Western Wall – Page 25 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Jerusalem New Arena Opening September 11

September 11, 2014rjstreets

School has started and another week has whizzed by.

The countdown for Rosh Hashannah has begun.

You can feel the seasons starting to change with cooler nights.

Headlines were made when Light rail trains were attacked

in some Arab neighborhoods,

and also of attacks in the French Hill neighborhood.

Sadly, French Hill residents have had trouble with some Arab neighbors for years,

but it was not newsworthy until this recent escalation of violence.

However, this Arab woman was waiting to ride the light rail this week.

There were fewer Arab girls on the streets over the summer,

and there were fewer people on the streets tourists were missingl.

Now, Jaffa Road is looking busier every day.

This week Jordan complained about a “wooden bridge.”

Someone decided to build a second wooden ramp to reach the Temple Mount.

The wooden structure on the left is the only access for non-Muslims.

Though this new one is much smaller, it is coming down.

For a $15 billion gas deal, Jordan gets its wish?

The summer concerts at Kikar Safra

featured music of the Beatles and ABBA.

The last free music concert of season is tonight,

at the Pianos at Jerusalem Theater.

But the big, really big, biggest news in the Middle East,

is opening of the new Jerusalem Arena tonight.

The first press conference was held in the special press conference room,

with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and leaders of the massive project.

Built next to Teddy Stadium and near the Malha Mall,

the view from main lobby of Jerusalem is impressive.

The main floor can be changed for events – sports, recreational and cultural.

There is seating for 11,600 people,

and 16 executive boxes.

I wondered if I would get back to a VIP suite,

and assumed it was my last chance to hang in a locker room with the Mayor.

Workers were all over trying to finish up for the opening tonight.

70% of the 400 million shekel cost was covered by the Israeli Lottery,

but many wish some of that money would go to finish up school construction.

We lived near Washington, DC on September 11, 2001.

As the world remembers those lost in NY Trade Towers,

we also remember those killed in the Pentagon that day.

Sept 11 should have been a wake up call

for US & for the world to terrorism.

Meanwhile, in Israel,

though there have been a stream of terror attacks,

we have two things in our favor,

as shown here.

The inaugural ceremony of the new Jerusalem Payis Arena

will be a salute to soldiers of IDF.

Beautiful Jerusalem Scenes then Rocket Siren

August 20, 2014rjstreets

Last night as the sun was setting,

traffic around the Old City was heavy and slow.

Mamilla Mall was crowded with people.

The usually deserted Artists’ Colony was alive for

Hutzot Hayotzer, the annual international arts festival.

Security was tight for this mega rip-off, but hugely popular

international fair of merchandise and food.

This man was taking advantage of the crowds,

hoping to raise money for sick people.

I walked through Teddy Park,

across from the Walls of the Old City, this former No Man’s Land,

packed with people.

I imagine the designer of the special water fountain

thought of it as a place where people would come together,

but this corner as a place for afternoon prayer services?

Jaffa Gate was unusually quiet, the Arab vendors were not around,

and one of the major gifts shops was closed.

Israelis were out to enjoy the last of summer evenings,

but tourists have been scared away this summer.

Too bad they are missing the sights,

like the beauty of Hurva Synagogue as the sun sets,

the Old City views,

and seeing the majesty of the Kotel, the Western Wall, up close.

But my favorite scene was nearby on the Kotel plaza.

A soldier just back from reserve duty, still wearing his gun,

had come to the Kotel with his young family.

He was surrounded by young admirers.

Perfect weather.

All was calm.

But,

Hamas broke a cease-fire for the 11th time,

and for the second day in a row southern Israel

was pounded by rockets and mortars from Gaza.

Then,

last night the warning siren went off

as we were on way home from the Old City.

We had to get out of the car

and run to stand near a wall with no glass windows.

We then heard a boom in the distance.

It was a quiet street, with nothing special to photograph.

But the family members who were at the Kotel,

had to first go up against the wall,

then were sent into the tunnels to wait out the ten minutes.

Hamas was trying to hit Jerusalem, Israel,

with their rockets…again.

100 rockets launched at southern Israel since midnight

and 30 targets attacked in Strip overnight,

for way too many sleepless nights.

Rocket sirens now in Beer Sheva,

too many places to list.

How did so many thousands of rockets get into Gaza?

How did so little else get accomplished by Hamas?

Jerusalem Day: Israeli Flags and Parade

June 1, 2014rjstreets

Thousands of people are marching down 5th Avenue in New York City

for the annual Israel Day Parade #TogetherOnFifth,

after months of intense organization and planning.

On Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, we also had a parade.

Overnight all the yellow and white Vatican flags were gone,

replaced with blue & white Israeli and Jerusalem flags.

The streets were crowded with tens of thousands of people,

carrying thousands of flags,

for the annual Rikudegalim, Dance with the Flags

or Flag Parade.

Streets that were closed for the Pope were shut down again.

But this time people did not stay away,

Aleh students came in their wheelchairs.

Thousand of girls with Israeli flags

had their own place to sing and dance.

And these two guys were trying awfully hard to see them.

In the crowd it was hard to see, so sitting on shoulders provided a better view.

The buses blocked traffic so the parade could pass,

as the streets were filled with people long before the official start time.

The hotel balcony gave people a great vantage point.

Outside Heichal Shlomo, men and boys were packed in,

ready to march to the Western Wall,

to enter by same gate as the paratroopers did in 1967

when they liberated the Old City from Jordanian control.

With people coming in all directions all afternoon,

this parade may not have been as carefully organized

as the one in New York City,

but it was the ultimate blue & white photo-op.

I heard of girls who needed a police escort out of the Old City,

as glass bottles were thrown at them.

But though Yom Yerushalayim is not yet a national holiday,

people from all over the world came together to celebrate.

And on King George Street where the masses were having fun,

there was no violence, so it did not make the news.