Jerusalem photos

Take a walk and see what’s new on the Jerusalem streets

Sharon A

How is it already June?

Where has the time gone, it is a blur.

However, even in these difficult, somewhat sad, days, there are good things to report and some “normal” life has returned to the Jerusalem streets.

Immediately after Lag B’Omer, Jerusalem parks were filled with celebrations and birthday parties.

And the time quickly becomes wedding season as the Jerusalem hills are filled with music.

The community garden in Baka has developed since it began in 2017.

The community space has a book corner I passed on my way to an event honoring writers.

Eylon Levy delivered the keynote address at the 32nd annual Bnai Brith World Journalism Awards at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center.

Walking through First Station with the rows of empty market stalls the absence of tourists is obvious.

Yellow chairs, yellow ribbons, and blue and white flags are seen on the Jerusalem streets.

The KumKum Tea House is adorned with purple flowers and a British flag.

The play areas of this Jerusalem nursery school have cheerful designs on the protective fence coverings.

Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence hosted the Michal Sela Hackathon where innovative ideas were presented for safety at home. Sela’s sister founded the Forum after in 2019 Michal’s husband killed her in their home.

Thursday’s Jerusalem Pride Parade was smaller this year and featured families of hostages.

As usual, the Jerusalem streets in the area were closed for many hours with thousands of security officers.

Yellow flags lined the Jerusalem streets along with rainbow-colored ones this year.

The Liberty Bell Park was cleaned up shortly after the crowd marched to Independence Park.

Impressively cleaned – I could only find one poster on the ground as I walked through the park.

No photos from Independence Park, Gan Haatzmaut, however, security would not let me enter.

I would have made a fuss, but I did not want to be late for a special lecture by Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz.

Then, on Friday morning Jerusalem streets were closed for hundreds of riders in the large biking event.

Jerusalem streets will again be closed this week for Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day with thousands more Israel flags and multiple events marking 57 years of reunification of Yerushalayim.

This flag down the Citadel Hotel wall should be one of the longest for the Flag Parade on Wednesday.

Never know what we will see next on the Jerusalem streets.

Today I got a ride home because it was too hot to walk down past the Israel Museum. However, I got photos and videos of the fire raging where I would have been walking.

What Happened on Israel Independence Day 76 Celebrated in Jerusalem?

Sharon A

In Jerusalem this past week we celebrated Yom HaZikaron and Yom Haatzmaut, Israel’s 76th Independence Day immediately preceded the Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror.

However, Israel 76 was not like those in the past, with an ongoing war and hostages held in Gaza.

Every year, the official state Yom Hazikaron ceremony was held at the Kotel, Western Wall Plaza, and was again broadcast live on television with the Israeli President speaking.

One of the hardest battles for Jerusalem in 1967 took place at Givat Hatachmoshet, Ammunition Hill.

Today it is a museum and memorial for Israeli soldiers who fell in 1967, and it was the setting for a Yom Hazikaron ceremony hosted by the Michael Levin Base for lone soldiers and b’not sherut. This was one of many ceremonies throughout Jerusalem this year specially designed for English speakers.

Robin Lubin, mother of Rose Lubin h”yd, who was murdered while on guard duty in the Old City, spoke movingly of her daughter’s commitment and and service fighting in the south after October 7, before she returned returning to Jerusalem where she was murdered by a terrorist.

Not all the fallen soldiers were Jewish; Sufian, a Druze Israeli, was eulogized by Efraim Abrams, his partner in the Combat Engineering Corps. They were the first armored bulldozers to enter Gaza.

Rabbi Leo Dee said the Yizkor and Kaddish, then spoke of his wife and daughters, Lucy, Maia, and Rina h”yd, who were murdered last year as they drove to a holiday family get-together on Passover.

In the cold and wind, 900 people sat and appreciated the impact of the impressive memorial service broadcast live online for those who could not attend in person. More Yom HaZikaron photos HERE

Multiple large musical prayer services and transitions from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Haatzmaut ceremonies in Jerusalem made it hard to decide which one to attend. We opted for a smaller meaningful local Israeli one in Modiin, where the youthful flag dancers had practiced to perfection, or close enough.

The Hidon HaTanakh, International Bible Quiz, was held as in the past at the Jerusalem Theater on Yom Haatzmaut morning with the 16 international contestants down to the last eight finalists.

Then down to four, the final two teens tied for an exciting finish. Last year two girls tied. The big difference this year was that the President and Prime Minister did not attend, so there was no visible security, no metal detectors, and no standing in line outside in the sun. However, you needed a ticket to get into the auditorium, as every seat was filled by family and friends. Impressive was how the audience respected each participant with applause whether the answers were correct or not. More photos HERE

From the Jerusalem Theater, it was a race to get around the corner to Beit Hanasi, The Israeli President’s Residence for the annual Diplomatic Reception. I love those hats lined up on the table, this year placed so that Herzl could gaze at the display of the international military officers in attendance.

While the world media makes it sound like Israel is alone and isolated, it was uplifting to see so many different uniforms and countries represented.

International military attaches and their spouses in traditional dress were willing to pose for a photo.

Smiling ambassadors from far and wide were attending the reception.

Ok, not all were smiling all the time, but they accepted the President’s invitation.

The annual official posed photo for Israeli Independence Day 76 was taken as usual.

The President spoke and there was a carefully planned program to reflect the current situation.

Everyone entering the Beit Hanasi grounds passed this display of yellow tee shirts, one for each hostage.

The food served was outstanding, for more on Beit Hanasi for Diplomats see HERE

Did you know that May 15 is Declaration Day? Israel Forever Foundation and Elana Heidelman want to make sure the world knows and for the second year hosted a special event – on May 15, 2024.

The speeches from the Ambassadors to Israel from the Philippines, Guatemala, and Uraguay were warm and positive. More Declaration Day HERE

And finally, to close off another busy week of the ‘Yoms,’ there was a special opening at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem of the “KUMA” exhibition, the work of Eitan Rosenzweig, hy”d, the gifted artist and poet, was only 21 when he was killed in battle in the Gaza Strip.

Yet, even at such a young age, he left behind a treasure trove of artistic creation. His talent and explosive creativity are evident in his works, with his masterpiece KUMA being an award winner in high school.

The material found in his sketchbooks was amazing! More photos from KUMA HERE

To close out a week of highs and extreme lows, the flowers and flags of the Jerusalem streets, displayed in front of the home of a fallen soldier, with the sign – AM YISRAEL CHAI!

Next week is Lag B’Omer. Time to cut the tall dry weeds and see if people will follow the instructions not to light fires. Here’s to hoping for a safe and quiet week on the Jerusalem streets.

Surviving In Jerusalem After One Month Of War

Sharon A

We arrived in Israel in the middle of what is now called the Second Lebanon War.

I honestly lost track of the number of “Operations” and thousands of rockets since August 2006.

Now going into the second month of the current war, I started walking a different route each day on the Jerusalem streets to see what was happening posting daily on Facebook, and to share a photo essay here.

The Knesset was lit bright blue and white at night with the flag blowing in the breeze.

The blue and white Israeli flags get bigger and bigger, and traffic has returned to the streets.

The local bomb shelter is lit brightly at night, and thankfully we did not need it this past week.

One day there were sirens, lots of loud sirens. Fire trucks are not a common sound on Jerusalem streets. However, this incident seemed to have been nothing more than someone burning their midday meal.

The scene at the main entrance to Jerusalem has changed and is constantly changing.

This new sight is one example.

It is the entrance to the newly opened tunnel to exit Jerusalem to Route #1.

One exits after the traffic light, and goes under the Chord Bridge and out of Jerusalem.

But not everything was moving smoothly, the Museum of Tolerance was closed.

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It was the first time I had passed this art piece in Mamilla Mall and no live person was sitting there.

The Tower of David Museum is one of many Jerusalem museums slowly opening again.

I was pleased to see a lecture was being held when I walked by. The Tower of David Museum is one of the places hosting evacuees (from the South and North) who found refuge in Jerusalem.

International media crews are here in the thousands. I wonder if they noticed the Arab men and Christian priests who walked by outside Jaffa Gate, as on any regular Jerusalem day.

I was taking a video of a building’s active construction when this woman walked in front of my camera. Many times I saw Muslim women walking alone as a matter of course.

Not a sight I have seen reported anywhere. Not news.

Oh, what a beautiful view from the hills of Jerusalem, where 34 families from Sderot are staying.

The fire engine there is a classic, if not antique model.

But the washing machines are brand new and greatly appreciated. Providing meals three times a day is good. However, keeping the family clothes clean is a big challenge in all the locations for evacuees.

Students from the south are starting to go to school again in the new locations.

I have avoided going South for this latest war – it feels too much like ‘been there done that’.

This was the fence we saw at Kibbutz Alumim on a previous trip.

People searching online for bomb shelters found this from 5 years ago, and from 11 years ago.

One of my first glimpses at an Iron Dome posed ready toward Gaza on an Israeli kibbutz.

Ah, the view from the fields of Kibbutz Alumim toward Gaza – before October 7.

This was the sign warning of the border – not to cross.

In Jerusalem last week beds for the over 200 kidnapped hostages were prepared in Safra Square.

Yellow ribbons were put on the security fence at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence.

Amazing that over 300,000 Israelis have returned TO Israel since the war started.

The long lists of funerals and the photos of the beautiful young faces lost are painful to look at.

However, this week began with an engagement party! The young couple brought together families from Australia, Belgium, and England to drink a l’chaim in Jerusalem and eat chulent on a Monday night!

We had a family Bar Mitzvah on Shabbat, except for one uncle in active service and two cousins working in the US – both sides of aunts. uncles and first cousins were able to celebrate together. Not so simple when the bar mitzvah boy’s family is over 60 people – during a war.

The paper cups had the slogan “United Together” and went with the blue and white theme.

Time to remember the good along with the very bad.

An M-4 or 16 slung over a shoulder has become a common sight on the Jerusalem streets.

It’s time to remember – we are the good guys.

At Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence, US Ambassador to Israel Jacob Joseph Lew presented his credentials to President Isaac Herzog on Sunday afternoon November 5, 2023.

Welcome to Jerusalem Ambassador Lew in these interesting times.

Here’s hoping for a shavuah tov on the Jerusalem streets and the rest of Israel and the world.