Weather was wet and wild,
felt like winter much of the time,
but the sky made for an interesting color at night.
Now, the sun is shining and sky is blue,
wishing all a Shabbat Shalom.
שבת שלום
Jerusalem photos
Sounds of the Old City
Sounds of the Old City,
is an annual music festival
held at night in Jerusalem, Israel.
This year the weather was cold and wintry,
but at least the heavy rain stopped for opening night.
Walking to the starting point at Jaffa Gate,
Mamilla Mall was not busy as usual.
For the festival, musicians performed
on a large stage outside on Jaffa Gate Plaza,
and inside along the Tower of David wall.
There are nine large stages with various performances.
Traverna was inside the Tower of David – in the moat.
The musical styles and instruments were varied,
from Kelzemer and religious music to DJs and pop songs.
Along the route through the Old City,
musicians played alone,
or as a group.
The festival is free and open to the public,
but this harpist was looking for donations.
As every year,
one of the most popular performance locations is the Cardo.
Yitzhak Meir was singing
to an enthusiastic crowd.
Who could imagine on those streets of old,
that one day Jews would be singing and dancing to Hebrew songs,
and the powerful Roman Empire would be ancient history?
Next on to the plaza
by the Hurva Synagogue,
this large stage was dark between shows,
but I had to share with you the size of the crowd.
Thousands of people were out enjoying the music.
The sounds of music have now spread outside the walls of the Old City,
and for the first time a stage is located at Zion Square.
The festival runs from Monday to Thursday,
7:00 – 11:00 pm, so there is still time to see and hear.
As I went to leave, some streets were too quiet.
Though cold and damp weather and security concerns
may have kept some away,
it was still a beautiful sight,
as the sounds of music filled the Jerusalem streets.
Jerusalem Marathon and More
The US Vice-President went home.
The Israeli President went to Russia to meet Putin.
The flags for the Romanian President’s visit are gone,
but othere flags are lining the Jerusalem, Israel streets.
Flags and more flags are flying in gusting winds,
flags ready for the Jerusalem Marathon.
25,000 runners of all ages,
2500 of them from out of country are expected.
Day and night,
they have been seen training for the Friday morning race.
Weather has been cold, then hot and sunny, and then rainy,
all in the same day, the same hour!
But come Friday, major streets will be closed,
and schools, businesses, even the Israel Museum,
will not open as usual.
Large posters at Gan Sacher, Sacher Park,
have been put up near the starting line,
and another is at Jaffa Gate.
One finish line next to the park
has been ready for days.
The Sport and Health fair leading up to race time,
is at the Jerusalem Arena this year.
Meanwhile, there is another marathon,
the Purim marathon keeping many families busy.
Purim ‘lead up’ has been well under way,
with an extra Adar leap-year month to prepare.
Azza Zazza promises megilat Esther reading every hour on Friday,
March 25, for Jerusalem’s Shushan Purim celebrations.
Buses display banners of Purim festivals.
The streets are not as crowded,
and Mamilla Mall is not bustling as usual.
But it is still the weather that keeps me inside,
first dust, then rain.
Today’s rain should clean the air for the runners.
I was glad to be out in the Old City as the sun was setting,
to find men dancing at Kotel, the Western Wall,
singing and live music to dedicate a new Torah scroll.
Life goes on in spite of the security situation.
Sports and Purim and if that is not enough,
there is a Bach Festival this week,
with music, events, lectures and art,
over several days in multiple locations.
These new tape art designs are for Purim?
The Jerusalem Marathon route goes by this intersection,
but being so close to the finish line, I doubt most people will notice.
You never know what you will find next
on the Jerusalem, Israel streets,