Eight Days of Hanukkah: Not Enough in Jerusalem

Eight Days of Hanukkah: Not Enough in Jerusalem

Hanukkah time in Jerusalem, Israel,

is always a busy time of year.

This past week the world has had Jerusalem

in its headlines after US President Trump acknowledged

Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.

US flags flying in Israel on street where US consulate is located.

US, Israeli and Jerusalem flags

were flying on Agron Road

along the street of the US consulate building.

No photos are allowed of that building,

so this corner view of the

Jerusalem Waldorf Astoria will have to do.

Old city walls of Jerusalem Israel seen from King David Hotel with US, Israel and EU flags near pool

The Israeli, US, and EU flags were on display behind

the King David Hotel with

 the walls of Old City in the background.

Chanukia on display in Mamilla Mall as people walk under in mall

Hanukkah menorahs are placed in hundreds of locations.

Choir performs at Hanukkah performance for grandparents in Gush Etzion Efrat

Thousands of school performances

large, and not-so-epic, have been held.

So what about the “tense” situation?

On road to Efrat red warning Israel prohibiting Israelis to enter way to Bethlehem

Those red signs and IDF security posts

are the norm for the outskirts of Bethlehem.

Muslim woman and child in Liberty Bell Park in Jeremiahs Israel

Parks may be a little less crowded,

but I did not find the that the “situation”

was much different than usual.

There are neighborhoods of New York,

Washington, DC, and Chicago,

I would never walk through,

and where driving can be dangerous.

The Tower of David Museum opened a new exhibit,

A General and a Gentleman

Allenby at the Gates of Jerusalem;

there was no way I was going to miss this event in the Old City.

Macabees to Allenby poster

Since the viewing Balfour-Allenby Exhibit

at the Israel National Library,

I have anxiously awaited December 11, 2017.

December is an important month for religious holidays.

Exhibit in Tower of David Museum for 100 years Allenby

Hanukiot are on display,

text description Allenby

this photo has the explanation.

There are dozens of original photos.

Keep in mind that World War I was first time soldiers

had cameras on the battlefield.

Not exactly Facebook live, but they captured memories

now frozen in time for over 100 years.

Three photos were ordered destroyed for proper procedure of British Narrative of war

The collection of authentic items and research is impressive.

Three official photos from the series are missing;

they were destroyed as they did not fit the British war narrative.

The exhibit runs until the fall of 2018,

but on December 11, 1917,

General Edmund Allenby entered through Jaffa Gate

to an impoverished Jerusalem.

100 years after actor dressed as General Allenby enters Jaffa Gate Jerusalem Israel

Actors recreated the event,

and thousands of spectators, local and international,

Actor as General Allenby on steps of Tower of David Museum

crowded in to watch the reenactment of the original ceremony.

‘General Allenby’ spoke, and his heirs who came from England

joined local dignitaries, past and present.

Thousands were in the streets of the Old City,

without violence – so not news.

But about that rusty key of the city,

Actors Allenby and Lawrence of Arabia at Tower of David Museum after reenactment holding key

Mayor Nir Barkat did not keep it.

Allenby took it out of his pocket as he spoke to

Lawrence of Arabia after the program

inside Tower of David.

Facebook photos of A General and A Gentleman

Street sign in Hebrew for Chaukkah event in Jerusalem

Here’s hoping people will not miss the multitude of events

Poster in Hebrew for Hanukkah event in Old City Jerusalem Israel

 planned this week in Jerusalem.

School is out.

Museums are free for children.

Too many events to list, but here is a link

to some of the Jerusalem Hanukkah events.

Menorah for Channuka on roof top in Jerusalem Israel

From Cinema City to Safra Sqaure to Yes Planet,

look up and look around.

There is, as usual, too much to do on Hanukkah.

In Jerusalem, eight days are not enough.

חנוכה שמח

Happy Hannukah!

Hebrew sign on bus in Jerusalem Israel Old City

Time to get going,

the first day is almost over.

Hanukkah – Holiday of Lights

 Hanukkah is called Chag Ha’Urim, the Holiday of Lights.

Haunkiah at Kotel, Menorah at western Wall , Wailing Wall

 At the Kotel, the Western Wall, is one of the most famous hanukiot.

One of my favorite things in Jerusalem at this time of year

is that the usually shuttered windows at night-time

Jerusalem at Hanukkah time

are opened to show the burning candles.

oil menorahs, Jerusalem photos chanukah

 They are wide open to let the Hanukkah lights shine out to the street.

menorah in window, Jerusalem photo

At this yeshiva, there were hundreds of lights burning,

oil menorahs, Jerusalem photo tours

wow, they use a lot of olive oil.

The view in the windows upstairs in the Bet Midrash,

Menorah, Jerusalem photo tour

 revealed the main celebration.

We not only saw the light, but also heard the music on the street below.

Jerusalem photography tour, candle lighting, oil menorahs, chanukios

May the special beauty of the Hanukkah lights from Jerusalem, Israel 

spread throughout the world.

Chaukah candle lighting, Jerusalem photography tour

Chodesh tov and Shabbat shalom

decorated Hanukkah cake, a great miracle happened here, Jerusalem photography tour

Hanukkah sameach!

Happy Hanukkah!

Counting Chanukiot or Hanukkiot

Yesterday, 834 people in a hangar in the Princeton, New Jersey airport 

set the Guiness world record for the most Chanukiot lit at the same time.

I do not know if we could even get that many people 

in Jerusalem, Israel, to agree on anything.

It is even hard to agree on the spelling in English.

Are they Chanukiot or Hannukiot?

This time of year in Jerusalem, Israel,

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 Hanukiot, special Hanukkah menorahs,

DSC_0008

pop up on top of buildings,

DSC_0018

and are displayed in windows

DSC_0122m

in all colors and types.

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They are sold at many craft fairs before the holiday 

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and can be found on top of cars during Hanukkah.

We have done whole blogs on Just Chanukiot in the past

and Chanukkah lights.

So what is new and different this year?

I set out yesterday to check the Jerusalem streets, 

but did not get very far before the rain started.

rain in Jerusalem, mud puddles

There are those who count every single millimeter of water, 

 yesterday it came down in buckets.

When it rains in Jerusalem, the sky gets grey and the people go inside.

Israel Museum

At one popular destination is the Israel Museum, the garden was empty,

Israel Museum

as people looked for shelter and families filled the children’s sections,

hand made menorahs

where Hanukiot were made of recycled materials.

But I wanted to find the special Hanukkah exhibit

Israel Museum chanukiah

 on Hanukiot

Israel Museum, exhibit chanukiah

 from around the world:

menorah from Yemen, chaunkiah

simple ones from Yemen

IMG_0783

as well as ornate ones from Europe.

Israel Museum, chaukiah

Families looked at the various small Chanukiot

Israel Museum, chanukkah

and admired the large ones,

large menorah, chanukia

while the weather outside also got plenty of attention.

I really wanted to go across the street to see the new

“Fire” exhibit at the Bloomfield Science Museum

But I was still wet, so I went home to get some hot tea and dry clothes.

Today the sun is shining again, it is a much better day for photos.  

Happy Hanukkah!