Jerusalem streets

Jerusalem: Clouds, Cactus, Color, Crowds, and Cats

Sharon A

With the end of the holiday season, some Israeli flags are slowly disappearing from the Jerusalem streets for the summer.

But flags still out were flying in the wind and wind is great for flag photos.

The week in Jerusalem began with clouds covering the Jerusalem streets, making for cooler days and even cooler nights.

Heavy and dark clouds appeared and some neighborhoods reported light rain. Facebook reminded me there were clouds last year this time also.

They continued at night for dramatic photos of the full moon. Who needs a Blue Moon or Blood Moon? Every full moon over Jerusalem is special.

Each construction crane seems to rise higher approaching those clouds.

Construction appears to be going slowly again at the Netanyahu house across from Yoni Netanyahu Plaza.

The new residence of the US Ambassador to Israeli has been revealed on Emek Refaim. It was hard to get a photo without the cars passing by.

An interesting complex that takes over a large corner of the street. Will be interesting to see if the bus stop there remains and what happens when construction of the light rail line begins. But still, no US flags to be seen.

It was the natural growth and beauty along the Jerusalem streets this week that I appreciated more than all the ongoing building and construction.

Not only the yellow cactus flowers but weeds bursting with color.

Color seems to burst out from the stones in the Old City.

Wonderful to see the tour groups were back in and around the Old City!

Tourists and crowds have returned after two too quiet years.

How long has it been since a friend from overseas made a Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel, the Western Wall? A very special occasion indeed.

But not the only one, as groups crowded in, I had to search for the right Bar Mitzvah boy and his family.

Wonder how many of those tourists will realize this is a new fountain at the new traffic circle on King David Street?

But back to what’s happening now in Jerusalem, signs Just for Youth.

Jerusalem College to give wings for more educational opportunities.

And for all who are interested, every Wednesday during the summer – there is a cinematic celebration with Maaleh films – dramas and documentaries – each week 3 short films by Maaleh Film School students will be featured.

The films have been screened in film festivals around the world and are now available at The First Station and admission is FREE.

Jerusalem Israel restaurant in old silos

On June 23 outside the Silo Café next to First Station, the Jerusalem Community Woodstock Festival returns featuring music from the 60s with live bands. This year my friend is partnering with the Emunah women’s organization, to help support their work with children and at-risk young women in Israel, while also featuring her promising young musicians.

And what would a report on what’s happening on the Jerusalem streets be without at least one photo of a Jerusalem cat posed on a royal throne?

Exciting times as the Jerusalem streets become alive again with tourists and events, and conferences return.

Stay well and hope to see you here soon for a Jerusalem Photo Walk.

Jerusalem Streets Busy Again

Sharon A

The Jerusalem streets are busy again–the traffic is unpredictable with backups and street closings. Ah, to be “normal” again.

An annual biking event was held for those up early enough to ride through the Jerusalem streets as the sun was rising on Friday morning.

This year it seems like people are trying to make up for lost ‘corona’ time by packing in events and programs and trips to Jerusalem.

With President Guillermo Lasso of the Republic of Ecuador and First Lady María de Lourdes Alcívar on their state visit to Israel, the sounds of official motorcade sirens returned to the streets.

Besides official meetings and a State dinner at Beit Hanasi, with the Israeli President and Michal Herzog, Ecuador opened an Innovation and Trade office in Jerusalem at Hebrew University, with a large delegation of ministers and business people.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz had a motorcade escort as she attended official events, such as going to Yad Vashem and meeting the Israeli Foreign Minister.

Though it was not on the official state list of events, she was accompanied by Israeli protocol and greeted warmly at the Kosovo Embassy in Jerusalem.

She was hosted at a reception held at the Jerusalem Embassy in Israel, where she spoke briefly to invited guests.

In her remarks, she called Charge d’affaires Ines Demiri ‘Ambassador,’ a title I believe she deserves for the work she has done this past year to promote Kosovo and joint business and travel prospects between the two countries.

Here we are in the middle of May and the week with Yom HaZikaron and Yom Haatzmaut is always a busy time, but there was more this year.

The Michael Levin Base for lone soldiers and Bnot Sherut received a Sefer Torah dedicated by the Michael Levin Foundation based in the United States. Former Ambassador Ron Dermer was the featured speaker.

I loved how the crowd builds, as people come out and follow the Torah as it is carried joyously around the Jerusalem streets.

On the same day was the Nefesh BeNefesh Bonei Awards, this year held at Beit Hanasi for the first time. Olim, immigrants, who have contributed to Israel and its growth in various categories were honored.

Not all the honorees were able to attend. Dr. Jonathan Rieck was home sick with Covid, so his two sons accepted his honor. Entertainer Josie Katz also was not able to attend.

I got stuck standing in one spot for the entire program and was not able to get different angles of the speakers or the event.

I remembered a previous time I was in that one spot unable to move because of a live broadcast, but that time I did not complain.

As President, Isaac Herzog seems to enjoy greeting attendees after the events.

No longer under a news embargo is the news of the new state-of-the-art MDA blood collection center in Ramle.

On a media tour before the dedication, we watched as they prepared the facility.

The massive facility is so impressive I did a short video with some of the clips I took as we descended deep underground to see the new storage vault and largest door in Israel and much more.

The 2022 Jerusalem International Book Forum and Mishkenot Sha’ananim Writers’ Festival is back from May 15 – 19. Opening events at the YMCA.

Every Thursday, the Israel Museum’s Illustration Library is offering stories from its collection of thousands of children’s books from all over the world. Ages 3–8 | 4:30 pm Special activity | 5 pm Story hour | Free

The Israeli Ministry of Education is hosting the inaugural Education Innovation Conference on behalf of the OECD and reps from 18 countries are expected to arrive in Israel at the end of this month.

Flags are up for Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day on May 29, 2022, and Jerusalem has prepared a long list of public events to celebrate 55 years.

But first, we have Lag B’Omer this week. With all the building and construction and park renovations, where will the kids make those huge bonfires?

After two years, much more is happening again on the Jerusalem streets!

Hope you can join us in the celebrations soon.

Old and New in Jerusalem before Passover

Sharon A

The tourists are arriving!

Finally, after two years of corona closings, the spring holiday season is starting to feel normal again. However, there are some people who, after a few days, realize they are not suffering from allergies but go into isolation after testing positive for corona. The virus is still a part of life on the Jerusalem streets as is the annual spring pollen count.

Oh, what a day in the Old City it should be! Sunday, April 17, 2022, Passover, Ramadan, Easter, and Orthodox Palm Sunday are to be celebrated.

In this busy time preparing for Passover, I decided to share some of what’s new with the old on the Jerusalem streets with you.

The Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives goes back thousands of years but was not accessible from 1948 to 1967 because of Jordanian occupation.

Har Hamenuchot opened in 1951 instead as the main Jerusalem Jewish cemetery. It was visible on the right side of the road as one drove up to Jerusalem on the old winding Route One. Today there are new modern highways to arrive in Jerusalem.

Rising above the expanded Route One, are those new “buildings” on the hilltop. New apartments under construction below near the highway, and burial sites rising high above cover more of the mountain top.

With land scarce all over Israel, other cemeteries have also built new above-ground burial structures.

This was a regular Sunday morning at Damascus Gate, before the start of Ramadan. Did you hear of trouble there at night as thousands of Muslims come out after breaking their daytime fasting?

A regular Sunday morning at the Kotel, Western Wall, men’s section.

A regular Sunday morning at Kotel, Western Wall, women’s section.

On a regular Sunday morning at Kotel, this is the Western Wall egalitarian section in the distance. They started working on the section where the Second Temple stones were left at the bottom of the western wall of the Temple Mount.

This view of the work being done next to the women’s section shows why the sections were not connected and expanded in the past.

New is the excavation of the Kotel Plaza exploring what is above ground.

At the Givati parking lot nearby, the excavation has gone down exposing centuries of history just outside of the Old City walls.

Coming soon, there will be a new restaurant on top of the current visitor’s center at Ir David, the City of David.

Work has progressed under the Jerusalem streets, on the Pilgrim’s Path.

The route is being prepared for visitors to Jerusalem.

Remember the story from a visit in 2017?

Now one can go up the steps up from the Shiloah spring without wading through the water.

Along the new/old route taken by visitors to Jerusalem is a shop, a model of the shops that were available for the pilgrims who went up to the Temple Mount.

View of Jerusalem Gateway construction from above

There is more old and new in Jerusalem for you to see than in the Old City beside the new tunnel tours.

France Square’s dedication was in last week’s Tips for Touring in Jerusalem.

A new dedication stone was placed near the previous location,

with the former mayors’ names in Hebrew and French and the 2008 date.

Not all vacant lots in Jerusalem are building sites; some are prepared for much-needed parking spaces.

There are so many more cars and trucks on the Jerusalem streets!

The new tunnel from Gush Etzion is open and the old one is being repaired.

The new Pesach, Passover festivals, and activities are beginning soon.

New signs are posted to welcome visitors to Jerusalem for the holidays.

The last old wrecked house in Yemin Moshe along my photo walk route is being renovated, with the new roof resembling the old Templer tiles.

Visitors will be surprised to see so much new with the old.

Also, they should be pleased that behind those old post boxes in the Yemin Moshe parking lot, is one of the new public toilets. An important new and welcomed addition to those spending time on the Jerusalem streets.

Jewish wedding venue

Many challenges this past week, but also many good events to celebrate.

Hope to see you soon!