Jerusalem street photos

The Best of Purim in Jerusalem

Sharon A

Purim in Jerusalem, Israel, is so very strange every year.

Purim is celebrated the day after the rest of the world- on what is called Shushan Purim. The street sign for Queen Esther is not really upside down.

Shushan Street sign in Jerusalem, Israel

There is also a street called Shushan Street – it’s near Safra Square.

Things feel different as the rest of the world has moved on and in Jerusalem, we are just finally getting started with the upside down.

Clowning around and colorful clowns abound.

The demise of Haman was announced but not mourned on this sign posted on a message board at a local community center.

After weeks of preparation, Shushan Purim went by with too much happening to capture it all. Nachlaot and many Jerusalem streets were bursting with costumed crowds, but here are a few favorites…

Best little guy costume

and an even cuter littlest one!

Not only little dinos, but space men were popular this year.

NASA better watch out for these future astronauts.

Best big hair,

Best big blue mask,

the very best big ears,

and the best underwear for a hat.

Jerusalem synagogues were filled for the readings of Megilat Esther.

Beer, wine, and booze were found inside and outside on the streets.

Chabad again sponsored multiple Megillah readings at night and all day long on King George Street and around.

But also in Jerusalem community parks hundreds assembled to hear the story of Esther repeated at night.

And there were musical events before and after the Megillah was read. How nice to see that on the Jerusalem streets where protesters usually shout against the Prime Minister, people sat quietly together to celebrate Purim.

The Megillah is read by night and by day,

Photo credit: Heddy Breuer Abramowitz

and more young women have undertaken the reading of the Megillah at special readings for women.

This year Jerusalem’s Shushan Purim day of celebration coincided with March 8 and International Women’s Day, so no new piece this time.

Therefore, I thought I’d share a women’s event held on March 9th at Shalva.

A Playback Theater experience with workshops especially for women.

Led by Toby Klein Greenwald and her expert drama and therapist cohosts, right after Purim, 100 women impressively participated in performance and movement and powerful improv workshops.

Plus, the Shalva building has many inspirational sayings lining its walls.

Where else on Purim would you enjoy such a lovely view while delivering a Mishloah Manot dinner to a friend, when stopped at a traffic light?

Purim is finally finished on Jerusalem streets.

Now the Jerusalem Marathon signs for Jerusalem street closings are up.

Tens of thousands of runners are registered to fill the Jerusalem streets on Friday, March 17, 2023. One of the finish lines is ready and the full marathon finish in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, is being built.

My Purim hair/costume is put away until next year.

Pesach prep has begun.

Always something positive happening on the Jerusalem streets, when are you coming to see it?

Jerusalem Days of Topsy Turvy and Upside Down

Sharon A

I was stuck, trying hard to find new words for another roller-coaster, emotional week in Jerusalem, Israel.

How about upside down, or how topsy turvy?

The commotion was too much of a downer at the start of the week, so I went to the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens for a bit of fresh air and sunshine.

Stopping to watch a white swan swim across the pond,

appreciating the small wonders in nature,

and seeing the brilliant colors makes it’s also hard to remember it’s winter.

But to be real, not all is so pretty and pleasant on the Jerusalem streets.

Barriers abound and block sidewalks.

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As the weeks go on, the barriers are getting bigger.

And they seem to be multiplying, and blocking the pathways.

Barriers are set early on Friday, ready for the after-Shabbat protesters at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence.

Barriers have been placed around the fountain at French/Paris Square.

Then Wednesday, the street where the Netanyahus live, was closed.

The barriers in front of their home remind me of those in the park.

However, there was much more happening in Jerusalem this week.

My friend from the US noted there was no armed guard at the entrance to our synagogue in Jerusalem on Shabbat.

IDF soldier on guard at Tzomet HaGush

But security is on higher alert, as seen here in Gush Etzion last week.

New tunnels to Gush

However, road works, such as the second tunnel from Jerusalem to Gush Etzion, are finally reaching the final stages, after years of construction.

For the first time, the Speaker of the Senate of Canada was visiting the Knesset and flags were flying for the official welcome.

Sunday, Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger was in Jerusalem.

Buildings are going up and up all over Jerusalem. These towers tower above and off King George Street.

The center of Jerusalem off of Jaffa Road along the light rail tracks has come back to life again after pandemic closures.

New stores are opening in anticipation of returning tourists.

Old streets are being regentrified with new boutique hotels and shops.

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HaBoydem has opened a new larger space to sell its recycled clothing.

Shaon Horef – שאון חורף or Winter Noise was back Monday nights in February.

Winter Noise was on the street near where we lived and also in the 2014 Winter Noise. I used to go to all four Monday nights, but not this year.

This time I only got to the last one on the last Monday of February.

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These guys were my favorite as they walked into Harvey’s and sat down.

Oh, Jerusalem streets, where much of the year, one can often ask whether it’s Purim or not Purim.

The Shaon Horef of 2023 was well done, check out a few video highlights.

And it was held on Shushan Street, a perfect location before Purim.

The Purim holiday signs are up along the Jerusalem streets.

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Mishloach Manot baking and preparations have begun.

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Signs of Purim in the neighborhoods were up last week.

The streets were filled with schoolchildren dressed in costumes, however, some of the cutest did not want to be photographed.

So you will have to come back next week for Purim favorites.

There are too many Jerusalem Purim events to list, at the Israel Museum, the Tower of David, the Train Theater, Safra Square, and more,

but you can find Purim events in English on the Jerusalem website.

Purim week is always a time of upside-down, topsy-turvy.

Hoping this Purim will be celebrated in a good way, so check back next week to see.

פורים שמח

Purim sameach!

See 3 Jerusalem Events You Should Know About – OurCrowd & More

Sharon A

I am leaving politics and protests for others to discuss and debate.

Check out what else was happening this past week on the Jerusalem streets.

Let’s start on Monday at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.

When the sun finally comes out after heavy rain, the sky is bright blue with white puffy clouds. The scene over the pond in the Botanical Gardens was serene with ducks resting under the trees in the distance.

Members of our group for lunch, lecture, and tour had trouble finding a place to park their cars. The public lot was filled early because of protesters parking and walking toward the Knesset.

I wondered how many of those flag-carrying protesters paid attention to Arab students who were in the Gardens and on their way out.

Highlights of the tour included the tropical conservatory which opened in 1986, with banana and other trees soaring above.

Gorgeous orchids in many colors and sizes are growing on the trees.

Our guide explained the impressive growth and varieties.

And the 2000-year-old columbarium, where the Romans housed pigeons, was discovered and exposed as the Botanical Gardens was developed.

The aloe flowers this time of year are always a favorite sight.

The cherry trees near the site of the future Japanese Pagoda were in bloom. Hard to believe they arrived as seeds in a packet from Japan eight years ago. Our guide said that the plantings in the gardens all arrived as seeds.

As our tour was ending and we went to leave, the traffic chaos caused by the protesters leaving was compounded by the traffic lights not working, which added to the streets blocked by protesters on the light rail tracks and buses not getting through on their usual routes.

On Wednesday, after three years, the OurCrowd Global Investors Summit was back at the Jerusalem International Convention Center.

Booths with startups lined the walls and halls of the convention center.

Under the theme of “Saving the Planet” the over 8,000-person mega event was back bigger and better than before the pandemic.

President Isaac Herzog opened the morning plenary.

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It was impossible to see and do everything with so much happening at once.

However, it was good to see Amit Goffer “standing” upright. I remember the first time he was at OurCrowd and I saw him rise to get food during the morning break. For those not familiar, he is the chief technology officer and president of UPnRIDE Robotics Ltd.

This year brought together over 8,000 people from over 81 countries, but the most noticeable new ones were from UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco.

The line to meet with representatives from Abu Dhabi was long at times.

On the main stage, there were speakers, startups, media stars, and vegan lamb chops. Yes, as they were grilled on stage and it smelled like lamb cooking. The bone is made of wood for those concerned.

There were AI, VR, and science fiction-sounding technologies.

But the longest line in the Agriculture technology hall was for fake meat burgers – again as I remembered from last time. One person said they were better this year. Another said they tasted like meat and yet another was not impressed.

You could even find a toilet with flashing lights when the crowd thinned enough in the entry-level halls.

The steps up to the main auditorium for OurCrowd Investor Summit – Artificial intelligence – human tasks without humans. But the humans I met were thrilled to be back live at the conference in Jerusalem.

The next day a tour took off to Tel Aviv for more tech treasures.

The innovation tour will have to wait for next time, too much for now.

But I will share one photo of a new farm-Tel Aviv style – miles and years away from those rolling green fields we passed along the road from Jerusalem.

On Friday morning, the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Base opened in a larger location near the Machane Yehuda Market.

The mezuzah was posted on the front door.

And the new Israel Police Spokesperson Dean Elsdunne spoke movingly about his service as a lone soldier in the Border Patrol. The artwork of fallen lone soldier Alex Singer z”l was displayed on the wall behind him. In the distance, a photo memorial of other fallen lone soldiers is exhibited on the wall near the entrance.

Friday, Michael Levin z”l would have had a 39th birthday.

The renovated space has a kitchen facility and washing machines,

a study and interview room,

and storage space with necessities for lone soldiers to purchase at discount.

Plus an outside area, where these two lone bnot sherut, young women who come from overseas to do volunteer service posed. The Base serves both lone soldiers and lone bnot sherut and MORE.

Walking home the irises were bursting with color in the midday sun.

The sod was down as Gan Sacher, Sacher Park in preparation for the Jerusalem Marathon next month.

And more of the almonds trees are in bloom.

Much more happening on the Jerusalem streets, and another busy week ahead. Hope you will come soon and see us as we enter the month of Adar, a perfect time of year for a Jerusalem photo walk.