Jerusalem, Israel.
Cloudy winter sunsets
can be extremely dramatic.
After a crazy and dramatic week,
looking forward to some quiet time.
שבת שלום
Jerusalem photos
Aliyah: 10 Years, 7 Years, and Today in Israel
Ten years ago we made aliyah
and moved to Jerusalem, Israel.
Seven years ago I started taking photos of
what I saw on Jerusalem streets and posting them,
photos of everyday scenes,
the ones the mainstream media never seemed to share.
I am still amazed to see white roses blooming in November.
While a few trees do turn colors,
most winter vegetation will now turn green.
I am getting used to the Oud Festival signs,
as Arab music is growing in popularity,
these festivals are growing each year.
I could do a post each week about Arab girls
and Arab women shopping on Jaffa Road.
Construction sites are another regular sight.
Work is progressing slowly at WeWork at the old Mashbir building.
The Hebrew language is another story.
I guess I am not alone,
as this poster went viral
twice when posted on Facebook.
Why the sudden nostalgia?
Because yesterday was Aliyah Day,
the first national celebration of immigrants to Israel.
The Jerusalem International Conference Center
was filled with thousands of olim.
One of my favorites was
this man proudly displaying his Russian medals,
and on the other lapel, a white Aliyah Day sticker.
Many Ethiopian-Israelis attended.
Men posed waving Israeli flags.
Soldiers and young people came to fill the upper level
and listen to the performances on the main stage,
attended by the Prime Minister and his wife and a list of dignitaries.
But I left early
to attend a special Kristallnacht program.
Aliyah Day is to be celebrated every year on the 7th of Heshvan,
marking the week when the Biblical portion
describing Abraham’s journey to the the Promised Land
is read in the synagogue,
and this year it fell out on November 8.
November 9 is the traditional commemoration
of the “night of shattered glass.”
In Berlin, 78 years ago,
it marked the end of Jewish life in Germany,
as Jewish hopes, homes and lives were destroyed.
Miriam was sent by her parents on a Kindertransport to England,
and she and her brother were the only family members who survived.
Miriam retold her remembrances of that horrible night,
the morning after and its destruction.
It is important for witnesses to retell their stories.
Meanwhile, thousands of olim from around the world
were listening, singing and dancing to music
in celebration of Aliyah Day.
Another day in Jerusalem, Israel,
with highs and lows,
celebrating and remembering.
Back to "Normal" in Jerusalem
It is after the chagim,
the holidays are over.
Our prayers for rain were answered quickly.
“Don’t you love walking in the rain?”
asked an elegantly-dressed British woman
I passed walking Thursday night.
No, not really, since my umbrella was at home.
But we all know rain is good and needed.
After a few days of this wet weather,
the Valley of Cross will have green covering the ground,
and olives on those trees will be over-ripe to pick.
Winter comes and Jerusalem, Israel,
turns colors, mostly turns to green.
On my way to Knesset yesterday,
a small demonstration was going on,
in a regular protest location.
Today thousands of bus drivers were protesting.
I sure hope they work out a deal before November 7,
which is the date set for general bus drivers strike.
With the holidays over,
the universities, except for the Hebrew University,
are finally back in session.
Youth organizations are back to “normal”
and as always I love to see
what the Israeli Scouts are building.
The winter session of Knesset began,
and on the second day,
you can see for yourself how many MKs were in the building.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the Board of Governors
of the Jewish Agency on his usual topics, such as BDS.
“Israel is home to all Jews.”
“Jews never quarrel among themselves, ask Moses,”
quipped the Prime Minister who stressed patience and tolerance,
and woke up this morning to some of those same delegates protesting
at the Kotel, the Western Wall, carrying Torah scrolls.
When I walked to the Knesset,
it was hot,
but when I left a short time later,
it had poured and was still raining.
Good for the grass at Gan Sacher, Sacher Park,
but not so great for people who want to play or picnic.
These new butterfly shaped floral planters
appreciate the sudden downpours
much more than I do.
This time, however, I had my umbrella,
now to go find my boots also.
After perfect weather for holiday tourists,
it feels like winter has arrived in Jerusalem.
With changed clocks and clouds,
3:00 pm,
and street lights were on.
Cars are to have their headlights on, even during the day,
until end of February,
getting dark early, the new “normal.”