Jerusalem Design Week

Did you See What’s Happening in Jerusalem in July?

Sharon A

As July begins, the days in Jerusalem do not feel shorter but are warmer.

The seemingly endless end-of-school-year events, when every grandparent, cousin, and neighborhood friend is called on to help watch the siblings who are not allowed to attend the nighttime extravaganzas, are ending.

The streets are getting more crowded as international visitors arrive.

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Tour groups abound inside Jaffa Gate,

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and near Zion Gate.

Mamilla Mall has new artwork ready, here my friend was tipping his hat to the new Einstein piece. If you missed the story of Einstein coming to Jerusalem check out Einstein House here.

There is still work to do on the new entrance at the Tower of David.

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New shops opened in the Old City.

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And this “temporarily” closed entrance to the Kotel Plaza is still closed.

But with the thousands of bar mitzvahs and other celebrations,

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the main entrance can be very crowded, and to get there

can be quite the experience with the sidewalk dug up.

There were bar mitzvah parties,

and more bar mitzvah parties,

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all day long on Thursday, so busy from early morning.

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I could not find the two families I was looking for,

and I did not go down to the shaded egalitarian section.

Walking out I marveled at the new go-to cars, going nowhere.

The salesman at the Armenian tourist store agreed it has been a long time since we have seen so much traffic and so many people in Jerusalem.

What else was happening?

The Shavuah Hasfer, Hebrew Book Week extended into Reading Month.

Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence hosted a special event sponsored by Beit Avi Chai on the 150th birthday of Hebrew poet/writer Nachman Bialik.

President Isaac Herzog spoke as did Beit Avi Chai’s David Rozenman.

Beit Hanasi has invested in new barriers – as the protests continue.

The Menachem Begin Heritage Center was the site of the First Pulse of Israel Conference. Itamar Marcus gave his presentation by video, as he was in the US speaking to Congressional committees on the antisemitism and Holocaust denial found in Arab media.

One slide was of journalist Muhammad al Burni, from Jordan, “I want to note a very important point regarding the fabricated Holocaust, truly fabricated” was the quote.

The mostly older audience heard from a new generation of pro-Israel success on Tik Tok and other social media to reach young users with the truth about Israel.

Journalist Sara Haetzni-Cohen, with a child on each side, received an award for her leadership role after the protests and destruction in Lod.

Going home that night I walked thru the Hansen House to see Design Week.

As usual, I marvel at the creativity and use of tech in the old leper hospital.

The Muslim holiday of Eid al Adha was also last week, and thousands of families came to the Old City of Jerusalem to celebrate and pray.

In July the festivals do not end – the Jazz Festival and Film Festival, and more,

and a new exhibit on food at the Islamic Museum in July.

Night is coming at shuk, Machane Yehuda market

Plus, the Machane Yehudah Market, the Shuk is celebrating its 100th year – with music and food to fill the narrow streets in and around with people and parties – more than usual.

Time to come and see the Jerusalem streets, constantly changing.

See How Summer Starts in Jerusalem

Sharon A

In Jerusalem at the end of June, the multitude of end-of-school-year events slow down, and the trips to the airport increase, as Israelis head overseas and tens of thousands of tourists arrive to fill the Jerusalem streets.

The weather is still not too hot.

This is the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens in the evening with cool breezes, and even lilies in the pond are a tourist attraction.

The bright flowers are blooming all around the Jerusalem streets,

even the weeds are colorful,

with bursts of purple before the summer heat arrives.

The Botanical Gardens has become a popular venue for events, this night was to hear Col Richard Kemp. He said as a child he was taught right from wrong and with his military experience he speaks out about Israel’s military being unfairly criticized by too much of the world.

Walking into this area one encounters roadway construction.

I will spare you many photos of random road closings for road work,

and stay with the sweet things happening now that it’s summertime.

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First Station has been busy with public musical performances.

And the annual Shavuah HaSefer is thriving in the First Station location.

Hebrew Book Week attracts all ages, from families with babies to one older gentleman I saw walking pushing a walker for support and a helper following with a shopping cart to take his purchases home.

Authors come to sign their books.

I knew two authors the night I came, Michael Eisenberg and

Rabbi Reuven Ziegler. Notice the sign?

Hebrew Book Week is also for bargain hunters.

At Hansen House, the annual Design Week has started – “Lies & Falsehoods.”

Inside the old stone building the new technology amazes.

But did the courtyard ever look as nice as this?

Indeed, it is hard to know what is true, what is an illusion, and what is real.

To close the week, the Nefesh Be’Nefesh Campus in Jerusalem hosted a Shuk Olim on Friday morning. Various immigrants to Israel have started businesses and they were provided with tables to share their wares. Muffins went by the hundreds. Candy, tea, whiskey, honey, and beer, even corned beef was available besides artwork and jewelry and more, and the best herring I have had in a long time

And the Jerusalem Food Trucks are to be back in the Hinnom Valley on Tuesday-Thursday nights in July and August.

June 29-July 1, a marathon of tours is planned, not just inside, but starting at the Tower of David, the New Jerusalem Museum – tours include meetings with the communities and neighbors adjacent to the museum, men and women of different religions and cultures.

Food, music, and summer fun in Jerusalem, Israel.

Come and see for yourself what’s happening on the Jerusalem Streets.

Jerusalem: Busy in July

Sharon A

People are indeed out again on the Jerusalem streets.

Tourist groups are back in Israel.

Some are calling it “revenge travel” – after not being able to move freely for so long during the pandemic, millions of people are now on the move – or trying to if their flights are not canceled. International airport photos show delayed passengers and piles of luggage.

In Jerusalem, in the Machane Yehudah Market, the tourists have returned. Excited to have a photo walk scheduled there for tomorrow with visitors from Australia!

The Jerusalem Design Week “FOR NOW” held at the Hansen House appeared to be a huge success.

The old grounds were filled with activities and people on opening night.

Crowds lingered at night, after eating and touring, and drinking beer.

Some could find a few less crowded spots on the restored grounds.

But it was so crowded I did not even try to get inside to see.

I did go back inside though, as the inner area was set for the final night production “For Now – Time, duration, objects, and material memory.”

The building was full of visitors, so I took just a quick glimpse into one of the many rooms filled with interesting and creative designs.

There was even a pop-up store as one of the exhibits, and so much more.

“Israel’s present persists in constant motion, and the idea of “long-term” is all but non-existent,” a quote from the “FOR NOW” program book, which was in English, Arabic, and Hebrew.

And this week’s events certainly supported that comment.

Only last week in the Jerusalem Orient Hotel at the economic conference,

Yair Lapid was the Foreign Minister of Israel.

And then, in one of the fastest and most peaceful changes of power, Yair Lapid was Prime Minister of Israel and walked in the Beit Hanasi gardens with President Isaac Herzog.

Bennett was still Prime Minister of Israel at the start of the Cyber Week International Conference held in Tel Aviv. He was interviewed by Michal Braverman Blumenstyk, CTO of Microsoft. At the conference, he implied he might go back to the high-tech world and leave politics.

At this conference, the Israel concept of ‘Cyber Dome’ was announced. As physical security has increased with the Iron Dome, international cooperation and the use of governments sharing information were promoted as the way of the future to prevent cyber attacks.

In Jerusalem’s Menachem Begin Heritage Center, however, the International Press Freedom Conference was also held this week.

Here the journalists discussed the difficulties of covering events during war times. The spying on journalists by the governments as in Hungary was highlighted by an interview with Szabolcs Panyi who was one of the journalists targeted and spied on in the Pegasus Affair.

Dan Meridor, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Jerusalem Press Club has Menachem Begin looking over his shoulder here in the lobby area.

Executive Editor of US Associated Press Julie Pace was a featured speaker in the afternoon and had her photos taken after her presentation.

Conferences were not the only events happening in and around Jerusalem.

The Israel Sports Championships were last week, and now the International Europe Under18 Championships are being held in Givat Ram.

Next week the major international Jewish sporting event, the ‘Maccabiah Games,’ comes to Jerusalem with thousands of athletes and teams.

New buildings still seemed to pop up along the Jerusalem streets.

While older ones are celebrating longevity, the Ohel Rivka Synagogue held a 90th-year celebration last week.

The big news for the new month seemed to be ice cream. But note, not so sweet B&J in English will be removed and only Hebrew and Arabic for us, as those “social issues” are still an issue for B&J.

Cyber, economy, sports, and politics are not your things, how about music?

The Jerusalem Jazz Festival is back from July 5-7 with the Art of Jazz.

Paul Anka (yes – he is 80 years young), with a new generation knowing him from the American comedy-drama television series ‘Gilmore Girls’ from 20 years ago, is to perform live on the Jerusalem Sultan’s Pool huge stage on July 19.

Cat under Israeli and Canadian flags for Prime Minister Stephen Harper visit

Hoping Paul Anka and other Canadians had a good Canada Day on July 1st.

And in the US, July 4th, with or without fireworks, hope it’s a good one.

And here’s to hoping your flights to Israel do not get canceled so we will see you soon on the Jerusalem streets, no “revenge” necessary, there’s plenty to do for everyone.