Safra Square

Lights in the Square

rjstreets

In some Jerusalem neighborhoods, Chanukah is celebrated

  with eight nights of singing and dancing in public areas.

Following two wet and rainy evenings…for the seventh candle,

on Monday night, December 26, 2011,

the weather was perfect in Mamilla Mall.

 Men were dancing to the live music,

but everyone tried to stay clean as they ate the sufganiot.

The official Jerusalem Chanukah celebration

  ‘Or Bekikar’, ‘Light in the Square’ was held in Kikar Safra, Safra Square

 on the seventh night of Chanukah.

The program began with the lighting of the Chanukiah and blessings.

However, this festival of light had little to do with the holiday;

it was a light show with loud music.

 Traditional Chanukah characters were missing.  

Actors from the Mystorin Theatre Group circulated in the crowd,

while illuminated characters entertained from above.

Hundreds of people partied

and posed for pictures 

with the entertainers.

A female singer was the opening act on the large stage and

performers with lit torches juggled them from special small stages.

 Still more characters kept coming.

Electrical wiring strung for the evening almost caused an accident,

but audience members rushed to help and were ready 

 for the next character who was able to avoid a collision.

Lots of color and light filled Safra Square,

and DJs kept the music going during breaks in the live music.

It was especially nice to see that the event was accessible to the disabled.

The night air was getting cooler, so by the time the next performer

and the headline band came on stage,

 the glowing heaters were really appreciated by the crowd.

The audience was a mix of all ages and populations in Jerusalem.

Thousands of people were celebrating in public squares and streets

all around Jerusalem on the seventh night of Chanukah

…that was what was really happening.

More photos:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.297548310287981.68748.152997821409698&type=1

Not Tahrir Square

rjstreets

World media attention is focused on Tahrir Square with its exciting photos,

 by comparison Jerusalem’s Safra Square is downright boring.

A public meeting held in the City Council Meeting room on November 23, 2011,

chaired by Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Naomi Tsur was ignored by the press.

After her hour-long report on waste management, physical accessibility,

affordable housing and parks, transportation and a green Jerusalem,

there was a discussion group for each topic where the public could speak.

Each group then reported back to the full assembly during the last hour,

with an attentive Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat present.

He listened to each presentation,

took extensive notes,

and then responded.

The event was more civil, orderly and democratic than many US town meetings.

Near the end a man came close to photograph the mayor,

followed by a second photographer, otherwise the crowd sat politely and quietly.

Though a short power outage occurred during the mayor’s remarks,

 Naomi Tsur had good reason to smile at the close of the meeting.

After a resident of an Arab neighborhood gave an impassioned speech

 wanting good schools for his children at the housing session, he received applause.

The only noticeable  group missing were the Ethiopian olim,

possibly because of the Sigd holiday that is being celebrated this week .

The mayor used the word “savlanut”, patience more than once in this remarks.

Savlanut is usually needed in Jerusalem,

 a meeting like this one could be one small step in a positive direction.

Additional photos on The Real Jerusalem Streets Facebook Page.

Restoring Courage

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Thousands of people from all around the world

came together on the afternoon of August 23, 2011 to support  Israel

with Glen Beck’s “Restoring Courage” mega-event.

The main event was held at the Southern Wall excavation site

near the Kotel, Western Wall in the Old City, with entry for ticket holders only.

In addition, the event and the warm-up show were broadcast on a large screen

 to a large crowd in Safra Square in Jerusalem at no charge.

The tourists seated in a reserved front section received bottles of water,

when the screen showed the audience at the Davidson Center in the hot summer sun,

the regular seating in the shade at Safra Square seemed much more comfortable.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin began the program,

and was followed by Dudu Fisher who led in the singing of Hatikva.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat spoke next.

 The event was also broadcast live around the world to gatherings of supporters,

like this one in Charleston, South Carolina in the United States.

Glen Beck spoke passionately of his support for Israel

and the need for good to triumph over evil.

Outside Safra Square there were people waiting for the light-rail trains to arrive

or others just shooting the breeze;

but for many, this was an important, even a patriotic event.

Love him or hate him, understand him or not,

Glen Beck brought thousands of visitors to Israel

and the dire ‘end of days’ predictions did not come about.

  Jerusalem may have been quiet,

but another 20 rockets were fired overnight from Gaza

 aimed at the 1,000,000 people living in southern Israel and a baby was injured.

Israel responded by targeting a weapons factory in Gaza.

Israel needs not only courage,

 but the right to live without the constant threat of terror.