Jerusalem Spring Colors

Passover is over.

It is back to school,

except for high school students who are on a two-day strike.

Back to work, back to “normal”

and trying to get back on a schedule.

Trash after holiday needs to be collected

It will take awhile to clean up mess left behind

by tens of thousands of people in all the outdoor spaces.

But I started the week indoors at the Israel Museum,

Israel Museum contemporary art

where colors are waiting to greet you.

What a treat,

I had a guided tour with the curator.

I am so pleased that I went back to get more of

 Pharaoh in Canaan: The Untold Story.

sphinx in Israel Museum exhibit on Pharaoh and Canaan

From a visiting the sphinx

Old dice from ancient Egypt Israel Museum Pharaoh exhibit

to games from ancient Egypt,

this is a fascinating era in history,

and one I had not thought about before.

With Passover over, do not worry,

there is no time to get bored.

It is now time for the Yoms,

Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day,

then next week Yom HaZikaron,

Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism,

followed by Yom Haatzmaut, Israel Independence Day.

Planes flyover Jerusalem Israel for Yom Haatzmaut

I love to catch the dress rehearsal flyovers.

Two planes flying over Jerusalem for INdependence Day show

This year there were only two small planes,

against the blue sky with wisps of white clouds.

Planes over Jerusalem Israel for Independence Day show

Only two short flights,

Planes flying in formation over Jerusalem Israel for Yom Haatzmaut

with two planes flying in formation.

I assume there will be much more action mid-day on Yom Haatzmaut,

and I plan to be in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park for the show.

The blue and white Israeli and Jerusalem flags

 Israel flags lining Jerusalem streets for holiday

are waving over many Jerusalem streets,

hung annually for the Yoms.

But new this week,

Colorful umbrellas in Music Square Jerusalem Israel

these large umbrellas

Music Square stage Jerusalem Israel

are hovering over Music Square in Jerusalem,

small umbrellas off Yoel Salomon Street Jerusalem Israel

with smaller ones in the lanes as you approach

the square from Yoel Salomon Street.

Jerusalem flowers colorful unusual

Color from real flowers,

food #D art on Jerusalem Israel streets

or another 3-D street art piece, or

Angry Birds poster in Hebrew in Jerusalem Israel

I love movie posters in Hebrew,

especially this red one is for “Angry Birds.”

Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day,

begins tonight, real torches will be lit at Yad Vashem,

but many buildings have not only blue and white Israeli flags,

Remembrance flame over King David Hotel for Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance day.

but also red and orange memorial flames,

like this one on the King David Hotel.

Slow, sad music has started on the radio.

On the Jerusalem, Israel streets,

it is easier to remember,

“Never Again.”

New for Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom HaZikaron

“As long as in the heart, within,

A Jewish soul still yearns,

And onward, towards the ends of the east,

An eye still gazes toward Zion.

Our hope is not yet lost,

The hope of two thousand years,

To be a free people in our land,

The land of Zion and Jerusalem.”

On the eve of Yom Hazikaron,

On Israel’s Remembrance Day for Soldiers and Victims of Terror

flame for memorial days Israel

flames are placed high above on many buildings.

It is a Day to Remember  every year.

military grave

 the young lives lost in too many wars.

There will be 23,320 Israeli flags placed,

one for each of those graves in cemeteries

located throughout Israel.

This past year 116 people were added to the list.

 Year after year much is the same,

as the sadness of Yom Hazikaron,

 is then transformed at nightfall into the celebrations of

sign Israel birthday

Israeli Independence Day.

I love the flyovers.

Knesset building with four planes flying near

 Even the dress rehearsal of the planes

woman looking at sky

attracts attention.

But you have to be quick to get a great photo

view of Jerusalem with 4 planes in formation

 and this year a bird got in my way.

Flags and planes are not the only symbols,

as you can see from this large Star of David hanging on the Chord Bridge.

In Israel, and especially in Jerusalem,

where there are so many ceremonies,

it can be hard to decide which one to attend.

 Some are prayer services.

This new Koren Yom Haazma’ut Mahzor,

with over 900 pages

new Koren mahzor

is a far cry from the xeroxed pages that we

used to use for Yom Ha’azmaut services.

This quality volume not only has all the prayer services

with full English translation and explanations,

but also includes services for

Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day.

Included in the 248 pages of essays,

are both original writings and some English translations

 of works first published in Hebrew.

The essay “Six Knocks” by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik,

was written for Yom HaAtzmaut 1956,

but all you need to do is change some of the names

and it could have been written today.

This post began with the Koren translation of Hatikva.

It is difficult, even with photos,

to explain,

 year after year,

what happens in Israel on these holidays.

Perhaps this volume will help those in the Anglo world

to better understand the words of Hatikva.

Full disclosure,

I was pleased to see that so many people 

 I know were involved in preparation this book.

חג שמח

Yom HaZikaron: National Day to Remember

Many small towns around Israel hold a community tekes, ceremony,

making it is easy to decide where to go on Yom Hazikaron,

the Remembrance Day for Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror.

One of the most impressive ceremonies I attended was in Arad,

in 2001, during the intifada.

Unlike the US Memorial Day weekend,

Dark street Israel

this day is not one of great shopping and happy start to the summer.

Israeli flag photo

Israeli flags, large and small, start to appear soon after Passover.

In Jerusalem, Israel, there are dozens,

perhaps hundreds of memorial events held on Yom HaZikaron.

Last year  I went to the main military tekes at the Kotel, Western Wall

Kosel remembrance flame, Wailing wall photo

where the huge flame was lit and watched over by a military honor guard.

Every year thousands attend and watch on TV.

Peres car at night

Here was President Peres’s motorcade on Jaffa Street

on his way to speak at this year’s tekes.

Yad Le Banim covered for security

Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke at a service at Yad LeBanim, 

so the site was covered over for security for days in advance. 

Israeli building with flags pciture

The Jewish Agency Building stage was ready for a morning program.

Flame for Yom hazikaron

Large memorial flames could be found in and on buildings,

Israel flag photo

as were signs publizing some community events.

Memorial for yom hazikaron

This Israeli flag, memorial candle and talit were the simple,

but meaningful display in the lobby of Heichel Shlomo.

So many choices;

but I wanted to see what was happening in Gan Sacher.

Night Yom Hazikaron Gan Sacher

Nothing.  

Other than an occasional jogger, the park was deserted.

While down the road, as usual,

Yom Hazikaron ceremony

hundreds attended the well planned program prepared by the Scouts.

Speakers slowly read the names of local fallen and the dates they fell.

25,578 people have been killed here since 1860.

92 lives were lost last year.

Everyone knows someone to mourn.

Israel at 65 sign

Yizkor, remember,

so many wars, so many more terror attacks,

but as soon as the sun sets,

it will be time to celebrate Yom Haatzmaut,

Israel at 65.

Am Yisrael Chai