Jerusalem, Israel – what is really happening
Less than 48 hours after a deadly bomb exploded in Jerusalem,
streets were again clear of traffic.
Schools were closed in Beersheva on Friday, March 25
because of grad missiles.
In Jerusalem classes were cancelled
because the first full Jerusalem Marathon was running
from Gan Sachar, Sachar Park.
Parking was difficult, necessitating long treks to get to Read more
The Jerusalem streets can be very dangerous.
Many are too narrow for modern vehicles
and sidewalks are often blocked
forcing people to walk in the street in traffic.
The traffic lights in the center of town often come in pairs,
many times the closer light can be red, while the further one is green.
Those unfamiliar with this system often unwittingly step in the cross walk
in front of oncoming traffic.
While some intersections are extremely complicated,
the corner of Shalom Aleichem and Keren Hayesod Streets
is especially dangerous.
The red light visible from most angles
is really green.
Much more dangerous though,
the green light is really red.
While this traffic light was always hard to see behind the street sign,
now the large advertising sign blocks the line of vision,
making it almost impossible to see the traffic light.
Thousands of visitors walk from Gan Hapa’amon, Liberty Bell Park area
on Keren Hayesod Street towards town,
this is a tragedy waiting to happen.
Many tourists eager to get into town look across the street,
see a green light and continue walking.
This recent sign says it all:
“Be Careful on the Roads-It’s a Matter of Life”
and hopefully, not death… or injury.
If you wait one nano-second after the traffic light turns green, the cars behind will honk,
but a shopkeeper will arrive two hours late to open his store. Still waiting?
The Knesset summer recess has begun,
all pending legislation will wait.
The proposed new conversion law caused such an uproar that even visitors got into the fight.
Now all sides have time to read the bill carefully and work towards a compromise.
Also, in the week leading up to Tisha B’Av, doctors picketed against the proposed budget
and civic groups again gathered to protest new pending Holyland building legislation.
For three days, Jonathan Pollard supporters protested that he has been held too long,
but he remains in a United States’ jail, so he and his supporters are still waiting.
Before Tisha B’Av, hundreds of groups
including many children on outings
passed through the streets
of the Old City.
For Tisha B’Av, tens of thousands of people made their way to the Kotel, the Western Wall
to quietly pray and recite Eicha, Lamentations, at night and Kinot during the day.
Restaurants and entertainment venues were closed at night for the day long fast,
and usually busy streets were quiet as many people stayed home to fast and not use any extra energy.
But there were hundreds of venues, including “Tonight we don’t learn Torah”
where Tisha B’Av was observed.
There was even a special reading of Eicha by Chief Rabbi Metzger to hundreds of people
who gathered near the Shalit family, who are still waiting for over four years to see their son.
It is five years since the Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip were forced to give up their land,
many are still waiting to get into permanent homes
and we are all still waiting for peace.
It took many years to finally agree on building
the magnificent Hurva Synagogue in the Old City.
So many disagreements, so many people still waiting to come together.
As the sun set on Tisha B”Av, there were clouds on the horizon,
at least on one issue there is agreement, in spite of the clouds and humidity,
we will still be waiting for rain for some time.