Sun sets over the Israel Museum.
שבת שלום
Jewish holiday celebrations
Star Wars, then Back to Normal in Jerusalem
After Hanukkah is over
there comes a long stretch with no major holidays.
It’s a time to get back to ‘normal.’
For many tens of thousands, mostly Anglos,
the visit and four performances of Jerry Steinfeld
was a big deal for two evenings in Tel Aviv,
so was the opening of Star Wars at Jerusalem’s Cinema City.
Out on the Jerusalem, Israel, streets
new bollards are being installed at city bus stops,
to make waiting for a bus safer from car rammings.
But, as I write this post,
there has been a new stabbing attack outside Jaffa Gate,
at the open walkway where hundreds pass day and night,
which was recently the back drop of a wonderful video.
An annual occasion,
one of the bittersweet kind,
was the Bar and Bat Mitzvah reception,
held at Beit Hanasi, Israeli President’s Residence.
Naor Ben-Ezra who was seriously injured
by a 13 year-old stabber in October spoke
on behalf of 58 young victims of terror
who joined President Reuven Rivlin to celebrate their special day.
The Rivlins were in New York for most of Hanukkah,
but this cat stayed on guard in their absence.
Jerusalem started a cleanup campaign,
initiating environmental improvements that include
much needed shady areas in public parks.
The President of Ukraine was here for three days,
but as usual there is too much happening to keep up with him too.
The annual Hullegeb Festival
celebrated Israeli-Ethiopian arts and music,
was followed by three days of Piano concerts
at the Jerusalem Theater.
That seems to be our normal,
the good and bad,
birth and death.
Time to get going to deliver dinner to families with new babies,
then two nights of pianos ahead!
the majority polled think attempted murder is justified.
Must enjoy the good things happening,
because those stabbings, rammings and attempts at terror
are not going away any time soon.
This is the not-so-new normal in Jerusalem.
Hanukkah Holiday Lights
For the eight days of Hanukkah,
so many lights were burning brightly,
from the olive oil flames of the religious yeshiva hanukkiot,
to the large electric candelabra
at the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem,
across the road from each other.
Many stores and restaurants had candles lit,
inside or in the windows for all to see.
This one Emek Refaim Street was hard to miss.
What was missing were the large numbers tourists
usually around this time of year.
A little Photoshop was needed to fix this photo,
as those street light hanukkiot were hanging in fewer locations
and often not all of their parts were working.
However,
there was no shortage of Chabad hanukkiot
on street corners,
and on top of cars.
One favorite was the large hanukkia burning brightly
at the Tzomet HaGush bus stop,
recently the scene of too many terrorist attacks.
The major annual hanukkiot were
on top of the Knesset,
outside the Jaffa Gate entrance to Old City,
and inside near the Kotel, the Western Wall.
A friend reports that new pink spot light was removed
by the end of the holiday.
This new one in town was my favorite.
The lights on the Old City Walls
were of s’vivonim, dreydles, games and fun.
Of course, the holiday foods and parties were on going.
This BBQ in the Archaeological Park of Old City,
fed hundreds of the security personnel who stand out in the cold
day and night protecting us from the next terror attack.
And there was music,
from a show at the new Arena Stadium,
as well as thousands of family gatherings and community events.
The lights and sounds of Hanukkah
came forth from Jerusalem.
For those who were afraid to walk the streets this year,
next year in Jerusalem, Israel.
No matter how you spell it,
חנוכה or Chanukah,
is a special time you should not miss.