That time of year in Jerusalem, with pomegranates ready for approaching New Year.
שבת שלום
Jerusalem Photography
Where to be End of August in Jerusalem
Amazing how morning rush hour traffic seems to have disappeared from many Jerusalem streets. Many families are away on holiday until the end of August.
These little girls in Mea Shearim were so cute lined up on their first day of school, which began the beginning of Jewish month of Elul for many religious schools.
“I love Jerusalem” was spelled out in flowers near the Montefiore Windmill.
Pomegranates are almost ready to pick from the trees lining Jerusalem’s streets.
No event signs were posted here near the Knesset.
Is there nothing new happening or are the workers away?
For those of us who did not go away, there are things to do beside hang out in the malls.
The Jerusalem Bible Land Museum has free entrance for children.
The Tower of David does as well, and so does the Israel Museum.
At the Israel Museum, the special summer exhibit “I to Eye” includes a craft area set up outside the Children’s Wing.
The Israel Museum is a popular summer day activity for families.
Inside are multi-sensory exhibits, including one with virtual reality googles.
The Israeli Fashion exhibit is still on, attracting mostly adults.
Years of Israeli fashion design are displayed with 150 outfits.
How cool? I downloaded the Israel Museum App. Now, using the app at home, I can listen again to the descriptions of both what I saw and did not see today in the various exhibits.
Across from the fashion exhibit is art of the Jewish life cycle, from this Moroccan bridal dress to a Hungarian funeral carriage.
In the background, you can see three of the dozens of Israeli soldiers who were in the museum on a tour.
Museums and malls are especially popular on extra hot summer days.
As evening approaches, a modern bride and her wedding party were taking photos.
This Jerusalem city park, Bloomfield Gardens, is in back of the King David Hotel.
On Jerusalem Photo Walks, I like to show the beautiful part of this hidden area to visitors.
But in August for a number of evenings, I take thee there for ‘Hamlet, in Motion.’
Shakespeare is not studied in Israeli schools.
So while the production of the Jerusalem Theater in the Rough is not quite Shakespeare in Central Park, “to be or not to be” is no longer their question.
This troupe of actors have been sharing the Bard with whomever comes to the park.
To watch Arab families sit and watch along with religious Jewish family groups is part of the unique Jerusalem experience.
Minutes away is the entrance to the 42nd annual International Arts and Crafts Festival.
The entrance next to the Artist Colony has the walls of the Old City in the background.
There is food, music, and 150 artists showing their work. Dozens of local and international artists have booths.
As night falls, the lights go on and people come out as the summer ebbs.
Special bus lines aim to get late-night party animals home safely.
Even with so many residents away, tourism is high, and there is plenty happening on the Jerusalem streets.
Plus, Wednesday morning, as the sun rose, 239 new olim arrived in Israel.
If mainstream media news and summer heat gets you down, check out the smiles and excitement.
Her shirt says, “Tell the world WE’RE COMING HOME!”
Facebook Photo album on NBN Charter Flight is HERE
Jerusalem: Lights, Action, Camera
Jerusalem. Israel. In August.
When the evening temperatures cool and the sun is setting, and people venture outside.
As the setting sun reflects off the Old City walls, it lights up a ‘Jerusalem of Gold.’
Inside Beit Shmuel, at the MassChallenge Finale, ten start-up winners were announced to go to Boston to present their business ideas with the hope of obtaining funding.
But first on stage was Mayor Nir Barkat to receive a special award from MC director Israel Ganot. Barkat co-founded a very successful early cyber-tech startup called CheckPoint.
Having attended one of Barkat’s early meetings where he shared his vision for Jerusalem to be a bio-technology world center, as I stood in the international crowd of hundreds of startup initiators, mentors and eager funders, I marveled how far the Jerusalem biotech and startup scene has grown.
Jerusalem is no Tel Aviv, but watch out. To come so far in 10 years is amazing.
During the summer in Jerusalem, what is on many minds is keeping their children busy.
I love that there is an annual International Puppet Festival.
The Nature Museum has musical programs for children and special Shabbat programs.
The concerts in the Sultan’s Pool giant outdoor stage are too many to list.
First Station has free musical entertainment most nights.
This summer public parks not only have music, but some are encouraging families to camp out in tents.
The annual end of summer biggie, the International Arts and Crafts Festival, is on. Construction of the booths for dozens of countries to showcase their wares has been going on for over a week.
A line-up of various popular Israel performers are to be on the giant stage each night.
The small JTown Theater stage at AACI in Talpiot has a new production.
“Free to Be You and Me” is performed and scheduled for children, with shows in the afternoon and Friday mornings in August.
This production of Marlo Thomas’ gender-bias-breaking work is very timely.
On other stages and screens, the Jerusalem Film Festival has announced its awards.
“The Unorthodox” did not win a prize, though it was selected to be featured on the Jerusalem Film Festival opening night at Sultan’s Pool.
I saw the movie at Lev Smadar on Monday, with director Eliran Malka answering questions from audience after the screening.
All movies in the film festival have English subtitles. This trailer is in Hebrew, but I am sharing, that even if you do not understand the language, you can get a feel for the intensity of Shuli Rand’s performance. Rand plays a father whose daughter was expelled from school for being Sephardi, and goes on to initiate the Shas political party.
The docudrama keeps the audience on edge as it unfolds, even though we already know that Shas went on to be successful beyond every early projection.
Malka is a graduate of Maaleh. In case you are not familiar with this Jerusalem school, here is a link, as Maaleh’s film library is available to the public on the Maaleh website.
In honor of Israel@70, Maaleh has opened a special YouTube channel, where viewers have access to 70 Maaleh short films for free, and susan@maale.co.il is happy to email you the link.
After months of preparation and advertising Mekudeshet is running from August 8- 28.
How does one describe this out-of-box culture festival, where some events are free and in the middle of the night?
One performance is at the YMCA pool, and the audience is to come in bathing suits and participate.
Never know what you will find on the Jerusalem streets, or in the Y, or yes, up on the roof tops too.
Another week with so much happening in Jerusalem.
There is more, but I will leave you with part of a song from the versatile, talented Shuli Rand.
Rand performed in June, at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s residence.