chaired the Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee session which went on for 4 1/2 hours.

The conclusions of Michael Wolfowicz, a criminologist from the Hebrew University’s School of Law, data-driven testimony was informative. The extensive use of UN-inflated figures and the negative impact were much greater than I had realized.

Lawyers Mark Zell and Avi Bell were there with a copy of the 100-page legal complaint filed in the United States.   Eugene Kontorovich, another of the plaintiffs’ legal advisers, wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed published the same day, stating sanctions like this have never been used to silence policy.

Members of the Knesset attended and spoke raising various points as Tali Gotlib did about Israeli banks.

Not often I get a photo of me taking a photo. She knows how to get attention as she speaks loud and early and leaves. Other MKs came and stayed for hours as the discussions continued.

So what’s happening on the Jerusalem streets you might have missed?

Our local public shelter got a new door.

In Mamilla Mall, stores come and go, as well as the people

Always photo-worthy, the Tower of David walls were lit at night.

People walked through the Arab shuk in the Old City at night.

Not everything is black and white, but Muslim women walk alone in the Old City.

Tisha B’Av begins Monday night, August 8, 2024, with a long list of options for Aicha, the annual reading of Lamentations at night, and many programs on Tuesday during the fast day.

New options for those at home and not in Jerusalem, include a movie produced by AISH.

Several of the people in the film attended the preview on Wednesday night. Living by values, needing a meaningful life, building homes in Israel, taking pain to rebuild, and building stronger and better – are highlighted. “Nothing is stronger than a broken heart.” If you need some inspiration, it is available for free online all Tisha B’Av.

The annual International Puppet Festival is at the Train Theater from August 18 to 22.

A new exhibit is at the Islamic Museum – but even as life moves on, there is a yellow ribbon until the hostages return.

Moving on, the signs are up for the new school year to begin next month.

The sun was setting as I walked to the Old City, the reflections on the stones – Jerusalem of Gold.

Friday was Indigenous Peoples Day.

For millennia Jews have been buried on the Mount of Olives, except from 1948-1967, when Jordan divided and occupied Jerusalem. In 1948, Jewish life in the Old City was destroyed.

Today the Tiferet Israel, the largest and last synagogue to be rebuilt is seen with its dome rising above the Old City. That is one tour I am anxiously waiting to take.

Meanwhile, public tours of the Knesset are available. The Israeli flags are blowing in the evening breeze.

It’s August. It’s hot. But people are out and about on the real Jerusalem streets.

After Tisha B’Av the Jerusalem streets are to fill with people, events, and music again.

The International Jerusalem Klezmer Festival has performances from August 18-23, starting in First Station at 8:30 pm and Cinema City the next night. Friday before Shabbat at the Dan Jerusalem Hotel they have a special show for the people from north and south who have had to leave home due to the constant rocket barrages from Lebanon.

Not enough?

There’s Infinity – next week at the Jerusalem Pais Arena!

Hope to see you all here soon.

Next year in Jerusalem.