Tuesday Night Live

At the beginning of King George Street, next to the Great Synagogue and opposite the Sheraton Hotel is the Heichal Shlomo building. Heichal Shlomo is the former seat of the Chief Rabbinate.



The building serves a few different purposes these days, but the most interesting occurs once a month on Tuesday nights when they film Tuesday Night Live in Jerusalem.



It’s been years since I was in the old theater on the top floor of the building, but there it is, and packed to the gills.

Last night it was a political evening with the Religious-Zionist leaders running for Knesset: Yaakov “Katzaleh” Katz (Ichud Leumi), Moshe Feiglin (Likud/ManhgutYehgudit), and Prof. Daniel Hershowitz (Bayit Yehudi/Mafdal).



I won’t discuss politics, but all the speakers spoke well and the evening was extremely entertaining.

The token NIS 20 entrance fee means this is a great way to inexpensively have a very fun evening in Jerusalem.


SL

Sponsored by Warm the Needy

Tolerance

While many people have heard about the controversial Tolerance Museum, most people have not heard about the new Tolerance Park and Monument (no connection to the Museum).

Located immediately past the UN Headquarters just after the Tayelet in Talpiyot, this is nicely laid out little park and a stunning monument at its center.

And of course a great view of the Old City of Jerusalem.










SL

Yes, we have a new mayor!

What a strange race for mayor of Jerusalem that was.

It primarily pitted the Ultra-Orthodox Meir Porush against the Secular Nir Barkat.

As neither candidate had enough votes from within their natural constituency to win, both heavily courted the swing National-Religious vote who did not field any candidate of their own at all.

Barkat won with 52% of the vote to Porush's 43% (Gaydamak got 3.6%).

Barkat, who made his money in some well known hi-tech ventures and was running for the second time around, has some large and grandiose visions for Jerusalem. In fact he was the candidate who most explicitly laid out his plans for this city.

In his victory speech Barkat said, “Tonight Jerusalem, Israel and the Jewish People have won.” Barkat went on to thank his associates, supporters and families.

Barkat thanked all for the “privilege to be Mayor of Jerusalem.” He called Jerusalem Israel’s eternal capital. He said that the victory belongs to all of Jerusalem’s citizens, those with knit yarmulkes, those with see-through yarmulkes, and those with black yarmulkes. “I will be mayor for all of Jerusalem’s citizens, Jews and Arabs alike,” Barkat said.


Good Luck Mr. Mayor.




SL

Voting from Israel - the event!

Now, even from the Streets of Jerusalem it will be easy for Americans abroad to vote in the US elections thanks to VotefromIsrael.org.

Tel Aviv
Residents near Tel Aviv can submit your US absentee ballot and vote:

When: Sunday, October 26.
6:00 p.m. till midnight

Location: The Dancing Camel
HaTaasiya #12, Tel Aviv - Corner of HaMasger near the Central Bus Station


Jerusalem
Residents near Jerusalem can submit your US absentee ballot and vote:

When: Tuesday, October 28.
5:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m.

Location: The OU Center
22 Keren HaYesod, Jerusalem


If you have questions, just contact VotefromIsrael.org at: 052.569.7236





SL

As always, the Liberty Bell park was packed with thousands of people celebrating the end of the Sukkot and Simchat Torah at the annual "Hakafot Shniot" bash with the sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. Gluck.

President Shimon Peres spoke to the audience as did both Chief Rabbis.






SL

Sukkot Street Theater and Fair

I think its unfortunate that some of the political candidates for mayor like to say that Jerusalem is a cultural wasteland. Ever since Lupolianski became mayor I’ve found that there are far more interesting cultural events happening in Jerusalem.

And I for one appreciate that the various summer festivals (particularly the music intensive ones) were moved away from the 9 days (preceding Tisha B’Av – a period of national mourning) in understanding that a significant portion of the city’s citizens are not able to participate in those kind of events during that time.

One of the great ideas that was introduced is the Sukkot Street Theater and Fair.

Every Sukkot the residents of Jerusalem are treated to a major street fair festival in the Liberty Bell Park. There is an acrobatic circus, magicians, clowns, mimes, booths, food, music, and more.

It’s a lot of fun, and a great opportunity for this alternative art form to be presented to an interested and appreciative audience.











SL

Express Mail

In Israel, many common services are done at the Post Office. There is a Post Office Bank. You can pay your taxes and utility bills. You can even send mail.

The only problem are the lines. You can wait for a while just to pick up a single phone card or stamp, especially if it's around the time of the month when everyone's paying bills and taxes.

I was just in the Post Office in the Achim Yisrael Mall in Talpiyot. I needed to get a battery for my EasyPark, and to fill up my balance (EasyPark is a personal digital parking meter, that allows you to pay to park anywhere in the country).

I looked in dismay at the long line, until I noticed the vending machine in the corner!

Stamps, batteries, phone cards, all the small individual items you need but hate to stand on line for.

Now that's progress.

International Jewish Bloggers Convention

The Convention is tonight!

Dear Bloggers,

I am thrilled to announce the First International Jewish Bloggers Convention – Hosted by Nefesh B’Nefesh, and Powered by WebAds.

The theme of the convention is “Taking JBlogging to the Next Level”.

This convention will be a great opportunity to meet other Jewish bloggers from all around the world, to network, to learn, and just have fun.

There will be panel discussions with leading Jewish bloggers from around the world on issues such as how to be a more influential blogger, how to increase your traffic, and blogging on issues related to Israel and Aliyah.

The keynote speaker will be Zavi Apfelbaum, Director - Brand Management Team, Foreign Ministry of the State of Israel.

Zavi is in charge of a new initiative by the Government of Israel, to promote pro-Israel branding and PR on the Internet, particularly in interactive forums such as blogs.

Among the bloggers on the various panels will be Treppenwitz, Jewlicious, Hirhurim, My Shrapnel, and others (see the website for all the name).

Also offering a special guest performance, direct from America, and right off the special Nefesh B'Nefesh Blogger flight, will be the comedy of FrumSatire.

As it’s a convention (of Jews), there will also be great food.

The convention will be on Wednesday, August 20^th from 5pm to 9pm (Israel time) in Jerusalem.

Space is limited and registration is required, you can register to attend in person, or watch it all by webcam and forum.

Registration Here:

This promises to be an exciting event and we look forward to seeing you all there.

If you have any questions, just email me.

And please, feel free to forward this to other Jewish bloggers who may be interested in attending.

Walk Around the Walls of the Old City

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Saturday evening, August 9, and the 9 of Av, there will be a public walk around the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Thousands of people do this walk every year.

Reading of the Book of Eichah will begin at 9:30pm at Kikar Safra and walk begins at 10:30pm.

It is an interesting way to see nearly the entire wall around the Old City.

Caveat: There is a political orientation to this organized walk.

For more information click here.

Under the Streets of Jerusalem

As you already know, not all the action in Jerusalem is above the ground. The other day I went exploring in Ir David – the City of David. The entrance is at the top of Ir David, opposite the Givayi parking lot and just below the Dung Gate of the Old City.

It’s been years since I was there (in fact I was there when they first opened the museum and all that was there were a few walkways). In another post I will show pictures from the museum, but now I have something just as interesting.

Part of the museum is Warren’s shaft, a Canaanite tunnel and Hizkiyahu’s tunnel – in which runs the Gihon spring and ends in the Shiloach pool.

The water is only deep at the very beginning, but the tunnel gets very tight and low at various points, so if you are going to do this hike take that into account. If you go during a rainy period, the water in the tunnel is going to be very high. If you didn't bring water shoes, they sell cheap ones at the kiosk.

At the end is copy of the original inscription left by the workers from the period of King Hizkiyah and the Shiloach pool.

Warren's Shaft

Canaanite Tunnel

Surprised tourists, not expecting that flash to go off

The Gihon Spring in Hezekiah's Tunnel

The inscription at the entrance to the tunnel

Kids wading in the Shiloach Pool

Shiloach Pool from above

SL

Inauguration

The Great Toothpick in the Sky was officially inaugurated yesterday in Jerusalem.

Here are some pictures from the Jerusalem Municipality site.

If they keep the Bridge of Strings regularly lit up like that at night, it will actually look nice.

SL

The Glow of Jerusalem

I was driving around Jerusalem and a bit suprised to see this sign.

If you haven't figured it out, the sign says "Warning! Radioactive Waste"

Which I guess is OK, because radioactive waste has to go somewhere, except it was posted next to dozens of stacked barrels probably full of the stuff, and right next to the road I was driving on.

This picture was taken at Hadassah Hospital and is obviously from their nuclear medicine treatment facilities which are among the best in the world.

While the contaminated radioactive waste from nuclear medical treatments tends to be at very low-radiation levels, I still wonder what happens to it next.

SL

Jerusalem Day - Hip Hip Hurray

It's Jerusalem Day today - Hip Hip Hurray.

Jerusalem Day celebrates the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 after the city was divided in 1948 and the Old City Jewish residents killed, captured or expelled.

Did you know that the origin of the phrase "HIP HIP Hurray" might very well be related to Jerusalem?

A number of sources have it that after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70CE, they toasted with the phrase "Hierosylma Est Perdita" or "Jerusalem is destroyed" and the response to the toast was Hurrah. H.I.P. being the initials for Hierosylma Est Perdita.

So after 2000 years, Jerusalem is rebuilt (as you can see in this blog), and Latin is a dead language, and the Romans are long gone.

Hip Hip Hurray.

Source: http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/261/Q1/
SL

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Bonfire of the Jerusalemites

Today is Lag BaOmer, the Jewish holiday where elaborate (even multistory) bonfires are built, and then burned. Kids love it (adults too).









SL

Sponsored by The House in Ein Karem