Jerusalem Summer is Festival Time

Jerusalem Summer is Festival Time

Summer in Jerusalem, Israel, means it is festival time.

“Dream Herzl” is being held this week at the Har Herzl Museum on Har Herzl.

Har Herzl Museum with actor dressed as Herzl

Would or could have Herzl ever dreamed of any of these?

Entrance to Botanical Gardens for Playmobil Jerusalem Israel summer

PlayMobil Festival at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens is opening July 23.

New building at Botanical Gardens Jerusalem

The new center is getting closer to completion.

Jerusalem Israel Botanical Gardens wedding photos

Brides pose near the pond for wedding photos.

Summer 2018 pirate ship in Jerusalem Botanical Gardens

A PlayMobil pirate ship is ready for youngsters to climb.

Jerusalem Botanical Gardens sign for Playmobil summer event

The big sign is up, and grandmothers have arrived with young children, only to be told it is not open yet.

Children who live in Jerusalem from families with Yerushalayim discount cards can get in for free.

Will have to see if that is for the special summer festival also.

Jerusalem Theatre art display Ethiopian photos

Also free and open now are the galleries at the Jerusalem Theater. One foyer has black and white photos of Ethiopian Israelis.

Haredi art at Jerusalem Theater

Upstairs at the Henri Crown Auditorium is an exhibit called “Haready Made.”

Contemporary Jewish religious art of the Hamiklat, ArtShelter Gallery, is on display until July 7.

Outline Illustration and Word Festival in Jerusalem

The Outline Festival has 150 illustrators, animators, writers and poets, providing 15 exhibits in various locations.

Sign for Jerusalem Israel Iceland

Not free, but starting July 8, for the entire summer is IceLand.

Do you think Herzl would ever have imagined people would be ice skating in Jerusalem in August?

Performances and meetings in the park for children all summer in Jerusalem Israel

All summer, Jerusalem public parks will be hosting weekday events for children at 5:00 pm.

Rock, Paper and Scissors is a new exhibit opening at the at Tower of David Museum.

Haneviim Chazanut Festival in Jerusalem Israel

Three days of Chazanut, cantorial music, called HaNaviim, the Prophets, will be at Beit Avi Chai.

Then there is the Jerusalem Film Festival from July 26-August 5.

The annual Streetball Festival is the end of July.

Blood Moon over Jerusalem is on July 27 for Tu B’Av.

More than Herzl or the ancient prophets ever could have envisioned, is happening in Jerusalem.

However, today is July 4th.

Liberty Bell Park memorial for Yoni Netanyahu Jerusalem Israel

Entebbe and Yoni Netanyahu are remembered in Jerusalem’s Liberty Bell Park.

I decided to end with the US anthem from a special program honoring First Responders at the King David Hotel.

The program honored Israeli and US security, police, fire and EMT, all working together to make the world safer.

Herzl’s Vision at 120

Herzl’s Vision at 120

As the First Zionist Congress ended on September 3, 1897,

Theodore Herzl wrote in his diary,

“At Basel I founded the Jewish State.

If I said this out loud today,

I would be greeted by universal laughter.

In five years, perhaps,

and certainly in 50 years,

everyone will perceive it.”

Exactly 50 years later, on September 3, 1947,

the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine,

UNSCOP, submitted its report which became the Partition Plan.

Herzl’s vision was on its way to reality

with the UN vote on November 29, 1947,

and on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was proclaimed.

In 70 years, in spite of wars, terrorist attacks, missiles and boycotts,

things Herzl could never have dreamed have happened.

On the tiny, arid, barren hill that Herzl saw

Knesset at night as seen from the Israel Museum

today sits the Knesset building.

Across the road,

Night lights at Israel Museum

is the Israel Museum,

Dome of Book at Israel Museum at night

with its Shrine of the Book

housing the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls,

Night time view at Israel Museum

and a host of sculptures on the grounds outside.

For the visit of UN Sec-Gen Antonio Guterres

a special presentation was held at the museum

near the Archaeological Wing,

featuring five Israeli Start-Ups.

HomeBioGas uses waste for clean fuel for cooking Israel startup

1. HomeBioGas turns organic waste into

clean and usable cooking gas and liquid fertilizer.

Israeli startup does blood test with out waiting for Malaria

2. Sight not only can test blood for malaria,

but its technology enables doctors

to do a full blood workup in the office.

Aqwise uses plastic pieces for more size efficient cleaning of waste water

3. Those little plastic pieces in the aquarium,

from Aqwise make waste water clean efficiently.

Water from air at Israel Museum for UNSc Gen Guterres

4. ‘Standing around the water cooler’

Israel Museum for start up presentations for UN Secretary General Guterres

not at the office, but at this meeting with

the Secretary-General and the Israeli Prime Minister,

Meron Reuben with glass of water from air Israel Startup Watergen

took on a whole new dimension,

with Watergen, which makes water from nothing,

converting humidity in the air to drinking water.

UN Sec-Gen Guterres and PM Netanyahu raise glasses of water to drink, water made from nothing, but taken from air

L’chaim, to life.

Remote locations in India and Africa, Gaza,

and drought-stricken regions around the world

could benefit from these Israeli technologies.

5. Innovation Africa  has brought solar

and agricultural technologies to remote African villages.

“Our sages said, ‘From Zion will emerge Torah,’”

Netanyahu noted, adding,

“Well, from Zion emerges Torah, software, progress;

I hope with your help. So welcome, Mr. Secretary General.”

Problems in Israel,  for sure.

But so much good is happening.

Herzl could never have imagined how far

 and what  has developed from his vision over 120 years.