Summer is Over?

Most of the American visitors have returned to the cold, wet Northeast.

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The winter legislative session in the Knesset began last week, university students finally have returned to class, and we have a heat wave!

With no beach nearby, what do people in Jerusalem do to cool off if they cannot get out of town?

1. Since many of these old buildings have no air conditioning, people open their windows, put on a fan and try not to move.

2. If they are lucky enough to have a porch,

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no matter how small, Jerusalemites  sit on porches,  talking, eating, maybe reading.

3.  Or they go outside, try to find some shade and hope for a breeze.

One of the most popular of Jerusalem’s few open green spaces is Gan Sacher…

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pronounced “soccer” and sometimes people even do play the sport, but as with many places in Jerusalem, it is named for the family who donated the money to develop it.

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Gan Sacher is often crowded,IMG_0250

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but not always.

 Jerusalem’s parks are free and open to the public.  Family outings and “mangals”,  BBQ in the United  States,  “barbie” in  Australia, can be elaborate or extremely simple.

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Soon all the smoke will fade to a memory,  the weather will turn…and we will begin to complain how cold it is!

If there is snow this winter…. most of the country will try to get to Gan Sacher before it melts.