Friday, February 5, 2016

Shalom Part 2

Jerusalem.  Street life, new city.



Youth hostel in a busy shopping area.


Yum, bakery in the Ben Yehuda district.  Can't imagine how long it takes to stack the biscuits like that.  It would be a good point on your resume, you could describe one of your virtues as "attention to detail" and "organised."





Interesting to note that the "Golden Arches" M appears to the right hand side of the McDonald's name which I am assuming is because Hebrew reads right to left. I believe the M normally appears to the left of the McDonald's name in English where we read left to right.


Guy sitting atop a tree playing a "recorder"? Pan, up a tree.




Jerusalem.  Street life, old city.

Arab Quarter, it was Friday afternoon call to prayers.  We were like salmon swimming up river against an avalanche of arabs heading for the mosque. Strange thing though, I never felt in any danger.  Probably would be different now with the ongoing knife attacks.





Jewish Quarter







31 comments:

  1. As always, click on pics for larger view/slide show. Enjoy!

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  2. I was so ready for a post like this, thank you, Fay!

    Fantastic pictures, I can smell the beautiful flowers and just taste those cookies, mmm. I particularly liked the shot of the columns standing by themselves between houses! How unusual.

    I was going to ask you if you felt afraid at all. I'm glad you weren't bothered by that (you had enough to deal with concerning your arm).

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  3. I particularly liked the shot of the columns standing by themselves between houses!

    The columns are original, dating from the Roman occupation. The buildings surrounding them aren't houses. I was surprised by the lack of houses in Israel, most people live in apartments. Those buildings are part of the (new) old city and probably house government offices etc.

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  4. The final picture was of the (current) Hurva Synagogue. I have tried to provide a link here to no avail. Please google and read the fascinating history :)

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  5. Here is a link. What a beautiful building, it was determined to survive!

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  6. I enjoyed these very much. The Hurva Synagogue is beautiful!

    I can't imagine stacking all those cookies. It's impressive.

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  7. Oh wow, what fabulous photos Fay! I love Jerusalem! And I love seeing it through the eyes of visitors because they always spot something new, something that I've missed.

    Starting in order: you're probably right about the McDonalds sign being on the right. Can't say I ever paid much attention! But you'll notice the shop sign is blue instead of red (or yellow?). That's to signify that it's a kosher branch. Yep. We got kosher McD's. :)

    I LOVE the "pan in a tree". That is just too funny! And so typical of the odd-bods that one finds in Jerusalem. :D

    The Roman columns in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City are the Cardo. They were the supporting columns of a Roman shopping mall. If you walk through the Cardo, you can see the little nooks which formed the shops and stalls. Today there are a few shops in parts of the Old Cardo. It's a fascinating atmosphere.

    The picture of the street in the Jewish quarter, the one before the Hurva, is typical of the quarter. Our "outlaws", aka our son-in-law's parents, live in one of those streets, in a 400 year-old house. (Of course it's been renovated). It has THE most stunning view from the balcony. It overlooks the Kotel and the Temple Mount. Simply breath-taking.

    Hurva to follow in next comment.

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  8. You can read about the history of the Hurva synagogue here:
    Hurva Synagogue. There are some breathtaking photos of the view from the top of the dome.

    Read the history of the synagogue at the link.

    Very condensed history: Building began in 1700 and stopped and started as money was collected and spent. In 1720 the Muslims destroyed the synagogue (surprise!). In the 1860s it was reconstructed, but in 1948, in Israel's war of Independence. the invading Jordanian army blew up all 58 synagogues in the Old City, including the Hurva. When Israel recaptured Jerusalem in 1967 they build a commemorative decorative arch, and that is all I ever knew, until a few years ago when the synagogue was rebuilt again. I had no idea it was so grandiose.

    Shortly after the Hurva re-opened, hubby and I went on a guided tour. It is absolutely stunning. They have reconstructed it to its former glory, and the views, inside and out, really are ... well... breathtaking (sorry to keep using that word).

    But the best bit is that the Arabs were furious that Israel had constructed a synagogue that sits higher and taller than their blooming mosques. Sweet revenge!! :D

    Here is the synagogue in the 1930s:

    imgw:"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Hurvah_pre-1948.jpg"

    And here is the decorative arch:

    imgw:"https://i0.wp.com/3.bp.blogspot.com/-PiQZ3mQX9QA/TxkKRB9dLuI/AAAAAAAAIvQ/9EcRy-u90GA/s640/Hurva-after-1948.jpg"

    I refer you to my blog post where I wrote about our visit to the Hurva. There are more pictures there of the inside of the shul.

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  9. Here are some of the photos I took:

    The Holy Ark (where the Torah scrolls are kept):

    imgw:"https://anneinpt.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hurva-aron-hakodesh.jpg"

    The gallery at the top of the dome. Notice the beautiful filigree balustrades and the fine painting on the plasterwork:

    imgw:"https://anneinpt.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hurva1.jpg"

    We were told that the community has revived the tradition that on Friday nights, as the songs welcoming Shabbat are sung, the children of the neighbourhood run into the synagogue and climb the stairs to the gallery, where they join in the singing.

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    1. Oh, the Ark and the dome are so beautiful! Thanks for posting Annie!

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  10. I wondered about that arch. Wonderful pictures, annie, thanks so much for sharing them.

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  11. Yes, thank you Annie for the photos and the information.

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  12. Glad Sanders beat HC so soundly.

    Trump had a good win tonight, Cruz did surprisingly well in a moderate state. Sadly, I think Dr. Carson may drop out, I've read that his campaign $$$ chest is on life support. I believe Kasich's 2nd place is meaningless, by his own words he is relying on a big win to generate some much needed funds; I just don't see that happening.

    But I could be wrong on everything! A slim chance but still!!!

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    1. I think both parties are fed up with the elites. Maybe the leftists are beginning to see what decent Americans saw in Clinon(s) back in the '90's. Sanders would be a disaster as a President. But while he may be naive and ignorant, at least he is not the conniving pile of evil such are the Clintons.

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    2. Conniving pile of evil...Matt, I think you found the definitive description of those 2 grifters.

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    3. I've been hearing rumououours that Carson may end up on the ticket with Trump. Personally, I think that would be awesome.

      Hairy-armpit Clinton is not only a conniving pile of evil, she's a carpetbagger and a dried-up old shrew. The dems are close to panic mode, and will draft daffy old Joe Biden before they allow THE BERN to get the nomination.

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    4. Matt has a good point about Sanders. The guy is authentic.

      The Democrats have their own issues about the "base" vs the "establishment". I've read some things (the NYT piece florrie read, I think) referring to the Democrats tendency to nominate "unelectable liberals".

      Think about what that sounds like if you're a tie-dyed-in-the-wool leftist. Whaddya mean, unelectable! Horrible, having to hold your nose and vote for the "least bad" Wall St sycophant, lest the truly evil repugs get in office and ban premarital sex and whatnot.

      Poor Dems. I for one aim to put some spine in them and boost Bernie every chance I get.

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    5. "Unelectable liberals" sounds like the probable with the Republican Party as well.

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  13. Tee hee, hairy armpit Clinton :-) Tonight she said that she promises her idiotic followers that there will be "no executive too big for jail". I hope she meant it. Karma, after all.

    You know Trump isn't my favorite, lady red, but I'd find him much more palatable with an honorable man like Carson as #2. At this stage, my favorite is Cruz and second is Rubio. Of course, with our primary at the end of May, it doesn't matter who I like ;-)

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  14. I just finished reading an article about HC campaign imploding. It's a NYT article, not exactly a bastion of republicanism, and 99.5% of the comments are anti-Clinton. Very interesting, indeed.

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  15. "Poor Dems. I for one aim to put some spine in them and boost Bernie every chance I get."

    Same here!

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  16. I caught a couple of minutes of Rush today. He seemed to be asking, "How would Trump get Pelosi and Reid to go along with his plans. If you are a Trump supporter you need to ask that question."

    I don't understand it. The RINO way of doing things is to let the Dems call all the shots even when the Republicans are supposedly in control, but if Trump cannot get the Dems to go along with what he wants that he shouldn't be elected? Did I hear that right? No one is going to win every round, but to bow out because you don't convince the opposition to go along is what we should do, and surrender is the accepted method of doing things? I don't understand.

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  17. I'm surprised at that too, Matt, as well as Rush's support for Rubio. Although I like Marco, for me the last debate illustrated that he's just not ready for the presidency. Maybe in the future but not now.

    I was listening a bit to Medved while I was on the road and although we usually share the same opinions, I think he just doesn't "get it" that we voters have had ENOUGH of politics as usual and want someone who will dispense with PCness and get the will of the people done. They're all flawed candidates, no one is going to be perfect but it seems that a yuge number of the talking heads don't understand the strong sentiments of the little people - us. (And that includes independents and some democrats)

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    1. The just don't understand that we don't care who they think should be the interior designer on the Titanic. We want someone who will steal us past the ice bergs.

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