Tours in Jerusalem with Yishay Shavit

Parashat Ekev holds an interesting claim. It says that it is acceptable to worship God and fulfill his commandments while hoping for some kind of a reward. One does not become a lesser Jew if he observes the commandments in order to gain some profit or avoid any kind of damage that might otherwise be caused by God. This idea can be found in the following part of the Parasha:

” And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the lord your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that you mayest gather in your corn, and your wine, and your oil“. (Deuteronomy 11, 13-14)

These words are part of the “Shma” prayer and can also be found in Mezuzahs and Tefillin, which means that they are an important part of Jewish daily life for thousands of years. Many Rabbis, and Maimonides amongst them, when interpreting the Mishna have noticed the contradiction between these words and the words of Parashat Shma that commands us “And you shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and with all your  soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6,5).

This is a demand for a pure love of God, a love that does not expect anything in return. Apparently both ways are acceptable by Judaism maybe because of the belief that even if it is not intended, a good believer might come out of someone who only observes commandments without loving God.

Among other rewards that God promises his people if they only observe his commandments and follow his ways are: ” For the lord your God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, springing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey;” (Deuteronomy 8, 7-8).

According to this verse, Moses who says these words while they are about to cross the Jordan River and conquer the promised land they yearned for more than forty years in the desert, promises the Israelites a fertile land if only they observe Gods commandments. A land is considered fertile if it gives us the seven species mentioned in the above verse. When we read Honey in this specific place it means dates.

For many generations Jewish artists referred to the seven species that symbolize the fertility of the land. Many synagogues around the world have pictures and frescoes of the seven species. Some people put a reminder for the seven species in their Succa and others eat them in Tu Bishvat ( the 15^th day in the Jewish month of Shvat – a Jewish holiday that is known as New year of the trees). This last practice that goes back to the days of Isaac Luria – Ha’ari – is the one that links us to a small tour in Jerusalem with Parashat Ekev in mind.

The assembly hall in the Knesset - designed and inspired by the Jewish Menorah

Tu Bishvat is also an important holiday for the Israeli parliament – The Knesset. In Tu Bishvat 1949, after a most exciting election campaign, the Knesset assembled for the first time. Since then Tu Bishvat is considered the birthday of the Knesset and is accompanied with a festive assembly and media reports. In Tu Bishvat 1999 the Knesset became 50 years old. The philanthropists of the Jewish national fund (Keren Kayemet) decided to dedicate a splendid gift for the Knesset – a statue of the Menorah which is made of the seven species. The Menorah is actually an olive tree from which all other species sprout. The pedestals of the Menorah look like the pedestals in the Menorah of the Temple and the symbol of the state of Israel. This statue was made by the artist Eliezer Weishoff a master artist of numerous fine art disciplines, who was born in Machane Yehoda neighborhood in Jerusalem and graduated from the  Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. In the early 1960′s Weishoff started to design postal stamps and coins and created statues and drawings. Several of his works are displayed in Jerusalem. Among them are the 9/11 memorial that was erected in 2009 in the cedar forest and the stamps of “the gates of Jerusalem” that was printed in 1972.

The 9/11 memorial by Eliezer Weishoff

The Israeli Knesset hosts many fine works of art, for example the amazing tapestries by the Jewish artist Mark Chagall in the welcome hall and the impressive gates made by David Polombo. The decoration of the Knesset was not an easy task. The architect Joseph Klarwein was constantly arguing with the internal decorator Dora Gad. This was another setback in the schedule of building the Knesset. The Knesset was first assembled in a house in the center of Jerusalem ( Frumin house in King George street) the location was obviously a bad choice and in 1954 it was decided to move the Knesst to Giv’at Ram where other government offices and the supreme court where supposed to be built. It took Klarwein twelve years to tackle all obstacles and accomplish the mission.

The Chagall tapestries in the official welcome hall

The Knesset building changes constantly. The chairman of the Knesset has the authority to add or remove any work of art. During the time of the 14th Knesset Dan Tichon, the chairman decided to add the Menora of seven species statue to the Knesset.

Menorah of seven species by Eliezer Weishoff

Weishoffs work connects Parashat Ekev from the bible with Tu Bishvat and the Knesset and can still be found in the old part of the house. Whoever wants to tour the house and watch an assembly of the Knesset members will find the statue while climbing to the fifth floor. The place where the statue is situated always reminds me of a poem by Natan Alterman that was written after David Ben Guryon said: “We are already in the fifth floor of separation”. Here is Altermans poem “The fifth floor”:

“In order to renew the past

We came together to our homeland

Alas we climbed to the fifth floor

And we can’t climb down

Our fight is growing

And like the olive tree won’t stop

And in the streets they shout that the fifth floor

Jeopardizes the entire house…”

I truly hope that as opposed to Altermans pessimistic poem, The Menorah of seven species will remind our legislators what was said in Parashat Ekev: ” And it shall be, if you shall forget the lord your God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I forewarn you this day that you shall surely perish“

(Deuteronomy 8,19)

I believe that every one of us can interpret “other gods” as he wishes.

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Stanley Lambchop was just another ordinary boy. One day, he was given a bulletin board for displaying postcards and pictures. The board was hung over Stanley’s bed. An unfortunate decision as in the middle of the night it fell on the unsuspecting   sleeping Stanley. The event had grave consequences as Stanley, while surviving the accident, became flat! Stanley soon discovered the advantages of being flat: He could pretend he was a kite for his brother, he could sneak in and out under doors and most important – He could get inside an envelope and travel the world for free.

This is the synopsis of the book written by Jeff Brown and named “Flat Stanley“. The book was published in 1964. It was very successful and a series of flat Stanley’s adventures were published in the following years. An even bigger success was the project created and inspired by the Flat Stanley series. In 1995, a Canadian teacher named Dale Hubert decided to ask his third graders to prepare a cardboard Flat Stanley figure and send it by mail to friends and acquaintances in other cities and countries. The people who received Flat Stanley were asked to keep a log describing Stanley’s adventures and take some pictures of him in interesting places. The Flat Stanley project was an amazing success and today it is spread to over 7000 schools and 50 countries.

Flat Stanley eating Israeli Salad

In the summer of 2011 I was guiding a very nice family from Los-Angeles who came for a Bat Mitzvah tour in Israel. With the twelve-years-old girl came her parents, ants and uncles and her sister. We traveled the country, had interesting tours in Jerusalem, the Galilee, Massada and other sites. Over those ten days we bonded nicely. Two months after that tour I got Flat Stanley by mail from D., the Bat-Mitzvah’s younger sister and a fifth grader herself. At first I did not understand what I was supposed to do with this weird thing. It could easily be thought of as a joke, but after reading the “manual” I became quite enthusiastic – D. asked me to take Flat Stanley with me as I guide tours in Jerusalem!

I decided to treat Flat Stanley as an honorable guest. We fed him traditional Israeli salad, put him in a Succah we built in Kiryat Yovel neighborhood in Jerusalem and the next day, I took Stanley to a children’s tour with families that came to visit Jerusalem for the Succot holidays. We concluded our tours in the Kotel and the children who really liked Flat Stanley took him for some photo-ops near the wall. We had a small curious gathering around Flat Stanley – this is definitely what the project is for, though we still had another climax ahead.

Flat Stanley at The Kotel

The next day, we had in Jerusalem the annual Jerusalem parade. The parade includes traditionally a few options of tours around Jerusalem each made with different difficulty level. At the end of that part of the parade another more official and festive parade is held. This carnival takes place in the city center and draws participants from all over the world. During the past few years we have a lot of Christians who support Israel that take part in the parade as part of a project held by the ICEJ – International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. The institute was established in the early 80′s of the previous century and it provides a spiritual home for Christians who support Israel and follow the need to comfort Zion according the command of the scriptures in Isaiah 40:1-2 “Comfort, comfort, my people says your god. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem…”. The people from ICEJ try to assist Israel and its citizens in any possible way and hold many charity events in the city of Jerusalem. In their main event in Succot they often invite the prime minister of Israel for a traditional speech.

Flat Stanley and Nir Barkat - the Mayor of Jerusalem

This year I decided to try and get a good place from which I will be able to watch the parade properly. I found my way to the closed sitting area watching the parade and of course I had Flat Stanley with me. As I was waiting patiently I met a friend – Hagit Zahi, a great lover of Jerusalem who never misses an interesting event. A few minutes later the mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat arrived and sat in the row in front of us. Hagit spotted the chance, took Flat Stanley and introduced him to the Mayor who agreed to the amusing photo-op – It was really a historic event! The parade arrived and we could see groups from various Israeli companies like Bezeq, various banks soldiers and many Christians from all over the world wearing their traditional costumes. We could see the Chinese with their red flags, the Dutch with traditional dresses, Russians, Americans and even a delegation from Papua New Guinea with interesting and colorful outfits. Stanly was enthusiastic. He was passed on from one delegation to another and took a lot of pictures with everybody.

It was a hard day’s night for Flat Stanley. He got in his envelope and went back to Los-Angeles with numerous memories from a special tour in Jerusalem.

Flat Stanley and a friend from Papua new-Guinea

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The Parasha of Shoftim deals with a variety of issues. Rules for the conducting of a king, the theory of law and justice and a broken necked heifer are only examples for some of the subjects. I decided to refer to only two verses:

These verses are used during Tu-Bishvat (the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shvat) and in other events in order to point out the affinity between a human and the tree of the field. A good illustration for this idea is given by Nathan Zach’s Poem:

The first line of the poem represents another possibility for the English translation of the verse “Are trees of the field human “, hence an interesting double meaning. The view expressed in the poem is very common these days. It is a kind of an ecologic point of view that humanizes the tree of the field and ties its fate with the fate and course of life of man. It is interesting to mention here that the more traditional interpretation including the English translation of the bible understands these verses in a completely different way. Rashi thinks that the expression “Because the man is the tree of the field;” is actually a rhetorical question – Are trees of the field human? Definitely not! Trees can’t hide behind fortified walls so why should we vandalize them? Eben-Ezra understands the human life depend on the trees. People eat the fruit of trees and shouldn’t damage them. Rashbam understands the verses as forbidding the uprooting of trees far from the city under siege but enabling warriors to cut down the flora if it serves as cover to the enemy.

Alongside the words of the distinguished interpreters, we find that in modern Israeli way of thinking there is a special place for the direct analogy between human and tree. An interesting example can be found on mount Aminadav nearby Jerusalem, where on 1966, the Kennedy memorial was built.

The Kennedy memorial

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States is remembered in Israel mostly because of the Cuban missile crisis. Theoretically there was no special connection between J.F. Kennedy and the state of Israel. Well, he did meet Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir but you can’t say he was particularly friendly towards Israel. Considering this it might come as a surprise that the decision on building a memorial for Kennedy in Jerusalem was made on the same day he was killed. The man who suggested it was Menachem (Max) Bresller, head of the USA branch of the Jewish national fund. Bresller has done much for the state of Israel in fund raising and the Jerusalem neighborhood nearby is named after him “Kiryat Menachem”.

The Kennedy memorial near Aminadav

The Kennedy memorial was built by architect David Resnick. It is shaped as a pruned trunk of an oak tree as if saying “… the man is the tree of the field”. Kennedy’s life and premature death were compared to the severed trunk of a tree typical to the Israeli forest. The memorial is built with 51 concrete pillars with the 50 emblems of American states and the one of Colombia district. Inside there is a place representing eternal flame and a relief on Kennedy’s face, identical to the one set on Kennedy’s tomb in Arlington, Virginia.

David Resnick was born in Brazil and started his professional life over there. He was greatly influenced by his master, the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer who built the Cathedral of Brasilia. Resnick’s Kennedy memorial is deeply influenced by the cathedral.

You can find a quite a few of Resnick’s buildings in Jerusalem: The Giv’at Ram Synagogue, The Yad Labanim (a memorial for soldiers) and the Education faculty in the Hebrew university on mount Scopus.

The Kennedy memorial, known as Yad Kennedy, was inaugurated on the 4th of July 1966 and since then it has become a symbol of the deep connection between the USA and the state of Israel. Many ceremonies take place in this wonderful spot, where the pruned trunk memorial lays among the trees of “Forest of peace”, symbolizing the strong affinity between mankind and world, mankind and the tree of the field.

Oscar Niemeyer, the Cathedral of Brasilia

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“there are mountains round about Jerusalem” wrote king David in the book of Psalms. Indeed, all around the old city there are mountains with breathe taking views of the “city of God”. We will visit the mountain of olives, mount scopous, Mishcanot Shananim, the hill of the evil console and more.  We will be able to experience the the beauty of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This is a tour for those who love to see the city without walking too much.

Time: 3.5 hours.
Level of difficulty: easy.

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The renewed Israel museum in Jerusalem is one of the top museums in the world. 7800 miters of exhibit walls and plenty of world famous items will turn your visit to the museum in to an unforgettable experience. We will visit the shrine of the book, home to the dead sea scrolls, the famous model of Jerusalem at the time of the second temple and the different wings of the renewed museum. We will walk through the exhibition rooms stopping by the most interesting art works and archeological finds – those who have the most fascinating storeys to tell… you can always visit the museum on your own, but a visit with a guide that knows his stuff will, no doubt, provide you with a different experience.

Time: 3.5 hours.
Level of difficulty: easy.

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At least once a year a fascinating event takes place in Jerusalem. During the festival of Houses from within many private people and various institutions open the gates of their homes and buildings and let every curious visitor inside free of charge. For a whole weekend the city of Jerusalem fills with those of us who love the mysterious and magical corners which are closed to the public most of the year. Many organizations and private people cooperate with the event that is being produced voluntarily by the architect Alon Ben-Nun and Aviva levinson. They are the founders and the dreamers who, with a lot of enthusiasm and love of the profession, succeed every year to open the hearts of even the most stubborn landlords that hold in their possession the keys to secret gardens and unknown courtyards. The owners of the houses that are opened to the public often meet the public during the days of “Houses from within”, answer questions and guide them around the place voluntarily.

This year I was both a guide and a tourist in the events of “Houses from within”. As a tourist I was curious about a few open houses and institutions. I paid my first visit to the World center of the North Africa Jewry. I visited there on a Friday early morning hour. I have not visited there for a few years and rumors of extensive renovations made me wait at the locked gate for a quarter of an hour. Finally, right on time, came a man named Albert Gozlan to the gate. He is one of the leaders of the Moroccan community in Israel. As he opened the gate for the many curious visitors we found ourselves in the middle of a construction site. It was obvious there was still a lot of work to be done here (The Moroccan artists left for a while because of the Ramadan period, said Gozlan). Even the electricity was not working yet. However, even as it was the place was just beautiful. Magnificent mosaics decorate the walls and floors, interesting wooden Moroccan engraving and delicate stone engraving can be seen in every corner. In another room, wrapped and waiting for happy days to come were a few presents that King Hassan the Second of Morocco gave to Shimon Peres. An Andalusian style garden is being built near the front gate. No doubt, when the work is finished we shall have another wonderful site we can add to our tours in Jerusalem.

The World center of the North Africa Jewry

Another place I visited that day was the office of the Israel state archives. You can find the Israel state archive in Makor Haim, the back yard of Talpiyot. Millions of documents, certificates and diplomas are stored on about 40 Kilometers of shelves in a warehouse. In the office building where I visited we could only find the visitors center. Me and the others watched a nice presentation about the archives tasks. There was also a small exhibition of some documents of interest. I was especially enthusiastic about the picture album that was given in 1925 by Ragib Nashashibi, the mayor of Jerusalem to Herbert Samuel, the first British High commissioner in Palestine when he left his position. The album has some wonderful unique photos. I loved the series of pictures taken at the inauguration of King George Street during the year of 1924. I could recognize the yet unfinished street and Jews, Muslims and British people standing side by side smiling as a reminder for long forgotten days.

Apart for these  two sites I had only a few minutes to enter the Templers Cemetery in the German colony and old community center in the neighborhood that was converted to an Armenian church long time ago. I also wanted to try and visit “Villa Lea” in Rehavia. This year was the first time the house has opened its gates. The building was built by Nasiv Avkarius Bay, A successful Greek, Christian lawyer, for his wife, Lea Tenenboim (who came from an ultra orthodox Jewish family). Lea left her husband for another, and the poor guy had no other choice but to rent the house. Many people had lived there since, including the exiled Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie and the chief commander of Jerusalem, Moshe Dayan. These days two Israeli families live in the house and most of the time, prefer to keep their privacy. That day Villa Lea was opened and an unbelievably huge crowd was waiting outside.

Israel state archive - Herbert Samuel's Album

As I couldn’t get inside “Villa Lea” I decided it was my turn to contribute a little of my knowledge. I arrived in Beit Shmuel, where I lead a few public tours. I showed the visitors Beit Shmuel and the adjacent Shimshon Center. I spoke of the architectural aspects of the place and the cultural events that are happening there. We went up to the roof of the impressive building to see the Blaustein hall, famouse for its glass dome. I think I guided at least 200 people. At the end of the day I thought these numbers were solid proof that “Houses from within” is an important event both for the citizens of the city and for people who love tours in Jerusalem.

The line at Villa Lea

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Sorry, this entry is only available in Hebrew.

“These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness in the Arabah opposite Suph”. These are the opening words of “Devarim” (Hebrew for words) the first Parasha in the Book of Deuteronomy (Called the book of Devarim in Hebrew). I have to say that the exposition is very surprising. Moses was no great speaker, on the contrary: In the Parasha of Shmot we hear him tell God “for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Exodus 4:10), But here, we find Moses speaking in front of a huge audience of Israelites. His speech is as long as the book of Deuteronomy, a fifth of the Torah (The five books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). In light of this radical change in Moses’ behavior, I believe that the first few sentences are of crucial importance. Instead of telling the whole story from the time Jacob and his sons came into Egypt, Moses decided to start his speech from the days in the Desert and the conquering of the Transjordan. Not a very nostalgic approach, is it?

The Parasha of Devarim is all about the conducting of the Israelites in the desert, the sin of the spies who discouraged them, its punishment and the conquering of the Transjordan, but the Shabbat this week is better known for its’ Haftarah (sections from the writings of the prophets, read on Sabbaths after the reading from the Torah). The Shabbat is known as Shabbat Hazon. The Hebrew calendar makes this the last Shabbat before the 9th of Av (The day of fast that commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem). Theoretically it is only a coincidence, as it seems there is no connection between the conquering of the Transjordan and the destruction of both Temples, or is there? Prof. Yeshayahu Leibowitz thinks otherwise. He argues that the destruction of the Temple is a punishment for a sin just like Isaiah (Yeshayahu) the prophet say in our Haftara:

Those sins that caused the destruction of both temples are common knowledge and Chazal, the Jewish sages, discussed the issue thoroughly. Prof. Leibowitz expands the discussion and makes a connection between Moses’ words from the Parasha “But how can I bear your troubles, burdens and disputes by myself?” (Deuteronomy 1:12) with Isaiah’s words from the Haftara “The faithful city – what an adultress she has become” (Isaiah 1:21) and with the famous opening words of the book of Lamentations “How she sits alone the city crowded with people” (Lamentations 1:1). In his book “Seven years of conversations over the weekly Torah portion” Leibowitz claims that there is a connection between the conducting of the Israelites in the desert, the prophesies of admonishment and destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. The book of Lamentations is called ‘Eicha’ in Hebrew. The word Eicha means “howcome?” and the repetitive way it is used in the text indicates that the end of story can be predicted by its’ beginning – the sin and its punishment are one. And what was the sin? Leibowitz hints that the real sin is the Israelites’ conquest. Reading this in Leibowitz’s book reveals an implication that goes all the way to our modern times. As for myself, I’m not sure that the writings are that clear about the sin implied by Leibowitz but it is an interesting argument.

After showing a tight connection between the Parasha of “Devarim” and the 9th of Av, it becomes obvious that on the eve of 9th of Av we should visit the Wailing Wall, Known as The Kotel.  And what an experience it is! The square in front of the Kotel is packed with tens of thousands of people sitting on the floor and reading from the book of Lamentations. That night you can see Ultra orthodox Jews of all sects sitting alongside Religious Zionists, Traditional religious Jews and even Jewish tourists from all over the world. While some people take photos without bothering anyone, others fall on the floor and pray and just beside them people pass by and take care not to step or trip on them. It is really a moving sight.

The huge crowd that attends the Kotel on the 9th of Av takes part in an ancient tradition. During the time of the Byzantine Empire, Jews were allowed into Jerusalem only on the 9th of Av. They used to go to the Kotel and lament the destruction of the Temple (Hence the name “Wailing wall” that was given to the Kotel). Throughout all periods, Jews gathered near the Kotel whenever they could.

A nice example can be found in the words of Rachel Yanait Ben-Zvi who visited the Kotel in the 9th of Av 1908:

“I have been to the Kotel many times by now, but today it seemed different. The crowds flow, all walking barefoot. They all approach the Kotel silently and solemnly and their footsteps make no sound. A sound of Lamentation is heard. On the floor, people sit in circles and read their lamentations to the light of candles…flocks of women who seem glued to the Wailing Wall weep bitterly. We stood their silent for a long time until we could detach ourselves from the sight.

(Rachel Yanait Ben-Zvi, “Anu Olim”, P.70)

During theses moments at the Kotel on the 9th of the month of Av, many remember Nebuchadnezzar and Titus the destructors of The Temples. I remember Titus as well, Son of Vespasian Caesar and the man who demolished the second Temple. These are grave allegations that made Titus one of the most hated figures in the Jewish history (though I must say he has quite a few rivals trying for this dubious title). Here, near the Kotel on another commemoration day for the destruction of the Temple I want to remind myself the words of Josephus referring the war council called by Titus just before the burning of the Temple. As opposed to the recommendation of his captains of thousands who thought he should burn the Temple for military reasons, Josephus quotes Titus saying:

(Josephus, The wars of the Jews, book 4, ch.4)

How about that? Titus objected the destruction of the Temple! Even strategic arguments couldn’t change his mind. Josephus, Titus’ personal Historian pictures Titus as a tenderhearted guy who, when heard that the Temple caught fire by accident, “as he (Titus) was resting himself in his tent after the last battle; whereupon he rose up in great haste, and, as he was, ran to the holy house, in order to have a stop put to the fire;”

(Josephus, The wars of the Jews, book 4, ch.4)

Indeed, It is a day of self examination in Jerusalem…

lamentations by the Kotel on the 9th of Av

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‘Parashat Bo’ is one of my favorite weekly portions of the Tora. The book of Genesis holds many of the most interesting stories. These stories set example for human behavior for centuries.

However, I still feel there is something missing in the book of Genesis. There is no Halakha in the book of Genesis, no rules as for the way the Jewish people should conduct its day to day life. Actually, the first ‘Mitzva’ (or commandment) in the bible that concerns not only individual ancestors but the whole Jewish people is given in the parashat Bo. As a person who takes interest in the history of the Jewish people I think this is a significant issue. A commandment given to one person is an individual case with a lesson to be learned. A commandment given to a nation gives us a basis for the study of the way Jewish communities all over the world chose to live their lives for centuries. It should not surprise us that Rashi thinks in a similar way. Even when he writes his first interpretation at the beginning of the book of Genesis he says: “The bible should have been opened with the words “…This month is to be the beginning of months for you” (Exodus 12:2) which is the first mitzvah given to the Israelis. This verse is taken of course from the Parasha of Bo.

The parasha of Bo includes a few important events: The last three of the plagues of Egypt, Some sensitive meetings between Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron (one of the meetings includes the saying “we will go with our young and our old” Exodus 10:9, a phrase later used by Shmuel Yosef Agnon in a wonderful short story that carry the same name), The first Passover occasion, The banning of Leavened food (Chametz), The explanation for Tefillin (phylacteries) and much more. I, as you probably guessed, chose to look at the verse “This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year” (Exodus 12:2). This first Mitzva is not negligible. As a matter of fact this commandment establishes a base for every Mitzva which is time dependent. It lies as a foundation to the Jewish calendar – a lunar calendar starting at the month of Nisan. The clearest interpretation for the mitzvah is given naturally by Rashi who uses the Midrash of Shmot Raba: “and thus he showed him (God to Moses) the moon in its renewal and told him that when the first of every month will be when the moon is reborn… And he told him that the month of Nisan will be the first of the months”.

I went to the streets of Jerusalem to look for a physical realization of the concept of Rosh chodesh (The first day of the Jewish month) and the renewal of the moon. Walking for a while I got to Zichron Moshe neighborhood, one of the five neighborhoods named after Moshe Montefiore. In the past, the neighborhood was a symbol of progress and, at the days of World war one, was considered the most modern neighborhood in Jerusalem. The first Hebrew kindergarten was founded there (The kindergarten teacher was Hassia Feinsood-Sukenick, Yigal Yaddin’s mother. In the neighborhood of Gillo there is a main street called after her – Haganenet Street). In this neighborhood the Hebrew Gymnasia of Jerusalem was built and many well educated figures like David Yellin lived there. Today things are different. Instead of a modern neighborhood you can find there many old houses and the residents represent the old Jewish settlement rather than the new one. The neighborhood is now completely ultra orthodox. In the same class that was used as the first Hebrew kindergarten young children speak Yiddish, The near by Edison cinema that controversially screened movies even on Saturdays was destroyed in order to build a public gathering place for the ultra orthodox community. In the neighborhood there is an impressive number of Synagogues. On many walls, near the entrance to the Synagogues you can find table for Kiddush Levana (the prayer of the sanctification of the moon)

Zichron Moshe neighborhood in Jerusalem

The Mitzva of Kiddush Levana involves a commandment to watch the “young” moon outside the synagogues door under the starry sky. You can say the prayer any time between the third day of the month to the fifteenth, however, most people will prefer to follow the “Shulchan Aruch” (The Jewish code of law) and say it at the end of the Shabbat day following the third day of the month. That day people exit the synagogue and pray in a place which is usually dark. Many synagogues hang a large sign with the Blessing of the moon in big visible letters just near the entrance. In Hebrew we have a phrase which literally means “Letters of the moon blessing” ( Otiyot Kiddush Levana) and it is used to describe large clear writing.

Zichron Moshe's Shtiebel

In the synagogue of Zichron Moshe (8 Chafetz Chaim Street, Zichron Moshe neighborhood) they took the idea of Kiddush Levana Boards and went one step further and decided to put the blessing on two boards instead of one. When you know that synagogue is a Shtiebel, a place that hosts many Minyanim (Jewish prayer quorums) all day and night long. A man who woke up late and still want to participate in a public prayer can find a late morning Minyan. The same goes for a man who wants to pray the evening prayer at two a.m. For this reason and because many respected preachers attend the place, the synagogue became one of the busiest in Jerusalem and once a month on the designated Shabbat evening you can join the huge crowed praying Kiddush Levana, The same moon that is the root of the first commandment in the Bible, the Mitzva in the Parasha Of Bo.

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Often, when I go out and walk the streets of Jerusalem I encounter a place or a person that surprises me. A while ago it happened to me again. I attended an event that was organized by a tour company named Grand circle. It was held as a part of the company’s half yearly guides meeting. The main event of our meeting took place in a hall named ‘Alhambra’ situated in the heart of Saladin Street in east Jerusalem. I must say that I don’t often visit that street but I am no stranger to it either. Every once in a while, when I visit the American colony hotel, the Rockefeller museum or Zedekiah’s cave, I walk down that street, though till now I never got there by night. Well, there is always a first time…
We got to the Alhambra hall in the heart of Saladin Street just opposite the ministry of justice office, on a Tuesday evening. We walked by foot from the nearby Leonardo hotel. Before entering the hall, I decided to wander around the vibrant streets for a while. And what a surprise it was! These days, Jaffa Street, the main street of Jerusalem is almost paralyzed because of the building of the light rail. The public just refuses to visit the street, and here, on the other side of the city Saladin Street is an example of prosperity. Numerous people fill the coffee shops, the display windows are full and beautifully illuminated and the atmosphere is completely European (though a great dill can still be done about the cleanliness of the street). A friend recommended that I check the Educational Bookshop that doubles as a coffee shop. What an extraordinary place! The variety of books that deal with Jerusalem and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is astonishing. I was surprised to find many pro-Palestinian and Pro-Israeli books laying side by side – all of which are in English. The shop was full of locals and young tourists who drank coffee, talked and discussed various issues. It felt like an Indian guesthouse.
Crossing the road from the bookshop got me to the fancy Alhambra palace. The place used to be a cinema and lately has changed into a splendid spacious hall. Huge chandeliers hanged from the ceiling and made us all feel a little European. We could go back and remember the days when the colonialist governors of the city enjoyed gathering in these kinds of places and discussing the weather. The event we attended included a show of Arabic folklore and fund raising for an orphanage called “Jeel al amal” located in El Azariya. This orphanage does extraordinary work in harsh conditions. The audience, about a hundred people included Israeli tour guides and American pensioners that tour Israel with Grand circle. This mix of such different people was considered impossible to achieve just a few years ago in Jerusalem 2002 and is rare enough even today. The head of the orphanage went on stage and spoke of the impressive achievements of the institute, the food was good and the highlight was the folklore group show.

About fifteen youngsters, Arabs, residence of East Jerusalem went on stage dressed with wonderful traditional clothes and danced Jerusalem folkdances. They were no great dancers but it was not important for does who watched them. These young group members, the popular dance group of Na’amath, came from an underprivileged neighborhood in Jerusalem (Jerusalem is the poorest city in Israel) and life is not simple where they come from. I am certain of the fact that every dancer in the group dances despite the atmosphere in his neighborhood. These youngsters try to turn their backs to life full of drugs, crime and poverty and we hope that this dance ensemble will provide them with better livelihood. It is not trivial for youngsters from East Jerusalem to perform in front of Israeli and American audience. It is not trivial for Jewish Israelis to watch a Palestinian folklore show. In a city with 35% Palestinians and 65% Jews, a city that draws at least two million tourists every year, these meetings became rare, maybe too rare. The darbuka drums roared, the guests were feasting and the Alhambra Palace was full of cultural normal touristy activity. An activity with touristy economical logic that stands behind it. The same logic that makes, I believe, Saladin Street the busy street that it is.

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