Jerusalem Parks – Page 2 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Jerusalem Moving Outside: Summer in Sacher Park

July 5, 2020Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel.

The sun is shining. The hot days of summer are here.

Many people on my street went away for a holiday weekend.

Life appeared to be normal, except for a few masks.

Moving outside is now the “in” thing to do.

New signs were posted for summer under the stars at the Kahn Theater and the Jerusalem Theater.

Cultural events were stopped and theaters have been shut for months.

However, construction and road work accelerated under corona closings.

The Jerusalem municipality gardening crews planted new roses.

One of Jerusalem’s largest public outside green spaces is Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.

One entrance to the park has a protest sign against building in the “White Ridge,” west of the city, proposed much needed new housing in the green Jerusalem hills.

This is one location that has greatly improved over the past few years.

The entrance before renovations often had signs posted. But oh that path!

This was the way the path looked before,

and this is the same path now divided for walkers and cyclists.

Gan Sacher is being well-watered and the grass is green.

Enough space for almost private exercise under the trees.

Even this rock near an entrance was cleaned up!

I went back to find a photo of before, yes it was that sad looking.

I passed two Arab women wearing masks on the walking path.

Masks are not required for exercise.

But police are giving out fines for those not wearing masks in public.

The restaurant in the Gan Sacher was busy. People were eating in the open covered area and a few couples were sitting outside. Seems those seats and steps which were hard to understand in the past are brilliant for our new reality.

At this time of year, the playground would be filled with children.

Lately, the play equipment in Gan Sacher stands empty.

Notice the steps are gone. It will be interesting to see the results when completed.

Lights on were on in the building with restrooms, but no landscaping around.

Passover 2019 there was green planted all around.

I stopped going inside to check, as every time I found it clean.

I remember how thrilled to see when this was being built.

The situation before was Outrageous!

Progress and changes in Gan Sacher over the years, included the picnic area.

February 2018 this was a new picnic area near the play equipment.

Those tables and benches looked sturdy. However, those round things near fields?

Guess I was not the only one confused. Were they to be used as seats or BBQ grills?

But now those benches and tables and round things are gone.

There are even newer picnic tables

in several locations along the path inside Gan Sacher.

One area in front of the trees that border the Knesset has also been developed.

Remembering in March 2014, after storms, many of the old trees in that spot were down.

Some trees were marked to be saved. Some were removed.

Trees trimmed have come back to provide shade again.

By the time I came around the park, the women had reached the same spot and were taking selfies.

It was time to walk home.

Not too long ago serious fire here had endangered homes on the streets above.

A few days ago the dried weeds were cut, the area was being replanted.

Today you can see the results of the new landscaping.

In spite of the summer heat, and in spite of the coronavirus pandemic, the Jerusalem park spaces are being upgraded and green.

New activities for young children are planned in the Jerusalem parks.

Broadway shows in New York City are closed until January.

Things may not be coming up roses everywhere but in Jerusalem,

there are new roses on the streets and people are moving on and outside.

After months closed, the door to the Israeli Scouts Moadon was open.

The sounds of children’s voices could be heard again filling the Jerusalem streets.

Preserving the Past, Promoting the Future, and Anchors Aweigh Jerusalem

August 25, 2019August 27, 2019Sharon A

Jerusalem offers a wide array of activities before the new school year begins.

Searching for a good quote for “circus” I found “preserving the past, promoting the future.”

What could be more appropriate for Jerusalem, Israel?

What could be more appropriate for the Circus at the Tower of David?

In the venue of historic ancient stones, the past is carefully preserved.

The Circus being held this August is especially aimed at young families.

Encouraging. Enriching. Exciting.

Providing educational and enjoyable activities that promote the future.

From the Tower of David, you get panoramic and dramatic views of Jerusalem.

From the top of the Tower of David, we could see the area above Mamilla Mall across from the Old City walls near Jaffa Gate was set and ready for a shesh-besh tournament. Backgammon players of all ages were invited to enter the public competition.

The plaza area near Jaffa Gate was not the only place that was busy this summer.

The Liberty Bell Park was one of the locations of the 360 Degree music and theater festival.

Diverse populations attended these events that were open to the public and free of charge. This was a drum circle, with standing room also.

I took this photo of a young woman ready to do face painting for the children in the park.

If you look closely the women behind her are wearing hijabs and having a picnic dinner.

In Bloomfield Park, Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure in Motion holds its last performances on August 25, 26, and 27. The annual theatrical event attracted the attention of Yiddish-speaking children who were in the park on family outings. Shakespeare is not taught in Israeli schools, and this is one fun way to preserve the Bard.

Hansen House, the old leper hospital, now the site of innovative programs, is presenting end-of-summer activities for families. Locals may be away, but a few children were doing activities in the Hansen courtyard. Sunday night was scheduled for a grand opening.

Preserving the past, the National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, had a grand opening almost three years ago.

The huge complex was meant to showcase Israeli archaeology.

The innovative architectural designed building was to be home to researchers preserving the past. Visitors could watch work being done through glass walls.

Rooms were dedicated to each era and the ancient finds were to be on display.

Down in the depths, the most ancient and valuable pieces were to be preserved and displayed.

The front still appears the same from the street as on our exciting initial visit, only now the doors are chained shut. It will take a huge new cash infusion to promote the campus in the future.

The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem (BLMJ) is next to the shuttered campus.

BLMJ has rare antiquities carefully preserved and ancient relics on exhibition.

In the spring the Highway through History exhibit opened.

Displays and photographs of the #38 Highway expansion are seen near the entrance.

However, driving by the site on the way to Beit Shemesh, was a very different experience.

I know they said it was big and close to the road, but as we drove by it was hard to capture how expansive the site is. Everywhere in Israel, preserving the past and promoting the future is a balancing act, as Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch and museum curators said at the opening of the Highway Through History exhibition.

The newest exhibit Anchors Aweigh opened this week.

The exhibit is dedicated to seaports and is located downstairs in the museum.

Out of the Blue and with its blue threads was the previous exhibit on display in this space.

Fifty works of Holy Land seaports from the private collection of Yossi Gilben are on display.

This 1839 lithograph by D. Roberts is of Ashdod. What a contrast to the thriving city and port today.

Troops heading north to Sidon are depicted in this D. Roberts lithograph, also dated 1839, in Gaza.

Jaffa was the closest port to Jerusalem. It was not a natural harbor and lacked deep water, so those arriving had to disembark onto small crafts to reach land. It was destroyed in the 13th century after the Crusade-era and remained in ruins for hundreds of years.

In the 15th century as more pilgrims came to the Holy Land they would spend a night or two in the ruins and head for Jerusalem. Finally, in the mid-17th century, the Ottomans allowed a small group of Franciscan monks to settle in Jaffa and care for European pilgrims. Later they were granted permission to establish a hospice.

This engraving by O. Dapper is from 1677 shows the port and citadel, along with some buildings, in German, Ioppen in Palestine.

The other seaports of Ashkelon, Haifa, and Caesarea are included in Gilben’s impressive lithographs and engravings collection which has preserved the past for us to enjoy now.

This map placed just outside the main room is from the collection of Batya Borowski.

Jewish Holy Land with allotments of the 12 tribes in German is the title of the wood engraving by S. Munster (ca. 1550).

It was pointed out to us, that the map with the south on the upper area and the Mediterranean on the right side, was due to a printing error. It seems as back as the early days of printing, even those who honored and yearned for Jerusalem did not always get their facts straight, as they had never been to the Holy Land.

Leonardo DaVinci is featured at the Bloomfield Science Museum.

The Israeli Museum always attracts families during the summer holidays.

It is hot. Streets are almost empty of cars.

But as always good things are happening on and under the Jerusalem, Israel streets as the summer wanes.

Best of Passover in Jerusalem

April 4, 2018Sharon A

The Passover holiday in Jerusalem, Israel, is always a busy time with so much to do.

After days of cleaning and shopping, and a late night seder, what next?

This year I decided not to spend hours in the car along with millions of other Israelis going to lush camping sights and sandy beaches, but rather to stay home and explore what Jerusalem has to offer.

Now to share with you some of the best of Jerusalem for Passover this year 5778.

Where else to start, but with food.

Some restaurants like this new humus place were closed tight for Passover.

But not to worry, in Jerusalem, there was an abundance of kosher for Passover places to eat. This Holy Bagel in the Old City is not only mehadrin kosher, but “KOSHER without fear of legumes!”

With baskets of matza on the table, this potato crust pizza looked good enough to eat. People were standing in lines for seats to taste for themselves.

Pizza, rolls, sandwiches, pies, cakes and more…one of the best places for Passover food is in Jerusalem, Israel.

Mamilla Mall was busy and crowded with local shoppers and international tourists, plus entertainment and performances for children.

Another favorite was seeing the clothing in the Old City, with many dressed in their holiday finest, wearing every type of outfit imaginable.

With so many activities for families, it was hard to decide what to do first, as dozens of museums and sites were free for children. The Tower of David had families walking, touring, and climbing.

From the Tower of David you could see the Old City ramparts walk with tourists going along the top of the walls of the Old City.

Days were warm and the sun beat down midday. But volunteers were in several locations in Old City offering cups of water, free to all who walked by.

The Golden Menorah was moved near the Hurva Synagogue, where tourists were busy taking photos.

This menorah is a photo posted near where the gold one was located. The Western Wall elevator is to be constructed here.

Remember I said every type of clothing imaginable? How about a Betar uniform from the 1920’s?

It was reported 100,000 people were at Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing, Monday morning.

In the afternoon and for most of the week, the Western Wall Plaza was still filled with families.

All day long tens of thousands of people came and went from the Old City.

This line was not at the security entrance leading to the women’s section, but just a long line of tourists waiting to access the Temple Mount.

The egalitarian section, however, was almost empty. On the right of this photo, if you look very closely, you can see children playing near the stones from the Second Temple.

While so many were in the Old City, other Jerusalem locations were also holiday destinations.