See this week in Jerusalem: faith, memory, and celebrations

The Jerusalem streets are getting more crowded and busier as the days grow warmer.

Conferences and meetings, and tourists are arriving daily, despite the negatives you see in the news.

The Museum of Tolerance laid out a big blue carpet for the World Jewish Congress delegates from 72 countries who met in Jerusalem, Israel, for the first time in nineteen years.

The gala opening evening began with Eden Golan singing “October Rain.”

How was she in so many places this week in such a short time?

During the program, Sylvan Adams, the new head of WJC Israel, announced he wants another 1,000,000 people to immigrate to Israel in the coming year.

I was trying to get a good shot of the front row with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee. I noticed women dressed in white, but now I also notice the cool colors of those socks.

Between the speeches of unity, action, and impact, the Israeli singer David D’Or was one of the singers.

He had most of the audience up on their feet, and some dancing to his lively musical arrangements.

In contrast, the Award of Resilience was presented to hostage survivor Tal Shalem by Ronald Lauder, the WJC President. Shalem spoke movingly about his experiences.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee seems to be everywhere. Each time he speaks with encouraging words. His description of Iran as the kitchen from which all the terror comes, and as a tree that needs not to be trimmed but its trunk cut down, seems too good to be true.

Do his words reach Washington?

A unique event was held at the National Library of Israel on Thursday night, The Codices of Damascus.

Twelve of the ancient illuminated Bibles retrieved from Damascus synagogues in the 1990s were on display in the special exhibition space for a limited time only.

These volumes from the 13th century were considered good luck and stored away in Damascus synagogues before finding their way to Israel and the National Library for safekeeping.

The program was for the yahrzeit of Rabbi Avraham Hamra, the last Chief Rabbi of Syria, who died four years ago. It began with a memorial prayer by his son, Rabbi Benjamin Hamra.

Followed by an interview with Mossad’s Efraim Halevy, who, much to my disappointment, revealed none of the intrigue involved in rescuing the books. All he divulged was that he met the Rabbi in New York.

Besides the valuable Bibles, they helped hundreds of Syrian Jews escape from Syria to the US.

Besides the memorial for Rabbi Hamra, the evening was appropriate before Shavuot, the holiday of the giving of the Torah, the chain from generation to generation.

Also on Thursday night, the Tower of David was lit up for a special award ceremony.

Twelve veteran members of the Jerusalem community were honored for their varied accomplishments as builders of Jerusalem. Jerusalem Mayor Lion presented awards. A video interview was shown of each one.

The outdoor spaces were filled with families and friends of the distinguished twelve men and women.

Entertainment filled out the program, with the lights and sound resonating onto the Jerusalem streets.

Six of the honorees sat on each side of the stage area.

Former Deputy Supreme Court President Eliaykim Rubenstein spoke on behalf of the award winners.

More music filled out the program before the singing of “HaTikva.”

People honored as a Yakir Yerushalayim are all seniors who have helped Jerusalem in various ways.

The building goes on and on. First going down and down, before going up and up.

The programs for children keep going and growing in Jerusalem, too.

Jerusalem Old City Walls

Jerusalem was divided before 1967, for 19 years, when Jews were not allowed in the Old City.

It is important to remember.

Jerusalem on Yom Yerushalayim – the night of May 25- May 26, 2025 – is a reason to celebrate.

Chag sameach!

While the war rages, antisemitic attacks are worldwide, news headlines are bleak.

I will leave you with a bit of the music of David D’Or for the World Jewish Congress.

This week in Jerusalem – Am Yisrael Chai.

Five Jerusalem Events You Should Know About

With summer coming and the pandemic officially over, the crowds and tourists are returning to the Jerusalem, Israel streets.

So many good things are happening.

You will see blue and white flags flying.

Buildings rise higher and higher.

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Road works seem to be everywhere in Jerusalem.

A first this week – the security guard insisted on escorting me safely past the heavy equipment working on the road.

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A bit of surprise June rain and the grounds were still green.

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Yemin Moshe, as always a great location to stop and snap a photo.

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The fountain in Teddy Park is back on for summer fun near the Old City.

The old dragon in Liberty Bell Park is big and bright blue,

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and purple flowers abound around the Jerusalem streets.

However, this week I want to share 5 events you may not have heard about, not on the Jerusalem streets, but held inside involving thousands of people.

  1. The Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) held a quiz competition at the Jerusalem International Conference Center.

Throughout Israel, 5th and 6th-grade students competed on their knowledge of Israeli topics. The winning groups were set for a final round.

With a panel of judges, this was a more modest version of the youth Bible Quiz on Independence Day with the Prime Minister and Jerusalem Mayor.

Mostly enthusiastic young supporters from the various nine schools in the final quiz filled the auditorium.

I was so happy I was not a school chaperon as the questioning went on.

Also happy I did not have to answer the questions posed to the teams.

The competition included an impressive speed round.

In first place was Orot Etzion – Neve Daniel from Gush Etzion, and in second place was Jerusalem’s Yehuda Halevi School.

But at this event – all involved were winners!

The two young men who received the best score stayed afterward with their proud mothers to do a video for KKL-JNF.

2. The Jerusalem Prize for Israeli Unity was born as a social initiative on behalf of the families of the boys Yifrach, Shaar, and Fraenkel and the former mayor of Jerusalem MK Nir Barkat, after the kidnapping of Iyal, Gil-Ed, and Naftali z”l in the summer of 2014.

The prize was established in memory of the teens and the appreciation of the unity that enveloped Israeli society and Diaspora Jewry at the time.

At the ninth award ceremony held at Beit Hanasi, the only prize winner I was familiar with this year was Lori Palatnlk, founder of Momentum.

But Jerusalem, always a small world, I arrived home at the same time as my neighbor – who had been in the audience.

3. President Herzog was at the NBN Campus to open the day for the World Jewish Congress Jewish Leadership Bridge for the Future initiative.

International delegates sat with Israeli leaders at tables to meet and discuss the future.

4. This week started with volunteers from the past year Sherut Leumi honored, starting in the morning at the Beit Hanasi, President’s Residence.

Followed by an evening event in the Mitchell Garden for thousands.

The park was filled with food and activity options under a perfect blue sky.

The United Hatzalah volunteers are easy to spot in their orange vests.

Later, the Sultan’s Pool was the scene of entertainment for the volunteers who did their National Service in a vast variety of positions around Israel.

The week honoring volunteers ended at International Conference Center.

Unity was the theme, and Magen David Adom and United Hatzalah shared the space, but it was a men-only event with a musical program inside.

5. For this favorite annual event, you will have to wait until next week,

but here’s a clue about who were the sponsors.

Wonderful things are happening on and off Jerusalem streets.


Now you know about last week’s events with promises for the future.  

Why not come soon and see for yourself what’s happening in Jerusalem, Israel?

World Zionist Organization Meets in Jerusalem – What you did not see

The preparations for Israel to celebrate 75 years were well underway. Thousands of visitors arrived and came for the celebrations to be held for Yom Haatzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day.

Jerusalem street signs were up celebrating independence on all the corners of the city, plus parks and museums, and theaters.

In a prelude to the day, the World Zionist Organization held its Extraordinary Zionist Congress in the Jerusalem International Conference Center from April 19-21, 2023.

Newly elected WZO President Tova Dorfman opened the first plenary.

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People came from all over the globe for these political meetings of the 39th World Jewish Congress.

The American Zionist Movement held a special lunch meeting on the first day with Avi Mayer, the new editor of the Jerusalem Post, speaking and answering questions.

Also the first day in the afternoon, the Herzl Forum met at the ICC for a gathering of social and business, tech, and innovation leaders.

The second day opened with a program highlighting 125 years of Zionism.

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Networking, meeting new people, and catching up with long-time friends after the pandemic closed down tourism to Jerusalem were highlights.

Thursday morning the WZC delegates were a wide offered a variety of tours. However, one group decided instead to march with Israeli flags to the Knesset to protest the government.

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As buses returned, a buffet lunch was served.

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The first WZC afternoon plenary began with an award to Avraham Duvdevani. Duvdev, as he is well known, was one of the soldiers who liberated Jerusalem in 1967.  As an Israeli politician and activist, he has served both as the chairman of the WZO and chairman of the Jewish National Fund. Yaakov Hagoel, WZO Chairman made the presentation.

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As Duvdev returned from the stage to his seat, people got up from their seats and crowded around to congratulate him.

And then…the balagan began as the plenary vote on resolutions opened.

The stenographer trying to record the discussions could not keep up with the commotion on stage as the presidium decided to leave for Rabin Hall.

The Rabin Hall was one of many meeting rooms in the Convention Center renamed for this conference.

Meanwhile, in the main auditorium, delegates shouted “busha’ as it got later and later and I and many others had to leave.

However, what you did not see or hear about was another group meeting.

At the same time the “adults’ were disrupting, and continued to do so into the next day to protest the presence of MK Simcha Rothman in the building,

a youth conference for informal education and young leadership was held in the Convention Center. The 1000 young Israelis had the opportunity to meet with young people from around the world.

The enthusiastic delegates aged 18-23 represented 14 global Zionist youth movements from an impressive variety of countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, Netherlands, Mexico, Belgium, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Great Britain, South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Venezuela, Sweden, Denmark, and Israel.

They met and talked and interacted in large groups with translation provided, and ate lunch together in smaller groups.

They had panel discussions in various languages, here in English

and also Spanish for example.

While the World Zionist Congress ended with shouts of busha being heard,

the Youth Congress ended with the singing of Am Yisrael Chai.

An Extraordinary World Congress to celebrate Israel at 75.

With hope for the future with those Zionist Youth Leaders who were in Jerusalem from around the world meeting in the same Jerusalem International Conference Center. Hope they enjoyed their time on the Jerusalem streets and come back soon and often.