Jerusalem – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Digging Up and Cleaning Up the Jerusalem Streets

January 15, 2020Sharon A

Oh, Jerusalem,

Jerusalem, Israel where the very old and new come together.

Where the ancient and the future collide on the streets.

Winter clouds drift over the Israel Museum overlooking the Valley of the Cross.

A street scene in Mea Shearim is another classic image.

However, the Gateway Project at the entrance of Jerusalem seems to be constantly changing.

Indeed, new roads and traffic patterns have been a topic in the past.

Rising above a road out of Jerusalem are new housing projects of Ramat Shlomo.

To build many of the roads, large sections of the Judean Hills have to be blasted away.

When there is a tree to be saved, it is tagged for preservation.

Remember Kraft Stadium, the scene of countless night football games and the Woodstock Revival?

It is now only a memory as digging has begun on a massive municipal project.

The old Kraft Stadium was next to Jerusalem’s Gan Sacher, Sachar Park.

The new biking and walking path in Gan Sacher is now complete.

At night the path is well lit and much more pleasant to use.

However, the other side of Gan Sacher is one big construction site.

The clock is ticking for a new memorial to be ready in the park for its dedication with Vladimir Putin attending.

The Russian President is to arrive with 39 other world leaders for a special Holocaust commemoration at Yad Vashem on Thursday, January 23rd.

Jerusalem residents have been complaining and bracing for major traffic delays for days already.

Presidents, the King of Spain, and Prince Charles of Great Britain and their extended entourages are among the expected guests.

The President is hosting a major dinner reception in Beit Hanasi, the official Israeli President’s Residence, on Wednesday evening for the world leaders.

They even cleaned up the panels on the ceiling in the main hall.

The brightness of the colors so noticeable, I had to take a photo.

Jerusalem is famous for its cats, but a new bred of CATs are now all over the Jerusalem streets.

One of the new Jerusalem electric buses went by.

Drivers try to maneuver around closed intersections during the construction of new sidewalks.

Walking along Azza Street has been a challenge. With work done day and night and in the rain, even for emergency vehicles, it is challenging.

This bus stop was removed the next day, people had to stand and wait in the rain.

But while walking, I discovered an alternative use for those safety vests, a handy substitute for a Muslim prayer mat.

Oh, the new Jerusalem streets, and trying to keep them clean.

Feel good signs have been posted along the main street.

“Jerusalem is your home, keep it clean,” reminds the new bus stop sign.

Oh, there is more, the light rail construction has whole neighborhood streets dug up.

You never know what you will find next on Jerusalem streets – this fire dancer was new to see.

However, along Ben Yehudah Street and Zion Square – music, a common sight.

Jerusalem is ever-fascinating and changing.

We had a wonderful time in Yemin Moshe on a photo walk.

Old or new, day or night, whether you look down or up,

millions of tourists have found what’s happening on the Jerusalem streets.

Come see for yourself.

A Tale of Two Hadrans in Jerusalem: Talmud Torah

January 8, 2020Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel.

This week we had heavy rain and flooded streets.

But after the rain, the air and sky were so clean and clear, from a building in downtown Jerusalem you could see the mountain ranges in Jordan in the distance past the Old City walls.

In a week of international antisemitic attacks, the Jewish Agency building on King George Street was prepared for hundreds to attend a rally coinciding with the NO HATE, NO FEAR rally in New York.

There were Israeli political and religious issues, election dramas and more. But as antisemitic incidents were ongoing and being reported in New York City, a major event at MetLife Stadium also caught media attention. There were Israelis who traveled to New York to join the 90,000 celebrants of Siyum HaShas on January 1, 2020, in the cold open-roof sports stadium.

For those who do not know, the Siyum HaShas, was a celebration at the end of learning all the volumes of Talmud, one page a day, which takes over 7 1/2 years.

In Jerusalem and other Israeli cities, there were multiple celebrations, large and small, held for more than a week.

At the Jerusalem International Conference Center – ICC, thousands attended a Siyum HaShas program held in English.

The Keynote address was given by Rabbi Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University.

The Religious Zionists gathering heard from multiple speakers, male and female, all Torah scholars and popular teachers.

One was Rav Yosef Rimon who in his short allotted time connected the Torah to not only science but AI – artificial intelligence in our daily lives. I do not think he has a robot loading a dishwasher in his kitchen, certainly not in my old Jerusalem stone dwelling.

After the opening sessions, everyone, including the hundreds of overflow room participants who had watched a live-streamed video of the speakers, went upstairs to the main auditorium.

On the main floor were men, with senior rabbis in the front in reserved seats with their names.

The moderator was Yedidya Meir, whose wife Sivan Rahav Meir had spoken earlier downstairs.

Chazan Shai Abramson sang accompanied by a male choir and band as the audience was finding assigned seats.

Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau spoke in Hebrew about the significance of the event.

Men and boys filled the main auditorium, while some women were seated upstairs in the balcony.

The musical interludes were popular Israeli male performers. At the end of the evening, the audience was up and dancing to the lively Hebrew songs.

I left early but had the pleasure of helping Rabbi Lau find his way out to a taxi.

The construction near the ICC is ongoing, and each visit is a challenge to find where to enter and exit with the constant changes. But that topic will wait for next time.

Three days later I was back at ICC for another Siyum HaShas. Same venue, very different crowd.

This Siyum HaShas was for Women, organized by an organization called Hadran.

For 7 1/2 years, women also were opening the pages of their Talmud’s daily to study every day, in small groups, in study halls of seminaries, with online courses led by female scholars.

Rabbi Steven Riskin was one rabbi featured in the video presentation.

Rabbi Chaim Brovender, with a white page in his hand, was also one of the first rabbis to teach Talmud to women.

For this Siyum HaShas, Rabbi Benny Lau introduced himself as Noa’s husband. He started 929, which studies a portion of the Bible each day. He is the nephew of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau.

The names were reversed for two prominent female teachers of Torah and Talmud for women. Esti Rosenberg mentioned her grandfather Rav Soloveitchik z”l who was one of the early leading rabbis to teach Talmud to girls. Most of the impressive female educators on stage spoke in Hebrew, with English surtitles projected above.

All-day before the evening event was a day of learning for women at the ICC, with female scholars presenting in English and Hebrew.

One of the only things, other than the venue, the programs had in common was a video greeting in English by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

The founder of Hadran, Michelle Cohen Farber, has led an online study group for the past 7 1/2 years and propelled this unique first-time event.

Rachelle Fraenkel, an expert educator, was an impressive moderator. She called representative women of various organized learning groups on stage for the concluding ceremony.

Women who completed the study cycle of learning a page of Talmud a day were asked to stand.

They were cheered and applauded for their accomplishments by the mostly female audience.

There were men in attendance, even the man doing the video was impressed enough to take some video on his phone.

Oh, there were other Siyum HaShas events, even at the ICC on another night. This sign was left up pointing to the Men’s Entrance. I did not go looking for the Women’s Entrance. The Pais Arena also held one of the largest gatherings.

In a week of troubles and protests, and more happening in Jerusalem, we also had a week where the study of Jewish law was valued and celebrated.

A week where women stood proudly on the ICC stage to celebrate learning Talmud.

No Jerusalem event is complete without music!

For this Siyum HaShas Koolulam was there, so watch out for their video.

And as Rachelle Fraenkel said at the end of the evening, this event had to conclude with Hatikvah.

Please note as one study cycle ends, the new one begins the next day. For some of the women, it was their first, others have started learning Talmud again and again, while others are just beginning on their journey.

More photographs of the National Mizrachi Siyum HaShas HERE

More photographs of the Hadran, Siyum HaShas for Women HERE

Jerusalem Biggest and Best of Hanukkah

December 30, 2019Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel, for Hanukkah is a very special place.

This year, more than in past years, there were more tourists and more things to do.

New events were planned, though some got rained out.

As the eighth-day ebbs, here are some favorites of the biggest and best Jerusalem happenings.

Jerusalem paper goods stores were ready long before Hanukkah, with all you needed for your table and parties.

Jerusalem bakeries had sufganiyot, donuts rising by the tens of thousands.

Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence had a large hanukkiah, Hanukkah menorah, ready outside for all to see.

There were dozens of hanukkiot, Hanukkah menorahs. placed on street corners.

Around Jerusalem and the world, Lubavitch-Habad emissaries put a hanukkiah in public squares.

This one near Beit Hanasi was at Schneurshohn Square on the third night of Hanukkah.

These Hanukkah menorahs come in all sorts of styles and shapes now, but this style hanukkiah was preferred by the late Lubavitcher Rebbe.

At Jerusalem’s Mamilla Mall a large one has been lit for the past eight years.

Huge crowds come to Jerusalem for the lighting and live music and free sufganiyot.

Jerusalem’s Mamilla Mall was full of tourists and holiday celebrants most nights.

Musicians, in more than one location, even a woman with a hand puppet making a video were entertaining holiday-goers in Mamilla Mall.

With tens of thousands of people crowding, pushing, standing in line to buy sufganiyot, these Arab women found a quiet table in a Mamilla cafe.

Jerusalem’s Old City is an annual best-of Hanukkah. Near Jaffa Gate, the signs were up for special events.

Light projections of a hanukkiah were screened on the wall of the Tower of David.

In the Old City at night, hanukkiot both large

of more modest size are lit outside of homes. These four were in special boxes mounted on the stone wall.

This large hanukkiah was again placed next to the Kotel, the Western Wall.

I tried to get a clear view, but men and boys were posing continuously for photos.

The crowds on the Kotel Plaza, both by day and by night, were impressive.

But crowded or not, wedding photos were taken. Many weddings were held during the busy holiday time, to be celebrated with international guests.

One way to get a view of the Kotel and area is from the Aish HaTorah building. This Happy Chanukah Bear was at the entrance to the rooftop observation deck.

On a street in the Jewish Quarter, there was even a hanukkiah on a bicycle.

If you looked carefully, there was another one on top of the Old City tourist train.

That train cost money to ride, but the shuttle vans from First Station to Old City are free.

They could be the only thing in Jerusalem that runs on time, on the hour, and every 20 minutes.

But they do not make stops, and they go from First Station straight to the gate nearest the Kotel.

Oh, I felt sorry for the tourists from England who found out too late and were taken far away from where they wanted to be.

At First Station, there is a new attraction. Jump Up opened before the holiday season.

With rainy, rainy days of Hanuka and holiday from school, Jump Up should have been really jumping.

The big excitement this Hanuka! Another miracle. The fast train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was running. It took over 10 years. But the ride was 32 minutes!