Jerusalem photo – Page 10 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Jerusalem Knights Back in Saddle for Old City Festival

November 19, 2013rjstreets

The Jerusalem Knights Festival is back again in the Old City.

Since attending the Jerusalem Knights first night,

I have tried to return each year to see what is new and different.

These trumpets and trumpeters greeted visitors

as they approached the Walls of the Old City at the Jaffa Gate.

Upon entering Jaffa Gate

the plaza was filled with dancing-girls and spectators.

Many actors were positioned along the route,

but this gladiator with his cell phone has to be my favorite photo.

Some costumes were unusual,

and others like these Medieval fashion show costumes

were hard to see, as crowds blocked the view of the stage.

Young children on shoulders have a distinct advantage at this event.

However, this man with a lit torch on top of the walls was easy to see,

everyone who looked up could see the fire show.

Many performances, like this clown act and jugglers,

entertained the thousands of young children who attended.

The route this year was both through and around the Armenian Quarter,

sparing the residents of the Christian and Jewish Quarters

the noise of four consecutive Thursday nights,

with thousands of people outside their windows late into the night.

These photo-ops were not just for the kids.

Medieval musical instruments

were featured at more than one site.

Movies screened on the walls of the Old City in Gan Habonim

could never have been predicted by Medieval seers.

There were live shows with plenty of tacky costumes,

but beautiful real horses.

There were also knights in not-so shining armor jousting,

colorful lights, the Gravita aerial-acrobats,

and a Knights’ Pub with a bar with real wine.

Though there are those who oppose the idea,

once again thousands and thousands of people

were out on the Jerusalem, Israel, streets, enjoying the experience.

The last night of Knights, is Thursday night, November 21.

WoW, Rosh Chodesh Kislev at Western Wall

November 6, 2013rjstreets

Rosh Chodesh Kislev,

a new month on the Jewish calendar,

and in Jerusalem, Israel

time for another episode and photo essay of

the Women of the Wall (WoW) and the Women for the Wall (W4W).

As I went down the steps toward the Kotel, the Western Wall,

I met a young new oleh from France who asked me what was going on,

after trying to explain I gave up and just said

” It is Rosh Chodesh today.”

There was less over the top security this month

and the view below was different,

but every month I have gone there has been a different scene.

Early in the morning at the Kotel, the Western Wall Plaza,

there were thousands already below,

and many more people waiting to enter at the main security gate.

This man found a way to beat the line,

as he went under the barrier at the other entrance.

For the first time, part of the plaza area was cleared,

and equipped with a stretcher and medical equipment.

On this 25th anniversary of WoW Rosh Chodesh at the Kotel,

the police and security people were ready.

Security was lined up.

but there were fewer young boys than in the past,

and much less trouble.

One whistle-blower was in the men’s section, as he covered his ears,

he was not the only one trying to block that awful noise.

Sound was all that would get from the men’s side

to the women’s side with these security barriers.

Women of Wall sang loudly.

I am not sure who comes up with the estimates in crowd size,

maybe it is those watching from above.

But besides many women from the US who came for this event,

there were W4W and many female press,

mixed in with thousands of girls and security,

all packed in the small area together.

One thing there is no argument about,

WoW sang their Rosh Chodesh service as loud as they could,

loud enough so that the few men on far side could hear them.

Many women wore prayer shawls,

but there were also ear pieces and microphones.

Trying to keep the singing in unison required many conductors as well.

And there were many cameras, but no violence,

and so the international media has become bored and was missing.

WoW seems to love to play to the camera,

I mean, pray to the camera.

Thousands of young women and girls were at the Kotel.

Many come with serious intentions to pray at this holy site,

and some are not even Jewish,

but sincere tourists from around the world.

Say what you want about W4W and bringing school girls on Rosh Chodesh to fill the plaza,

but some of them do feel the seriousness of the site

in spite of the media circus.

For twenty-four and a half years WoW held their Rosh Chodesh service with little notice.

I sure hope at their 25th anniversary WoW banquet

the idiot who was responsible for arresting a woman in a talit last spring

gets an award for providing more publicity and recognition,

then any PR firm with a huge budget could dream of.

A new area has been set up near the Kotel for egalitarian prayer services.

Will WoW accept the compromise,

or will their male supporters be left in the back behind a divider?

Guess we will have to wait until next month to see what happens.

More photos from Rosh Chodesh Kislev HERE.

8 Things to See Now on Jerusalem Streets

October 29, 2013rjstreets

Israeli Apartheid?

got the most views in one day for a RJS post.

But, 15 Real Photos of Arab Girls is still going strong

and will soon go over 100,000 views.

Too bad all my numbers are not that impressive.

So what is there to see in Jerusalem, Israel, now that the holidays

and municipal elections are over,

and the campaign signs are slowly coming down?

1. Street art can be found in parking lots

and lines so many streets,

but contemporary art in Jerusalem has a new home.

2. The Jerusalem Biennale, which runs from September 15-October 31,

had its opening in the galleries of the renovated Templar houses on Emek Refaim Street.

3. For the week of October 17-24,

there was Manofim, multiple exhibitions of contemporary art in Jerusalem.

Art critic and art history expert, Gideon Efrat,

gave a talk at Mishkenot Sha’ananim as part of the annual Manofim events.

One woman was sketching during the program,

which was great to see at an art lecture.

Manofim took place in many neighborhoods around Jerusalem,

but I was surprised to find this sign left at the Jerusalem Bird Sanctuary.

Art, art and more art is not what you think of first in Jerusalem,

but I have written before about the galleries in the Jerusalem Theater.

4. Israeli artist Yitzhak Greenfield’s students opened a show at the theater.

People of all ages came to see their work.

Displays are constantly changing and open to public at no charge.

But there is more than art.

5. The Cinema City signs are up,

now everyone can see where the new theaters are located.

6. See and hear, another Oud Festival starts soon.

7. See and learn on Azza Street from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm,

Einstein on Azza is coming on November 1.

Professors from the Hebrew University will give free lectures, along with live performances.

There is so much more, but the last for today.

8. The Jerusalem Knights Festival will be held

on four consecutive Thursday nights starting October 31.

I saw the very first Knight night and wrote

who could imagine that the Crusades could be so much fun?

You may hear in the news about protests,

but how about these other events that are happening now?

There is a big problem though,

with so much to see and do,

how does one see a fraction of the things that are going on?

Now If I could just get people interested in seeing some of this good stuff

and not just looking for Arab girls….