Jerusalem Time and Travel

Constantly, I find myself saying time goes faster in Jerusalem.

Certainly, the news cycle is hard to keep up with from week to week, or day to day – sometimes even minute to minute.

I remember this first image I took with my new camera was in the Knesset.

"picture honor guard", "photo honor guard", "image honor guard"

It was the day the casket of Yitzhak Shamir z”l was placed in the Chagall Hall, the main room of the Knesset Building, a historic event to remember.

Interesting timing.

“Today we mark nine years since the passing of the seventh prime minister, the late Yitzhak Shamir. We all recognize Yitzhak as a man of the Greater Land of Israel, a man of vision and action, who devoted his entire life to the state – in the underground, the Mossad, the Knesset, and the government” mentioned new Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the official statement released from his first convened cabinet meeting. “Shamir, together with Peres, established the first national unity government in 1984, and they knew how to bring ideological rivals around the government table.”

As the time of his seven-year term comes to an end, President Reuven Rivlin announced last night an official trip to the US. An invitation from President Biden to meet on June 28th at the White House was hard to refuse for the Israeli President.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz has approved the extension of IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi’s term for another year. Finally, Kohavi’s is traveling to the US, on a trip that was postponed due to the situation of those rockets from Gaza.

The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra is on its way to perform in Germany.

President Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado of Honduras is on his way to visit Israel.

The skies are opening up. Missions to Dubai keep flying.

People are anxious to get away, as schools (oh that year zoomed by!) begin long summer holidays. Some are already heading to the beach, some out of Israel now that travel is somewhat easier.

For me it’s been awhile since watching the sun rise over the Kinneret.

Things are beginning to happen again on the Jerusalem streets

Signs are up, Jerusalem summer festivals are returning this week!

Jerusalem, Israel, Festival opens at the Jerusalem Theater, with President Rivlin’s participation at a performance in memory of poet Yehuda Amichai. Mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Lion is also scheduled to attend on Monday night.

The Mekudeshet Festival is on in Abu Tor for three more events with free enterance.

The Hansen House is to host Runaway Circus on its grounds July 1-8th.

Jerusalem Jazz Festival, then the wine and beer are coming back too.

The official Hebrew Book Week is over. However, online programs are ongoing for book sales and author events. Plus, there are to be events for children, teens, and adults at municipal libraries.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Flag-Dance-Old-City-013-2-1-1024x597.jpg

The mess near the Prime Minister’s Official Residence is gone! This Shabbat for the first time in a very long time, it was quiet. Without the march of noisy protesters, I could leave my window open and see the beautiful clouds over the city as the sun was beginning to go below the horizon.

Looks like I spoke too soon!

The barriers were back today. Part of Balfour Street is still closed.

Also in his remarks, Bennett included: “The next-to-last point. Last week we witnessed coronavirus outbreaks in two schools and the infection of dozens of pupils. This stemmed from a failure to stick to quarantine by people returning from abroad and the professional assessment – and this is not yet certain – is that this is the Indian variant. Last night we held a focused discussion and the relevant ministers will hold an assessment along with the professional elements and the National Security Council about both the Indian variant and procedures for entering and leaving the country.”

Two weeks ago, then Health Minister Yuli Edelstein announced the end of the requirment of wearing masks with Prime Minister Netanayhu at his last big public event at the Jerusalem Theater. Since then, the government has changed. Benjamin Netanyahu is head of the Oppostion. Edelstein had time to go to the beach on Friday with his wife and post a photo on social media.

If you missed the post on Jerusalem Flag Dance and Parade, please take time to see what really happened on the Jerusalem streets. Damascus Gate was completely cleared before those with Israel flags were allowed to enter.

Police did an exceptional job in avoiding confrontations last week.

The press area included a significant number of women in hijabs.

It’s how you set up and crop the photo – a positive or negative event.

In Jerusalem, time and time again, one small provocation recorded on mobile phones can travel so much faster than the real story.

The Jerusalem municipality announced, Gan HaSoos, The Horse Garden, near the first location of the Knesset is to get a new look. The original name of the garden was “Menorah Garden” because of the menorah placed by the old Knesset building, before the Knesset moved to its present location.

Jerusalem Israel park with horse stature and Windows

The current name of the park, “The Horse Garden”, was given to it after the “Peace Horse” statue which was presented to the city in 1997, by the Slovenian government on the occasion of the city’s 3,000th-anniversary celebrations. The park was the site of the popular “Windows” exhibit, only two years ago, as part of the Mekedeshet Festival.

Two years ago, before corona, time is a blur, seems like so long ago.

This week synagogue services met again – inside without the dividers. The Great Synagogue is open and announced they are ready to host weddings and other celebrations again.

Here’s to hoping in a short time to see you all on the Jerusalem streets.

Best of Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut in Jerusalem

Best of Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Israel, for the Yoms 

as usual was overloaded with events,

 many this year influenced in anticipation of

Celebrating 50 years liberation of Jerusalem

50 years since the reunification of Jerusalem.

Israeli flags are draped down the sides of buildings.

Israeli flags Israel Museum for memorial and Independence day

These are at the Israel Museum entrance

where the dome of the Shrine of the Book can be seen.

Yom HaZikaron, Israeli Remembrance Day

for fallen soldiers and victims of terror,

began Sunday night with memorials throughout Israel,

and were accompanied by prayers, speeches and memorial flames.

The official state ceremony seen live on television,

was held at the Kotel, the Western Wall,

where President Reuven Rivlin lit the memorial light.

Ammunition Hill on Israel Memorial Day

Sponsored by the Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael Levin,

a memorial service was held at Givat HaTachmoshet, Ammunition Hill,

the site of deadly fighting to defend Jerusalem in 1967.

The program in English was live-streamed

and seen by over 16,000 people around the world.

All day Monday, tens of thousands of Israelis visited cemeteries.

Cemetery Jerusalem 1948-49

This cemetery has many graves from 1948-1950,

 the first years that Jews could not get to

the Mount of Olives due to the Jordanian occupation

and had to find new places to bury their dead.

One man standing by old grave in Jerusalem cemetery on Yom Hazikaron

On Yom HaZikaron, a man prayed by a grave.

Israeli military grave on Yom HaZikaron

A small Israeli flag with a black ribbon attached,

and small bunch of flowers, yizkor, remembers

Flowers, Israeli flag and black yizkor ribbon on 1948 grave

those much too young who died in war.

The cemetery is next to Harel Garden

Memorial wreath at Harel Garden Memotial

and Memorial wall, where this lone wreath was placed.

Walk around the memorial and you can see

At Harel Memorial distance to Gush Etzion lost in 1948 to Jordan

that Gush Etzion is 16 kilometers from Cinema City and

the Israeli Supreme Court and government offices.

Israel Yom HaZikaron at Har Herzel end of day

Tens of thousands came to Har Herzl Military Cemetery

during the day, to place flowers and to mourn,

remembering those lost to war and terror.

Woman sitting near graves of Har Herzl military cemetery Yom Hazikron

The crowds thinned at end of day,

Two soldiers walking on Har Herzl Cemetery

and all headed home from the Har Herzl Military Cemetery.

But as the sun set,

on another part of Har Herzl,

Stage ready for Yom Haaztmaut official televised program

the lights went on this huge stage,

celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut, Independence Day.

This year for the first time two non-Israelis were selected

with the honor of lighting one of the 12 memorial flames,

Rabbi Marvin Hier and Michael Steinhardt,

Two US honorees in Israeli ceremony

seen here before the official program began.

The show is telecast live and seen by thousands,

Show for Yom Haatmaut ceremony

but watching on TV you could not see them remove

the circle of fire used in one production number.

It is an extravaganza with set rituals,

Israel Independence day starts with lighting of ceremony torch

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat broke with tradition

when he joined with Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein

to light the official flame of Israel’s Independence Day.

waving flags and cheering

Seats were at a premium, the flag waving,

 cheering crowd did not need a lot of encouragement.

One of 12 torch lighters Chana Henkin

Besides the two Americans, I wanted to see Rabbanit Chana Henkin

 who was honored as one of the twelve torch lighters,

one for each tribe of Israel.

Dr Ahmad Eid speaks at Yom Haatzmaut ceremony

Dr. Ahmed Eid, an Arab doctor, was another honoree.

Military with flags at ceremony on Yom Haatzmaut on Har Herzl

The program featured songs and military colors.

Soldiers form a Jewish star during official ceremony for Yom Haatzmaut

For this shot, no seat in the stands would work,

Sunset at Har Herzl camera over head

only this overhead camera would do.

Afterwards celebrations went all night,

in too many locations to list, with prayers, songs and dancing.

Music for diplomats at Beit Hanasi Independence day

The next day at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence,

 120 outstanding soldiers were honored in the morning

Front row Beit Hanasi on Yom Haatzmaut

and in the afternoon rows of diplomats came,

Yom Haatazmaut at Beit Hanasi

along with one young Presidential grandson,

to pay their respects to Israel and hear the Prime Minister

and President speak on theme,”next year in Jerusalem.”

While the heads of consuls and foreign military were at Beit Hanasi,

Gan Sacher Yom Haatzmaut

thousands of Israelis were in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.

Lone Soldier Center mangal Yom Haatzmaut

Most of the green spaces all over the country were full of Israelis.

On the radio were announcements of crowded roads to JNF parks.

Couch brought to Gan Sacher

This family brought a couch to Gan Sacher,

which is one way to make your holiday mangal, BBQ, feel like home.

I know this is getting way too long,

but there was so much more,

like the Bible Competition, free museums, and performances.

festive meals, and those IDF flyovers and stunts.

Israel, after 69 years

as President Rivlin said, is young for a country,

 under constant threat and repeated attacks,

yet has accomplished so much.

So it was,

Flowers at Beit Hanasi 69

from memorials to celebrating independence,

so much happening in Jerusalem.

New Color in Jerusalem

Passover preparations and Israeli children

  being out of school on vacation all week,

plus the arrival of holiday visitors,

are keeping people very busy.

The 120 members of the 20th Israeli Knesset

were sworn in yesterday,

and then they all went on a month long recess.

There were two special ribbon cutting events

that I want to make sure you know about.

Sunday was the special launch of an

 environmental program called the “Green Knesset.”

The dairy cafeteria inside the Knesset building has

image Knesset inside

 large windows to let sun in to heat the room and floor,

and special shading to keep heat from sun out in summer.

But now the “Green Knesset” has added

image bins to recycle bottles

special bins for recycling,

and at meetings water will no longer be served in bottles,

 saving 60,000 plastic bottles per year.

Water, paper and electricity are to be conserved.

No more large mountains of paper for the budget,

as each member will get a disk on key instead.

Those responsible for the first stage of the

 sustainability project gathered together on the Knesset roof.

image Yuli Edelstiein and other dignitaries at Kneset

 Knesset Speaker MK Yuli Edelstein, smiling on the left side,

was the featured speaker

Israel Knesset building

and was honored to cut the ribbon on the roof

roof of Israel Knesset solar panel field

in the middle of the 1,406 solar panel field.

The next day a very different green project was opened,

the Jerusalem, Israel, nature reserve – the Gazelle Park.

opening Gazelle Valley nature park

The area where gazelles had roamed free,

did not go to real estate developers,

Jerusalem, Israel new park large water area

but back to nature and the people.

On opening day, thousands of all ages attended,

walking trail in Deer Valley Park

 walking nature trails,

Jerusalem Israel park

and listening to stories near the restored Orchard site.

sign in Valley of Gazelle water system

The water system is designed to sustain the plant and animal life.

Green spot in Jerusalem, Israel

In Israel, the end of winter means green grass,

dotted with colored wild flowers.

gazelle puppet on opening day of Gazelle Park

This was the only gazelle I saw on opening day,

but real ones are to have an area in which to roam free once again.

Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat smiling with children taking photos

Mayor Nir Barkat was smiling and posing for photos,

Nechama Rivlin cuts ribbon at Gazelle Park

and the ribbon was cut by First Lady Nechama Rivlin.

large nature park in Jerusalem, Israel

This Passover one does not have to drive or sit in car for hours to visit a park,

as the nature reserve is large, free to the public,

and open from 7:00 am to dark, 7 days a week.

Gazelle Valley 302b

Happy Spring Holiday.

פסח שמח

Happy Passover!