Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem, Israel.
Grey, wet and cold today, so posting an old photo on a much more pleasant day.
שבת שלום
Israel
Jerusalem Continues in Critical Coronavirus Crisis
What a week it was in Jerusalem, Israel!
Only a week ago it was Purim, however, it feels like ages ago.
In the past week, couples have gotten married on rooftops and had their wedding photos taken in supermarkets.
The courtyard outside Mercaz Harav Yeshiva was scene of a wedding ceremony with two young men on each balcony watching, singing, and dancing, to keep within the limits of “social distancing.”
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion offered his office as a location for weddings as wedding halls were closed. Two couples took advantage last night, and received free canapes as a bonus.
With the canceling of educational programs, thousands of overseas students are being evicted from their dorm rooms and searching for the fastest flight home.
Meanwhile, olim, new Israeli residents are still arriving daily. They are going from the airport into 14 days of self-isolation, as are all overseas arrivals.
One of the most popular images this week was sent out by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, of morning prayers at the Kotel, where social distancing was enforced. Later that day scaled-down Bar Mitzvah celebrations were held.
Babies are being born. People are dying. Life is proceeding at a much slower pace in Jerusalem and around the world.
Cable TV offered suggestions on what to watch and what NOT to watch during COVID-19.
After days of cold rain and fog, on Monday the sun came out in Jerusalem, Israel.
After days indoors, I thought I would take a short walk in the sunshine.
In Israel Sunday is a regular workday, and for a change it felt like a Sunday elsewhere.
My usual empty nature paths were not empty, so I took a different path.
The Jerusalem Marathon was postponed until November, but my friends I see every year were out running.
Keep Jerusalem clean signs have taken the place of upcoming events announcements, all canceled or postponed.
But on Monday, families enjoyed nature walks,
and cyclists had clear footpaths to ride on.
Schools were closed. “I’m studying” advertises for an alcohol-free drink – at home.
Whoever thought Monday-felt-like-Sunday days would continue was disappointed with the latest announcement from the Prime Minister.
“I ask you not to leave your homes and stay inside as much as possible. At the moment, I say this as a recommendation. It is still not a directive but that can change. What I am asking you today is to reduce your going out to what is essential. I assume that you are familiar with the English saying ‘My home is my castle.’ I ask that you adopt exactly this. Your homes are your castles for protection against the Coronavirus, on condition that you also act responsibly at home. Then stay home.”
On Monday, this woman was wearing gloves while reading the paper outdoors.
Jerusalem Old City walls were lit with a message for Italians.
I think most people overlooked Pi Day this year, celebrated on March 14th, also Albert Einstein’s birth date in 1879. I did not go to Albert Einstein Square this year but posted an old photograph.
There is a new restaurant near the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.
Next to it is a plant nursery, so glad we went before all the restaurants were forced to close this week and only offer takeout or delivery.
Big signs have been posted, but theaters are closed, so the annual Art and Brain Week March 21-28 at Cinematheque with Hebrew University Brain Studies will not be presented as usual.
The French Film Festival was also at the Cinematheque.
Yad Vashem and Jerusalem’s museums are closed.
Memorial ceremonies in April, at the Kotel and Har Herzl, will not proceed with the large audiences. We saw the event set-up already under construction. Last week we wondered how families would get to graves as usual on Yom HaZikaron, Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror, as the cemetery was undergoing a major renovation. Now this annual huge gathering was announced not to happen.
The hills and valleys of Jerusalem were alive with the sounds of children’s voices.
Now the stormy weather and increased measures will keep children inside.
Plus increased warnings will keep children also away from older relatives.
Israelis who were at the AIPAC conference in the US came home to isolation.
But Israelis show remarkable resilience – one example: HERE
And, I want to leave you with a positive image.
As every year, the flowers have burst forth through the ancient Jerusalem stones.
Construction work has not halted.
Work is set to continue under new regulations.
Much more will be happening on the Jerusalem streets.
International Women’s Day in Jerusalem
Oh, how some things have changed over the years.
When did you first hear of International Women’s Day?
Back in 2011, International Women’s Day coincided with Israel Apartheid Week.
Israeli Apartheid? was the blog posted in honor of women in Jerusalem.
In spite of coronavirus – COVID-19, this year I have been to multiple events featuring Israeli women doing amazing things.
Signs for International Women’s Day (IWD) appeared. In Jerusalem, not only March 8, 2020, is to be celebrated, but events are planned for the entire month of March.
The Jerusalem Marathon 2020 finish line was up near Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.
The construction in the park was nearing completion.
However, the March 20 marathon races have been postponed until October.
IWD events did not involve a large number of international participants and were held, though perhaps with fewer attendees than would have been expected.
United Hatzalah of Israel inaugurated Israel’s first pink ambulance with a specific mission to treat women.
The ambulance will be operated by a crew of female volunteer EMTs and paramedics. It will respond to any type of medical emergency but will prioritize responding to incidents in which there are female patients.
Female volunteers of United Hatzalah posed recently for a photograph.
At the Herzl Conference held at Har Herzl, I had a chance to speak with the United Hatzalah volunteers on duty watching for any sign of trouble.
Educator and Author Dr. Aliza Lavie, who served in the Knesset from 2013-2019, now heads the Herzl Center.
At the Herzl Conference on Zionism, President Reuven Rivlin participated, as did former US Senator Joe Liberman. A Theodor Herzl impersonator was on hand for photographs.
At Har Herzl on Wednesday night at sunset, we heard stories of women who fell in the establishment in the modern state of Israel as we toured the cemetery.
However, the main event was inside the education center to hear from seven women about their strong Zionistic visions and accomplishments, each with a unique story, Women. Leadership. Zionism.
Standing (r to l) Dr. Lavie, Shoshana Keats-Jaskoll, Olga Israel, Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoun; Seated Bat-El Papura, Emily Winkler, and Naava Shafner.
Each of the speakers could be more than one story, but there were other IWD events.
At the Jerusalem Cinematheque posters of women lined the walls.
March 3-5, in honor of IWD, lawyer, producer Paula Kweskin Weiss hosted a film festival at the Cinematheque featuring women. Founding The 49% media production company with the intent to feature women, this festival’s theme – women’s storytelling as an act of courage.
The last night of The 49% Film Festival Kiverstein Institute sponsored a documentary film on Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom. After the film, the director, as well as Fleur Hassan-Nahoun, participated in a panel discussion of women in politics led by Peta Pellach.
Women were trained to work in agriculture, as seen in a screenshot from a 1934 archival film.
Today in Jerusalem women are involved in startups and hitech. At the old Beit Alliance Building, with a new sign announcing future housing towers, there was another IWD event on Sunday morning.
International Women’s Day: Fundraising as a female founder was the topic of the MassChallenge Israel sponsored program. Miriam Schwab (on the left) shared her experiences of the founding of her WordPress startup Strattic to a mostly female audience. Yonit Golub Serkin, Managing Director of MassChallenge Israel, moderated.
In the startup world, organizations like MassChallenge provide mentors at its incubator, as well as necessary advice and support to both men and women.
Research shows women in the early days of the establishment of Israel had more equality in numbers. Eleven women served in the First and Second Knesset, and in the 1950s, that was considered advanced.
On the local level, women are involved in politics, and ten percent of municipalities are led by women. On a national level, the numbers of women in Knesset are down. One thing women are lacking is political mentors. It is much more difficult for Arab and Haredi women to get involved in politics, and the new Women’s Party started too late for Knesset 23.
Not wanting to leave you with a political story, I took a walk around to see what was happening on the Jerusalem streets with COVID-19 filling the news feed.
People were out, young and old, shopping and eating, and preparing for Purim.
And after all the winter rain, below the Israel Museum, the vegetation in the Valley of the Cross was picture perfect.