Favorite New and Old Sukkot for 5775

The holiday of Sukkot,

image for sukkos

involves intense preparation,

image luvav

and checking of many specific details.

As soon as Yom Kippur is over,

image sukka on sidewalk

sukkot seem to pop up all over.

Thousands of tourists arrive in Jerusalem, Israel,

many want to sleep in a sukka and many more to eat in one.

image round sukka

At the Kings Hotel the familiar sukka is up on the roof

image plain sukkah on roof

and a simple wooden sukka cna be seen at the King Solomon Hotel.

image sukka on roof Inbal Hotel

At the Inbal Hotel, look up for the fancy private sukkot.

This year due to the Formula Road Show,

iamge security

outside the King David Hotel had a different look,

image large sukka construcition

but the large porch out back was getting ready as usual to be a sukka.

image new sukkahs this year.

New buildings near the YMCA

have sukkot up on porches and down in the courtyards,

image sukkah

and new Touro restaurant at the Jerusalem Press Club is ready to use.

But also new this year is the Waldorf Astoria Hotel,

photo flowers Jerusalem Israel

where I still have trouble getting past the gorgeous flowers,

image Waldorf AStoria Jerusalem special lobby

and the birds and fountain below.

Their sukka,

image sukka in atrium of Waldorf Astoria

in the Atrium

image special sukka

is the new wow must see sukka this season.

I must get to working on holiday details here,

time to clean and decorate our sukka!

I’ll end with two old favorites,

our sukka on a camel photo was posted by Times of Israel on Facebook,

Sukka photo, Image unusual sukkah

it received so much attention that here it is again.

image Hebrew sign on Bus

RJS along with the buses

wishing all a happy holiday.

Waldorf – Astoria in Jerusalem

While most media attention was focused on Holyland this week,

I would like to share some photos from a different major building project.

image Waldorf, photo doorman, picture man in top hat

The new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem, Israel, has opened its doors.

Since Passover time, a doorman in a top hat has been on duty.

I have been fascinated by the progress of its construction,

image Waldorf Jerusalem, photo WAldorf

from a shell in November 2010,

image Waldorf Jerusalem, photo hotel

 February 2011,

image hotel being built, Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem image. picture hotel

and April 2011.

Not only by day, but when it was lit up at night,

image Waldorf at night, photo Waldorf Jerusalem, picture Waldorf Astroia

as in September 2010,

image Waldorf Jerusalem

January 2011,

image Waldorf Jerusalem, photo Waldorf Astoria, picture Waldorf Jerusalem

and as recently as in January 2014, I had to stop.

image Waldorf, photo hotel

For years one had to walk in the street as in April 2011,

on or on the other side of Agron Street.

DSC09183b

Once they built a cement wall, but then quickly removed it.

image working on hotel, photo Waldorf under constrution

So much work and so many workers,

image working on Waldorf, hotel under construction

on scaffolding and in windows.

image new hotel Jerusalem,

Sometimes I’d wonder what they were thinking,

image Waldorf construction, photo hotel,

and what they were doing.

Waldorf under construction photo.

Since the summer of 2010, the residential apartment building

image Waldorf Jerusalem

and the adjacent hotel structure,

IMG_0104b waldorf Jerusalem

 have slowly risen (September 2011)

view of Waldorf Astoria Hotel

 and slowly progressed (May 2012).

The decades-old original facade was cleaned up and remains,

photo inside Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem, Israel

while the inside of the atrium and other details have been upgraded to the max.

image Waldorf Hotel, photo inside Waldorf Jerusalem

Twice I have gone inside and have had a hard time

just getting past the beautiful flowers displayed near the entrance.

People are wandering in to look, to sit and have a drink.

Weddings are scheduled,

and conferences are being held in the Waldorf-Astoria luxury hotel.

Other Jerusalem, Israel, hotels have started upgrading their facilities,

as everyone has to go up a notch now.

photo no bus sign, image Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem, Israel

FYI, Top hats and wonderful service yes,

but NO buses allowed in front of hotel.

If you have a few spare million dollars lying around,

there are still flats for sale in the building next door,

just across from the Mamila Mall and minutes from the Old City.