It’s the middle of June in Jerusalem, Israel.
Too many events and conferences and good things to keep up!
Jerusalem’s Rivlin Street was brightened with new decorations for summer.
The colorful umbrellas were back. But did anyone really expect it to rain?
Near the newly opened Museum of Tolerance, there were tourists from Africa
and another large group from Japan arrived in their buses.
This is the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem illuminated at night – the sign says Treasures of the Ancient Near East – the Lands of the Bible.
People of the Book.
It’s the annual Hebrew Book Week. Shauvah HaSefer was held in Liberty Bell Park and is now going strong in First Station.
The National Library published data from 2022, three of the items were:
- 6,971 books were published in Israel in 2022
- A record number of 2,004 prose and poetry books were published
- Women writers comprised 60% of all authors
June is the season for universities to give out degrees and for their Boards of Governors to meet. At Hebrew University the closing event was the groundbreaking after the long-planned Einstein House.
In 1923, Albert Einstein attended the inaugural ceremony of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and was one of the original founders. He donated his archival materials to the Israeli university upon his death in 1955, and an estimated 80,000 documents have been stored in a Jerusalem warehouse.
Prof. Hanoch Gutfreund, President from 1992-1997, attended with his wife.
For the groundbreaking ceremony, President and Mrs. Herzog arrived and greeted donor Jose Mugrabi.
The space near the entrance to the Givat Ram Campus was prepared.
The ceremonial hard hats were in place on the heads of the honored donors, and the architect Daniel Libeskind who stood between HU’s present and immediate past presidents.
And shovels of dirt were dumped.
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion spoke at the ceremony.
The ground was broken for the cornerstone. Now how long until it opens?
Near the entrance, outside the university gate
and inside, a few students grabbed photos.
A favorite photo from the night, when at first I didn’t recognize Ido Aharoni.
The man who talked about Israel, Einstein, and branding, in 2007, at the GA in Jerusalem, where the woman next to me said “hasbara – hizballah sounds the same” and was an influence to begin doing The Real Jerusalem Streets.
Presidents and Mugrabi speeches, gala dinner – then there was Einstein.
A shortened version of the brilliant Einstein performance needed a video.
While Einstein House is to go up on the Givat Ram Campus, the National Library is set to leave. On Wednesday there is a day planned for farewells.
The new Israel National Library has been under construction for years.
I have been fascinated by the roof construction, with so many layers.
At least I found out what those strange-looking things on the new campus are, the changing positions of the sun form the shapes of Hebrew letters.
How many remember the Hebrew University Library at 44 Jabotinsky Street? The day workers took down the sign and smashed it was the day I started carrying a camera in my pocket, and not in my backpack.
It was a week of books – with a special book launch at the Kosovo Embassy.
“Flower of Vlora” by Anna Kohen on how her Jewish family was saved from the Nazis by Muslims in Albania. I have heard other fascinating stories of how the Muslims in Albania saved Jewish families.
Beit Avi Chai has a cute sign for Hebrew Book Week and a family festival.
The Knesset was the scene of activity for international media focus.
However, as always much more was happening off the Jerusalem streets.
The 12th Temech Conference was held at the Jerusalem International Conference Center. Hundreds of Jewish women, hundreds of Haredi entrepreneurial businesswomen, meet each year to network and expand their financial potential.
In the past, when I was their conference photographer and under contract, I could not share the amazing photos I took each year. Invited as media, I feel it’s a positive event more people should know about.
Sports? The Weight Lifting finals are next week in Jerusalem.
But the big sports news – signs are posted for the arrival of the Under 20 Soccer Players who came in third place in the world competition.
They will get a lot more media attention than the Jerusalem Youth Orchestra who recently came in first in the European competition.
Another busy week ahead as the school year comes to an end, and many more good things happening in Jerusalem.
