Jerusalem – The Real Jerusalem Streets

What’s New in Jerusalem After Holidays?

October 17, 2018October 18, 2018Sharon A

The holidays are over.

It is time to get “back to normal.”

The Knesset winter season has opened, and universities are back in session.

A rocket from Gaza destroyed a home in Beer Sheva overnight.

Thankfully the mother was able to run with her 3 sleeping children to a safe room.

In Beer Sheva schools are closed, as students are home for a “rocket day.”

On one Jerusalem, Israel, street, the Happy New Year signs were still up.

And building cranes were also up, way up, and back to the business of building.

The Montefiore Windmill is now open as a winery and tourist spot.

The missing Monefiore coat of arms seems to be back over the door.

After the holidays, weddings galore filled the days and nights.

Conferences and Israel 70-year missions are too many to list, enough to surprise Ben Gurion.

Two hundred international Christian media professionals came for a media summit.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and US Ambassador Friedman were featured at the opening event.

I met a woman from Canada, a radio team from Estonia, and sat next to a working couple from The Hague, all supporters of Israel.

These visitors were all excited and happy to be here.

Check out the security, still partially visible as I left the event at First Station.

After the holidays tourist buses were still lining the road on Har Hazeitim, the Mount of Olives.

Record numbers of tourists arrived this past year in Israel.

Ido Aharoni told the International Tourism Security Summit (ITSS) that Israel’s Main Value is its creativity. He used as an example actors in a theater group who bake bread on stage as part of the show. All the actors are blind and deaf, and use 1500 physical cues to perform perfectly every night in the theater.

Summit seems to be the new term for conference. Some of the slides at the ITSS were great.

This one I really appreciated. Who knew how many people are killed by falling coconuts a year?

The Inbal has been renovating, and the patio was lovely at night,

as was the view over the Liberty Bell Park with the Dan Boutique Hotel lit up in the distance.

As soon as the holidays were over, Angela Merkel arrived in Israel.

The German Chancellor, her delegation, and Israeli guests were served lunch at Beit Hanasi.

I wondered what Nobel Prize Winner Prof. Aumann said to Merkel as she entered the room with the Israeli President.

Other Nobel Prize winners were invited, and the only female Israeli winner sat next to Merkel.

Most people only paid attention to the German delegation in Jerusalem when streets were closed.

After the holidays, and traffic was back to normal, filling the streets.

Twenty-four new rabbinical court judges were sworn in this week at Beit Hanasi.

This photo of the President, Chief Rabbis and the head of selection committee has received attention for being all male.

But have you seen this photo? I am looking for good caption, open to suggestions.

This is only a fraction of what has been happening, and so much more is scheduled for after the holidays.

A Jerusalem favorite starts tomorrow.

Over 120 varied locations are open for free in the annual 100 Houses from Within

Municipal elections are at the end of October.

Signs were popping up everywhere.

This pop-up store front became a campaign location.

Holidays may be over, but much is still happening on the Jerusalem streets.

Shabbat Shalom

October 12, 2018Sharon A

On top of Jerusalem Cinema City, Noah and family look out from his ark.

A good week for this greeting,

and very good time for a new rainbow.

שבת שלום

Best of Jerusalem on Sukkot

October 3, 2018October 3, 2018Sharon A

Another Sukkot holiday season has come to a close.

Tens of thousands of tourists and visitors arrived from around the world.

As usual, Birchat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing, was a popular event,

but there was much more happening in Jerusalem, Israel.

Jerusalem parks and green spaces welcomed large crowds for the holidays.

The garden was ready for the annual “open sukka”at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence.

Good health was the theme this year, and Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman came for a preview.

They watched as pedal-powered bikes made ice cold fruit drinks, here with a watermelon base.

The lemon/nana (mint) I had was refreshing on a hot day.

The weather was warm, but the sukka was cool and inviting.

One wall was lined with colorful hamsa designs each with a different slogan.

The other wall was lined with the ‘seven species’ that Israel is known for.

This ‘finger etrog’ was the best of the season. While not kosher for holiday use, it has the most interesting shape.

In addition, there was a traditional sukka on the Beit Hanasi grounds near the synagogue.

This woman was taking photos of the President and MK Litzman inside Beit Hanasi.

No one else thought the scene was photo-worthy, just another regular day in Jerusalem.

An annual event on Sukkot is the Jerusalem Parade.

Streets were closed, and security services were out to protect the tens of thousands on the streets.

Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, was the gathering place for thousands of march participants.

Israeli families come each year for activities in the park.

They also come to see the colorful and interesting costumes.

Close to 100 countries were represented this year.

Women in matching costumes carried 12 tabernacles with the most amazing coordination.

The march proceeded to First Station by way of Bezalel Street.

The excitement of the participants was obvious.

Each year I thank my friends who are named Brazil for introducing me to this event.

Most countries come prepared with small flags to give out to those lining the streets to watch.

I hope they got something good from the marchers this year, as Brazil had the largest group with 900 participants.

While Israelis return each year, this man from Brooklyn was at the parade for the first time.

This woman, I assume from the USA, was all ready to give out the Stars and Stripes.

Sponsored by the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem, many marchers come back every year to show their love for Israel.

Even security guards can relax rules at this feel-good event. A guard let these women into the park through an exit gate when they arrived late. Notice all the flags he had already collected from the marchers.

Not just Christian visitors participate, as IDF soldiers, and other Israeli groups march also.

So much more happened over the holidays. There was music and dancing night after night at hotels and local community centers, and even the Harlem Globetrotters performed in Jerusalem.

Sukkot in Jerusalem, another amazing holiday season has come to an end.

One more quick look at the impressive parade and Facebook photos here.

Much is happening in October, so no down time after the holidays on the Jerusalem streets.