This summer ebbs away in a time blur of heat and war, with a broken foot and hopping on one leg.
However, I remember where I was standing almost 20 years ago. Workers took down a sign in Hebrew, which read ‘Hebrew University – 44 Jabotinsky Street’ and stomped on it.
I stood watching in shock.
That was the day I started carrying a camera in my pocket instead of my backpack.
If I could not redeem that historic sign, I was going to share photos of what was happening in Jerusalem.
Since 2018, I have been documenting one piece of history as it has developed.
With recent social media sharing about Israel’s negative treatment of religions, the time finally seemed right to share the truth.
St. Antonia Convent Catholic monastery, as it was in April 2024, with nuns outside, was built in 1936.
This was the back gate where the Hebrew University sign was removed, and much later, the cross and name were added on top of the gated fence.
In 2018, the old little building in the back was one location of the Hebrew University library from 1948, when the Mount Scopus campus was forced to close.
The British had used the building as their Supreme Military Tribunal headquarters during the time of the British Mandate. Trials of Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi fighters were held here.
After the British army withdrew, it became a base for the fight to save Jerusalem.
The British took over the buildings they wanted. Israel gave Church properties back.
The little shack out back is still there.
As the main building has been redone,
the small building has been decaying over time.
Collegio Antonio, above the fence, no sign of Hebrew University remains.
This is the view from the front, which is across the street from Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence.
The landscaping and mosaics can be seen and appreciated inside the front locked gate.
Not just properties, but also people. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, while Reuven Rivlin was still president, Church leaders were hosted each year at Beit Hanasi.
The Israel Independence Day celebrations include all the religious leaders.
President Isaac Herzog met on Monday at Beit Hanasi with a delegation of Imams and Muslim community leaders from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Photo Credit: Amos Ben Gershom / GPO
The Muslim leaders’ visit included Yad Vashem, and they were welcomed in Israel.
This past Friday, tens of thousands of Muslims prayed on the Temple Mount.
So remember, not everything you see and hear on social media or the news is factual.
Not only is it how you crop the photo, but now it’s also how you clip the video.
Next year in Jerusalem, come see what’s happening for yourself.
The news cycle is changing so fast that it is hard to keep up today.
In Jerusalem and most of Israel, we woke to a warning notice followed by a siren to take shelter.
The US had bombed Fordow, the Iranian underground nuclear center. Severe damage and injuries are reported as Iran’s regime aims powerful ballistic and cluster bombs at Israeli cities and civilians daily.
Israel has been preparing for attacks by building shelters in new buildings. Here the underground hospital section of Hadassah Hospital Gandel Rehabilitation Center was ready for a Hanukkah celebration.
Today it is full and operating efficiently.
Shelters have been placed along southern roads and bus stops for safety.
In Sderot, shelters near schools are decorated to be welcoming to young children.
Hundreds of new shelters are being delivered to various vulnerable locations.
Following the Homefront Command updates is important, they change with the situation.
On Thursday, the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum reopened to the public in full coordination with the Home Front Command and the Ministry of Culture and Sport.
The Museum operated during its regular opening hours. All gallery spaces throughout the site serve as reinforced, secure areas, in full compliance with the latest security guidelines.
The Museum was the first cultural institution to reopen on October 9th in 2023.
Soon after, I was honored to be the first to take photos of a bat mitzvah girl who was evacuated from the south. Again, the Tower of David was a first to be reopened for the general public.
The new Tower of David Jerusalem Museum brings the rich history of Jerusalem to life in one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Located at the Jaffa Gate just across from the Mamilla Mall, it offers new immersive exhibitions in beautifully restored spaces, and a unique blend of archaeology, innovation, and storytelling. The newly accessible Museum works for children, adults, and senior citizens.
With the allowed 30 in a room at any one time, they followed the regulations.
Today, businesses and museums are again closed due to an increased threat
So sharing here a video with some of the new technology displayed on the stone wall.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a lifelong Jerusalemite, the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum offers a meaningful and inspiring gateway to the city’s past, present, and future.
A video of David’s wars has more views. But with plenty of war around us, it seemed a more tranquil section of the Tower of David Night Show would be appreciated.
The National Library of Israel in Jerusalem has been closed since October 13, 2025.
The main reading room is open with lots of light and glass.
However, the stacks are well below ground and designed to be protected.
Once again, the most valuable items were stored way for safety.
Following the IDF Homefront Command’s country-wide siren announcing the IDF strikes on Iranian targets at 3:30 am on Friday, June 13, the Library’s security, conservation, and logistics teams, together with CEO Oren Weinberg and Board Chair Sallai Meridor, arrived at the Library to dismantle the treasures housed in the William Davidson Permanent Exhibition Gallery, the Helen Diller Family Rotating Exhibition Gallery, and the David Berg Foundation Rotunda Gallery.
Carefully, manuscripts, rare books, musical scores, archives, and were moved underground into climate-controlled vaults.
As in previous serious attacks, April 13 and October 1, 2024, and mainly on October 7, 2023, when staff rushed to the building despite unknown unfolding danger — the Library demonstrated its steadfast commitment to safeguarding the treasures of Jewish, Israeli, and world heritage, preserving and protecting these invaluable resources for generations to come.
UPDATED to clarify:
With schools closed due to the war, the NLI building is closed, and content and activities for all ages are available online. English-language content is available at www.nli.org.il/en
So there you have it, a brief review from the real Jerusalem streets.
Before we too have to go again to a shelter for safety.
