See Jerusalem a Week of Highs and Lows

Where should I start when it’s too hot during the day to be outside in the sun?

July is nearly over. We have entered the period of the Three Weeks before Tisha B’Av.

This year the heaviness of mourning has been much longer than the usual three weeks.

Take a walk along the Jerusalem streets and one can marvel at the old and new.

The new buildings at the entrance of Jerusalem have risen to new heights.

While the amount of construction on new projects has gone down to new lows.

Students at Jerusalem College of Technology had another successful annual Hackathon.

Activities for children in the park have begun–a wonderful sight to see in the summer.

These talented ladies performed an entertaining show in Hebrew about the deep waters of the mikvah.

The Olympics 2024 began in Paris on the waters of the Seine – in the rain.

A new low in journalism, with reports of chaos and casualties in Khan Younis. Only I watched the live feed from Nasser Hospital all day and they certainly didn’t arrive at Nasser Hospital. I was annoyed enough to write this post on the Elder of Ziyon.

Remembering the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans on the 17th of Tammuz fast day.

New signs with faces of fallen and urging victory over Hamas are posted all over.

Arab buildings are going up quickly surrounding the Jerusalem streets.

This is an amazing sight of the new roads and trees with the train viaduct off on the right.

Remember the old Route #1? Complain about traffic – but the new tunnels have moved mountains.

The signs not only have traffic warnings, but all Together we will be victorious!

The unity of the past few months has splintered even as more soldiers have fallen.

And not only Jewish ones. The death of all Israeli soldiers brings sadness and mourning.

Hezbollah hit a new low–the murder of 12 Druze children on a football (soccer) field with a rocket from Lebanon on Saturday.

But the families of fallen soldiers still hang flags and Am Yisrael Chai in front of their homes.

It has been a week with extreme lows,

the future–who knows,

but until next time – Am Yisrael Chai.

Following the Signs of the Times on Jerusalem Streets

It was another one of those roller-coaster weeks.

With all the protests and bad news, good things were happening on and off the Jerusalem streets.

I found the lion! I heard it was moved to the Train Theater. Found it – on TOP of the main building.

To begin the week, I also found myself at the Yitzhak Navon Train Station.

And went inside to go to Tel Aviv University on Sunday evening.

The Nano Science Building was a construction site last visit, it is now an impressive structure.

It’s located near ANU – the Museum of the Jewish People on the Tel Aviv University Campus.

At ANU there is always something new and impressive to see.

However, I went for a special event on June 23 for International Widows Day.

At ANU, like most anywhere in Israel, October 7 is very much on people’s minds and hearts.

The entertainer arrived in his reserve duty uniform.

It was not part of his multi-costume changing performance.

New ads for summer are up on the Jerusalem streets , with ice skating returning to First Station .

Over 111 days later, the pain is no less.

But it is the end of June, and the graduation season is in full swing.

This was one of two engagements set up near the Montefiore Windmill on Thursday night,

while the music of the Jerusalem Street Orchestra performed at the On the Roof Festival nearby.

There was no water dripping from the large lion in the Lion Fountain.

First Station is going under serious changes. Looks like the early stage of the cable car is under way.

Went to check out the scene of the serious fire near the Israel Museum.

The damage was evident in the area closest to the museum.

I was going to the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem for an event honoring teaching innovation.

Tzemach David Foundation founder David Magerman and Rav Rimon were pleased to be at the inaugural event, presenting cash awards to Israeli teachers helping children of Olim adapt more easily to the Israeli school system.

A sign of the times: the daughter of an honoree was allowed leave from the IDF to attend, and her father was taking her back to her army base.

A child with a parent with a weapon slung over their shoulder is a common sight on the Jerusalem streets.

A sign of the times.

A time filled with trepidation to open the news each morning, but balanced with the births, graduations, weddings, and sounds of music on the Jerusalem streets.

How many empty chairs for Passover seder this year?

Passover 2024 or Pesach 5784, will be different from last year on the Jerusalem streets.

The Chag Aviv, or the Holiday of Spring, can be seen in nature as the bees have returned.

As usual, baskets for unopened bread products can be found on the Jerusalem streets,

plus special bins to burn the bits of bread and crumbs on Monday morning before the holiday begins.

However, this year there will be thousands of empty seats at the Seder table on Monday night.

National Library of Israel entrance with faces of the murdered

The faces of the 1,200 murdered in the October 7 Massacre were illuminated in the new National Library.

At Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s residence a ceremonial presentation of certificates was held.

The families of the three young Israelis who escaped from their Hamas captivity in Gaza, only to be shot by friendly fire were acknowledged.

Iris Haim mother of Yotam Haim, posed and smiled for a photo. There were more than the usual amount of hugs and tears that day. I refrained from photographing the most powerful scenes.

The next day back at Beit Hanasi, 30 nurses were honored in advance of International Nurses Day. Even though the audience was asked not to photograph, phone cameras were used repeatedly by family members and friends. Each nurse was called up by name and her story was briefly recounted. One was the nurse in Beeri on October 7. One had been taken captive to Gaza on October 7. The hospitals mentioned were from the north to the south of Israel.

One of the nurses was Talya Slotki, the Nursing Coordinator in the Pain Clinic at Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel, who was awarded an Honorable Distinction for Bravery and Heroism.

Her husband, Rabbi Shmuel Slotki shared their story with our solidarity mission at the beginning of January along with a video of his sons and family.

On the morning of October 7th, their two sons, Noam and Yishai, left their home when the attack began and traveled south to join in the brave defense of the besieged communities along the border. Both sons fought heroically before falling in battle.

For the next week, their exact whereabouts and fate were unknown, before the family was informed that both sons had been killed.

Following the completion of the shiva, Talya continued to work to provide critical medical care in addressing and alleviating pain. Among many of her patients have been soldiers evacuated from the fields of battle who were treated for a wide range of injuries – many included painful orthopedic wounds and burns that have required intensive attention and care.

As I read about the commendation that Talya Slotki received, I remembered when Rabbi Slotki entered the room to speak to our group. Rabbi Doron Perez left his spot at the front of the room and went to hug him.

At 97 days from October 7, Rabbi Perez and supporters completed a Torah in the merit of the return of the members of the Perez tank crew missing since the day Hamas started the war by invading Israel.

A month ago the Perez family had a funeral to bury a bloody shirt after a video was found showing that the young soldier who held off the invasion was not only injured but killed. He was no longer counted among the 133 hostages still possibly alive in Gaza.

As we approach 200 days from the Shabbat Simhat Torah massacre and anticipate Passover the remaining hostage’s fates are unknown.

Table set for Passover meal

Passover tables are being prepared for the seder meal and retelling of the story of freedom from Egypt. The freedom of Israeli hostages and the many empty chairs at the seder are very much in mind.

In addition, the tens of thousands from north and south are still under constant rocket fire and unable to be home for all these months, as well as the soldiers on duty to protect against further attacks.

But to end on a brighter note, the colorful spring flowers are as usual lining the Jerusalem streets.

Now it’s time to finish preparing for Passover.

Hebrew sign Happy Passover, bus sign in Hewbrew

Passover Kosher and Happy

Remember, the Hagaddah ends with “Next year in Jerusalem!” Let’s hope we can all celebrate once again joyfully on the Jerusalem streets!