Western Wall – Page 20 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Chasing Supermoon in Jerusalem

November 15, 2016November 16, 2016Sharon A

Supermoon, a very hyped supermoon,

was to be seen over Israel,

the largest since 1948.

Feeling much like Don Quixote,

I joined other photographers before dark,

all looking for the perfect vantage point

to get the best shot of the Supermoon rising

over the Kotel, the Western Wall.

Oops–the first glimpse of light

was a tease, as it turned out to be hotel lights.

But there it really was,

the Supermoon rising

over the Kotel, covered by clouds.

The clearest photo of the Supermoon rising

was hardly an epic photo.

Photographers packing up,

a couple walking on the dark streets of Old City,

and the lights of the shops near Jaffa Gate,

all made for better photos

on the unusually warm November night.

Finally, by the time I got to Jaffa Gate,

the clouds had cleared and the moon was high in the sky.

So as the Man from La Mancha chased his windmills,

I chased around the walls of the Old City

to find the Supermoon

appearing over the walls.

It looked like it usually does,

every month on the night of a full moon.

Today on social media there are some epic photos,

plus #supermoondisappoint comments and pictures.

So here you have it,

my Supermoon over Jerusalem, Israel.

I would like to know how anyone got a good shot

without combining two photos.

I did not catch the moment.

Later at home,

I was able to color my moon pink.

If anyone who wants one to look like blue cheese,

I can do that on request.

Lots of hype, lots of hopes,

but my advice is

come visit us any month to see the full moon.

No need to wait for another Supermoon.

Jerusalem: No UNESCO

October 14, 2016rjstreets

Absurd.

Beyond belief.

Crazy.

Delusional.

1929 – 1933 – 1947 – 1956 – 1967

1973 –

on the holy day of Yom Kippur,

Arab armies tried to destroy Israel.

They failed.

Over and over they failed.

So they began a campaign to rewrite history.

In Gaza, synagogues were destroyed,

ancient and new, to wipe out Jewish history.

On the Temple Mount,

the Waqf destroyed layers of history,

to expand its control and build new mosques.

The slightest Israeli innovation in the area

was cause for international crisis.

Now, on the day after Yom Kippur,

UNESCO has entered the fiasco,

giving the Arab narrative a stamp of approval.

From a new building on Hanevi’im Street,

on an old Jerusalem, Israel street,

one of the first outside the walls of the Old City,

the view to the left,

and the right may not be familiar.

But

look straight ahead to the Mount of Olives.

The Dome of the Rock,

where Mohammed’s horse took flight,

was built on the Temple Mount,

to insure that the Jews

would never rebuild their temple again.

There are thousands of Jewish graves in the background.

We once heard Rabbi Steinzaltz say,

“Yichus is like a potato,”

the best part is in the ground.

The graves on Mount of Olives

are testament to the Jewish presence in Jerusalem.

In the Yom Kippur service,

the words ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘shalom,’ peace,

are repeated over and over.

The latest UNESCO resolution is absurd.

But as Abba Eban said years ago,

“If Algeria introduced a resolution declaring that the earth was flat

and that Israel had flattened it,

it would pass by a vote of 164 to 13 with 26 abstentions.”

Nothing new under the sun?

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem, Israel.

Walk Around Jerusalem See the Gates

August 15, 2016rjstreets

Have you ever walked around Jerusalem?

That is, have you ever walked

around the Walls of the Old City?

On Tisha B’Av night for the last few years,

I have walked around the walls,

and this time I took photos to share with you.

Security was visible,

but not more than in previous years.

The route starts on Agron Street and goes past the hotels.

With King David Street in the background,

as we turned the corner headed to the Old City,

there were hundreds of people, young and not so young,

some walking with baby carriers and some with canes.

Distances are not what most expect,

for it take only minutes to

pass the first gate – the New Gate.

Everyone walks together as a group

carrying dozens of Israel flags,

on to a quiet Damascus Gate

and a quieter Flower Gate.

We walked by the Rockefeller Museum on the left.

Before you know it,

it is time to turn the corner.

The lights on the walls of the Old City

shone brightly against the dark sky.

Soon we approached the Lion’s Gate,

on a street closed to traffic and quiet,

in stark contrast to the Kotel,

the Western Wall.

Tens of thousands came to mourn,

some sit all night on the stones.

Every day thousand of people come to Old City,

but not many have walked around the walls.

I hope you have enjoyed this brief tour,

and perhaps you will come soon to see for yourself.

Jerusalem, Israel, on Tisha B’Av,

a unique experience.

Additional photos HERE