jerusalem israel – Page 121 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Israel’s President Shimon Peres

June 10, 2014rjstreets

The day was sunny, clear and warm in Jerusalem, Israel.

The flowers offered a colorful ‘Welcome to the Knesset.”

The streets outside were unusually quiet.

But inside was a different story.

With Israeli flags flying, there were three puffs of white clouds

over the Israeli Knesset building and

Reuven Rivlin was elected Israel’s 10th president.

RJS was with outgoing President Shimon Peres

before his trip to Rome to see the Pope.

Peres hosted basketball player Pau Gasol at Beit Hanasi,

the official Israeli President’s residence.

The seven-foot tall Gasol plays for the LA Lakers,

but also was on the Spanish Olympic team

and presented Peres with this team shirt.

Gasol signed the shirt as requested.

Though looking serious in this photo,

Shimon Peres made a few age and height jokes.

Then posed for an official photo

with a mixed Arab-Jewish teen basketball team.

One thing for sure,

Peres’ staff had schedules which ran like clockwork.

Diplomats were leaving as the basketball players arrived,

and when we left another event was being set up.

RJS first close-up photo of Shimon Peres was on October 2009,

greeting the public at a Sukkah open house.

Peres was in great form at the Israel Museum 50th celebration.

Receiving a photo of himself from the groundbreaking

50 years early had to be special moment.

At a conference in Jerusalem after leaving office,

Peres was talking about the human brain and its function,

and used the word “orgasm” instead of “organism.”

Any other politician would have made headlines,

only Peres could get away with such a slip-up.

Shimon Peres is in the garden of Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli presidential official residence,

the last in row of nine former Presidents of Israel.

No age jokes now.

Updated: September 27, 2016

after family called to hospital.

Jerusalem Day: Israeli Flags and Parade

June 1, 2014rjstreets

Thousands of people are marching down 5th Avenue in New York City

for the annual Israel Day Parade #TogetherOnFifth,

after months of intense organization and planning.

On Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, we also had a parade.

Overnight all the yellow and white Vatican flags were gone,

replaced with blue & white Israeli and Jerusalem flags.

The streets were crowded with tens of thousands of people,

carrying thousands of flags,

for the annual Rikudegalim, Dance with the Flags

or Flag Parade.

Streets that were closed for the Pope were shut down again.

But this time people did not stay away,

Aleh students came in their wheelchairs.

Thousand of girls with Israeli flags

had their own place to sing and dance.

And these two guys were trying awfully hard to see them.

In the crowd it was hard to see, so sitting on shoulders provided a better view.

The buses blocked traffic so the parade could pass,

as the streets were filled with people long before the official start time.

The hotel balcony gave people a great vantage point.

Outside Heichal Shlomo, men and boys were packed in,

ready to march to the Western Wall,

to enter by same gate as the paratroopers did in 1967

when they liberated the Old City from Jordanian control.

With people coming in all directions all afternoon,

this parade may not have been as carefully organized

as the one in New York City,

but it was the ultimate blue & white photo-op.

I heard of girls who needed a police escort out of the Old City,

as glass bottles were thrown at them.

But though Yom Yerushalayim is not yet a national holiday,

people from all over the world came together to celebrate.

And on King George Street where the masses were having fun,

there was no violence, so it did not make the news.

Pope Francis Preparations in Jerusalem

May 23, 2014rjstreets

Pope Francis is on his way to the Middle East for a quick visit.

Before his arrival in Jerusalem, Israel,

signs have been posted in English

and Hebrew,

lots of signs,

and lots of Vatican flags.

Tens of thousands of tourists are expected,

including hundreds of journalists and photographers.

Rabbi Abraham Skorka from Argentina, is a close friend of Pope Francis

going back more than 20 years.

They co-authored a book and anchored a TV show together

before Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope.

Skorka was involved in planning this Papal visit

to the Holy Land from its inception,

he said every detail has been carefully examined.

The steps at Heichel Shlomo got a power wash,

while inside,

in the hall where the Chief Rabbis will greet the Pope,

the current photo exhibit was carefully removed.

Special pieces from the Museum on the third floor were

brought down just for the Pope’ s Monday visit.

On Monday parking will be limited.

Streets will be closed.

Security and barriers are already up at Beit Hanasi, the President’s residence.

Preparations are so extensive that one woman told me she was already,

all poped out.

But my favorite,

in preparation for the Pope,

Paris Fountain

was having a bubble bath to get clean.

Last Papal visit in May of 2009,

I really wanted to see the Pope Mobile,

but Pope Benedict arrived in a regular limo.

Will be interesting to see what will happen this time.