Jerusalem Summer Nights

During summer evenings in Jerusalem, Israel,

Yemin Moshe street

I could wander the streets of Yemin Moshe every day

and never be bored, as there is always something new.

Often in the evenings, young brides come for photos,

but only recently  did I see

Palestinian couple

 a woman elegantly dressed in wine color and gold.

Ah, wine.

The Jerusalem Wine Festival at the Israel Museum

has become a popular August tradition.

Wine festival crowd at Israel Museum

Thousands crowd into the Museum Gardens each night,

Wine Festival crowd

 with a sell-out crowd on Thursday night

for wine-tasting, live music and more.

 Thursday night events have been hard to keep up with,

as there are so many new ones this summer.

Night Market Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Night Market on Jaffa Street

scene from Aion Square

was full of vendor stalls at Zion Square.

night on jaffa road

While closer to Kikar Safra, Government Square,

the new street installation provided a

Jaffa Street Jerusalem Israel

misty shower to those who got close.

Jerusalem Night Market

One vendor seemed to open up shop without need of an official stall.

Crowds have come back to the Jerusalem City Center,

Ben Yehuda at night

leisurely strolling on Jaffa and Ben Yehuda Streets,

Ben Yehuda Street msuicain

with musicians performing along the way.

Another free August musical event is held on

Thursday nights in the Hansen House Gardens.

Hansen House at night

A brightly-lit path led to the entrance

Hansen House at dark

of the renovated old hospital building.

Oh so different from a few years ago,

Music at Hansen House

it is open to the public, with colorful lights and music.

Hansen House music at night

Now it is possible to listen, enjoy, and relax in a swing.

Music from parks and First Station are some of the wonderful

sounds filling the Jerusalem, Israel streets.

While a cool night and humid, grey morning clouds

 were the first signs of end of summer,

 there is still time for Mini-Luna Park, Children’s Park in First Station,

and Dinosaurs at Botanical Gardens before all schools start.

The annual Beer Festival and Sacred Music Festival

will end the summer festival season.

Always much happening in Jerusalem, Israel,

not news, but new good stuff mixing with the old.

Jerusalem: Gay Parade Photos You Did Not See

It is hot outside.

It is so very hot that the cold water from the tap needs ice to cool off.

Wild forest fires were burning.

The smell of burnt wood filled the air last night.

Shira Banki, the girl stabbed at the

 Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance died of her wounds.

SIGH.

JustinRoths and now Laura have been writing,

 many more friends are posting on Facebook.

I posted on the parade on Israellycool last week.

However,

I did not do a RJS Shabbat Shalom greeting.

But not to say something, to ignore events turning Jerusalem,

Israel, and Israelis inside out?

Enough.

That fateful Thursday afternoon,

I went to see what was happening,

and I want to share some photos of scenes you did not see.

gay parade

Gan Ha’atzmaut, Independence Park

had a nice size crowd gathered for the start of march,

 rainbow colors were even on cars.

The crowd seemed larger than previous years.

The route was different from last year,

horse and police patrol

 as always the police horses were worthy of a look.

I was on Lincoln Street minutes before the stabber.

wedding carcar decorated for wedding

There was a car decorated for a Tu B’Av wedding,

this is wedding season, heat or no heat wave.

street blocked for gay parade

City buses blocked traffic for the parade,

and some people were held up for two hours.

Jerusalem street photo

Walking was best way to get around.

But, there were so many other things happening too.

networking group

Made in Jerusalem was celebrating

Jerusalem’s ranking as one of the top 50 start-up cities.

People were also gathering near them at First Station

for a Klezmer band to start performing,

part of Klezmer Festival taking place in many venues.

Muslim pcinic

Muslim families were picnicking in this park,

while at Kraft Stadium the annual Woodstock Revival was rocking on.

train that takes tourists around old city

The new tourist train to Old City was running.

elevator

The new elevator at the Cinematheque is coming along,

to provide better access for the disabled.

construction Jerusalem

 Isrotel Hotel across from First Station is going up.

Jerusalem street photo

At least one women on Emek Refaim was using her head,

Jerusalem cafe street photo

while others at this cafe were looking down.

Really big news,

Jerusalem Street photo

 a 5 shekel cafe has opened in the German Colony.

Around the corner,

building Jerusalem photo at night

the Christian Embassy lights go on as it gets dark,

always a beautiful scene.

There are all kinds of jokes and myths about full moons,

but that night was also a ‘Blue Moon’.

Jerusalem sunset

Blue moons are not blue,

they just happen once in awhile.

That night the full, blue moon rose over the Kidron Valley.

As traffic was stopped for emergency crews and police,

 just a few minutes and meters away,

all was so peaceful looking.

Today it was so very hot,

Jerusalem street photo bus stop

as these women were waiting for a bus,

at the stop along the march route,

another day on the Jerusalem, Israel streets.