Priestly Blessing – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Sights and Sounds of Sukkot in Jerusalem

September 26, 2021September 26, 2021Sharon A

This time of year in Jerusalem, Israel, as the temperatures cool down and the Sukkot holiday season begins people come out of their homes, and the streets are filled with new strange sights and sounds.

In the Old City, in the Rova, the Jewish Quarter, there were many sukkot.

This large sukkah was at the Kotel, at the back of the Western Wall Plaza, and many more sukkot were visible above.

The festive Birkat Cohanim the holiday Priestly Blessing was scheduled for two days, not just one, to spread out the crowds and limit size and numbers attending this year for Sukkot.

Police and security were in place for the masses, but as you see on Wednesday, there were more security barriers than people at Jaffa Gate.

Inside Jaffa Gate, people went to pass through the Arab Shuk, as it was relatively quiet also.

Dignitaries were positioned to the left and up above the crowd at the Wall.

The whole service was broadcast live and available on YouTube both days.

I have come to Birkat Cohanim before, but certainly, on Wednesday, the scene was not like the usual as in 2012.

There was room for people to move freely, with the special security personnel wearing purple vests checking that everyone had a mask.

For the two minutes of the Birkat Cohanim, most people stood quietly. From this angle, the scene appeared similar to the past. It was so hot in the sun that my camera overheated, so I didn’t get a video.

But I did get a few minutes of the Musaf service to share with you. The choir added a more musical touch and length to the prayer service.

But Sukkot is about the sukkot, those “huts” or “illegal structures” that pop up and around the Jerusalem streets for this holiday week.

This one I had not noticed before and I’m not sure who built it.

I wondered how many others noticed it way up there over the Kotel Plaza?

Look up and you can see sukkot on porches, wooden ones and simple ones,

a sukkah on a Jerusalem porch with a wall of colorful fabric,

or made of wood with flower boxes.

The King David Hotel didn’t have the usual huge sukkah in their parking lot, but it looked like something was on the roof.

The Jerusalem Theater had a sukkah in front near the main entrance.

Some were placed on Jerusalem street corners.

This one was not new, but in a new location, off the new main sidewalk.

The giant sukkah in Kikar Safra was back. Who remembers that it was featured in one of the early RJS posts 11 years ago?

It is big, public, and with special times for the Jerusalem Mayor and his wife to greet the public.

Similar to old times, Mayor Moshe Lion and his wife, stood and posed for photo after photo. New, security checked for a green pass and mask to enter.

Across Jaffa Road from the Jerusalem Municipality is Shushan Street, dressed in new colors for the Sukkot holiday crowds to appreciate.

On Jaffa Road was a Chabad sukkah available for one to stop and make their holiday blessings.

But on the other side of the light rail tracks, Jaffa Road was lined with sukkot from the various food places for their customers to sit and eat.

Thursday evening families crowded around the various entertainers,

performers were every few meters, and other musicians were nearby.

Not sure what this was on Ben Yehudah Street, but it did get my attention.

One of several couples performing – more photos on Facebook – HERE

There were the traditional holiday sights in the Old City.

But this year for the first time there was a neighborhood street festival called The Heroines of the Palmach – for those interested, see more Here

Our sukkah was up and ready, and decorated in time for a photo, and happily withstood the wind and a little light rain.

Though we kept the meals much smaller than usual, it was good to have guests again after last year’s limitations.

We are only partway thru the holiday week, with Hashana Raba and Simhat Torah coming to make this another “short” week ahead. As we ask and try to remember each morning “what day is this”? More holiday events are planned, limited in scope, but at least happening much more than last year.

Shana Tova! In Jerusalem, signs are posted near major Jerusalem parks.

Here’s hoping this will be a healthy and good year for all!

Jerusalem Streets Go Virtual for Passover Pleasure

April 12, 2020Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel this time of year is usually one of the busiest.

Pesach, Passover, has many other names, including the holiday of spring, and the holiday of freedom. Streets are usually full of people, rental cars, tour buses, and holiday pilgrims.

This year the yearning for freedom from home isolation was felt around the world as the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic kept people inside their homes.

This year with Pesach and Easter coinciding streets should have been packed.

Instead, they are empty.

Three years ago this was the scene at the Kotel, Western Wall for Birkat Kohanim, Priestly Blessing.

Ten men prayed together at the Kotel and recited the blessing today.

A tiny microbe has done what wars, stabbings, suicide bombers, car-rammings and other forms of terror could not accomplish.

However, if nothing else, Israelis are resilient.

Moving off the streets and online, here are five suggestions to experience Jerusalem over this holiday week.

Instead of sharing places to go and things to do in Jerusalem, Fun in Jerusalem is offering at home ideas.

2. The Tower of David Museum has virtual tours free for this week, check out one introductory tour HERE

Or take time and explore the site for other tours HERE

3. The Jerusalem Cinematheque is closed. Last month when I went to a special performance, already concerned about the virus, I heard a woman coughing. Quickly I went in ahead of and away from her. Hard to believe that was just over a month ago and one of their last events.

However, the Cinematheque is offering a wide variety of entertainment links, from first-rate old US movies to ‘Peter and the Wolf’ performed by the Royal Ballet and Metropolitan Opera mega productions: HERE

4. The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem is also at work getting more content online: HERE you can see the video from Yemen exhibit.

5. Experience the Western Wall Tunnel Tours from home:

Sadly the exciting Jerusalem night shows are on hold.

But here is a bit of the introduction to the Tower of David Night Show.

And the City of David Sound and Light Show Finale.

Hoping all stay well, wishing you a healthy holiday.

Let’s keep in touch virtually, until we can see you again soon on the Jerusalem streets.

Passover — This Year in Jerusalem

April 22, 2019Sharon A

Cold. Wet. Rainy. Hail. Thunder.

These are not words one normally associates with Jerusalem, Israel, on Passover.

The holiday of spring feels more like winter this year.

However, tens of thousands of people crowded around the Kotel, the Western Wall,

and the Western Wall Plaza for the annual Passover Birkat HaKohanim, the Priestly Blessing.

In Talpiot, the bowling alley had a long, long line of people waiting to roll.

Due to the weather, museums with free entrance for children were more popular this year than traditional tiyulim, hikes in the countryside. The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem was “packed.”

The Israel Museum has a special section devoted to Passover.

There is even a video where one can watch how matzah is made by hand.

Special, distinctive seder plates are on display as well.

This is a 1925, three-tiered silver seder plate from Vienna with three sections for matzah.

The annual Passover clean up of notes left in the Kotel stones was done a week before the holiday.

On that morning I entered the Old City by way of the Jaffa Gate,

and unlike this morning, the plaza area inside was quiet.

It was possible to get this photo without any people.

Next to the Hurva Synagogue in the Rova, Jewish Quarter, this man sat and talked on his phone near the golden menorah.

In the women’s section a young boy and girl had plenty of room to dance.

This is the area that was entirely filled with people today in spite of the cold weather.

In the area where a stone fell last year, blue scaffolding was next to the wall.

And new stairs have been added near the elevator which is still under construction.

The ancient Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery still looks the same.

The wet winter was great for greenery, as seen in this view of Yemin Moshe.

Mitchell Park nearby next to the Artists’ Colony is also full of green.

Wild flowers behind the King David Hotel stand out after the spring rains.

In the Machane Yehudah Market, the shuk, this store covered its counters with foil, and was ready to put out its kosher for Passover food before the holiday.

One of the annual sights and smells of Passover on Jerusalem streets are the piles of fresh garlic for holiday cooking and to be dried out to use for the rest of the year.

And of course, around Jerusalem huge vats of boiling water were ready to kasher metal utensils.

One new and welcomed sight this year was these young men wearing gardener vests and carrying brand new shiny rakes and rolls of garbage bags. Mayor Moshe Lion had announced that the municipality was going to clean up public areas. Too bad I was on my way home and did not take the time to follow them to see their work area.

Chag Aviv Sameach in Yerushalayim.

Happy Spring Holiday in Jerusalem.

Tomorrow is to be warmer and it should start feeling like spring again on the Jerusalem streets.