Today is Rosh Chodesh Av,
beginning of Nine Days leading up to Tisha B’Av.
Not a joyous time on Jewish calendar,
but still proper to wish all,
שבת שלום
Jerusalem
Jerusalem: Summer Scenes
Summer in Jerusalem, Israel,
and flowers are in bloom.
Streets are quieter as families seek cooler temperatures,
US summer camps, or a day at the beach.
For those left behind this summer,
neighborhood events in the parks for youth
and children are held in evening.
On Jabotinsky Street, Zeev Jabotinsky Day signs are up.
A special ceremony is set for August 4th at Har Herzl.
Those signs are out for all to see;
and now for what you may not have seen.
A special panel was held at the Tzohar Conference,
at the Jerusalem International Conference Center.
Jackie Levy moderated a panel with Rav Shai Peron,
Rav Shmuel Papenheim, Rabbanit Adina Bar Shalom,
and Rabbanit Hadassah Forman.
As each told the story that changed their lives,
a talented artist illustrated as they spoke.
I had never seen that before,
the stories were interesting enough,
but the drawings were a good way to keep an after-lunch crowd
awake and attentive.
Invitations to Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence
do not come easily and are highly valued,
so guests often linger to appreciate the gardens
before going into the reception room for an event.
This man stopped to study the informational panels
posted behind the busts of former presidents
that are lined up in the garden.
He was there for a very special ceremony.
Finally after 9 years without new appointments,
there is a new Supreme Rabbinical Court.
Here the new dayanim, rabbinical judges, posed with
the two chief rabbis, President Reuven Rivlin,
and head of the appointment committee Minster MK Yuval Steinitz.
With their varied backgrounds and experiences,
it is hoped that long overdue resolutions can be reached.
And finally,
the Olympics 2016 are starting Friday in Rio.
The largest ever Israeli Olympic team
posed outside Beit Hanasi at their official send-off.
Everyone was smiling and happy,
I sure hope their experiences in Rio are positive,
and everyone comes back smiling for selfies.
Jerusalem: Old and New
Jerusalem, Israel,
old and new,
changing and improving.
There is a mosaic tile on Emek Refaim Street
which reads on the right side at the bottom,
“Prutah of the Jewish War against the Romans (68-69 C.E.)”
and with a Q code on the left for your smartphone.
Emek Refaim Street has been in the news lately
as the light rail system is planning to expand and be built on the street.
That is a red and yellow protest sign.
Will there be tracks just like those on Jaffa Road?
The whole area in southern Jerusalem is changing.
Many buildings in the area are of poor quality,
put up quickly when Jews came in large numbers,
in 1948 and again in 1967.
Tama 38 is an incentive for builders to redo existing buildings,
adding elevators, penthouses, enlarging apartments,
and strengthening structures to withstand earthquakes.
Restaurants come and go,
as do those ‘for rent’ signs.
Ten years ago,
this one building stood out,
tall and attractive and new above the Talpiot skyline.
Talpiot is an industrial area once known mostly for its garages.
This week another tech start-up initiative opened.
With music and a ribbon cutting,
places to sit and work,
with hi-fi and rechargers available – 24-7.
There is still much to work on with parking and driving,
but Talpiot is changing, as those garages of the past
are being replaced with modern office buildings and showrooms.
The Hadar Mall has expanded and improved.
AACI, the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel,
moved to Talpiot six years ago.
Many people were upset that it was so far away.
Now Talpiot is another example,
of the old and new in Jerusalem.