This summer in Jerusalem

Lovely mosaics of tiles has been added to the base of polls in the center of Jerusalem. They were almost finished with this one, washing off the plaster from the outside.This orange tee shirt is not just an ordinary tee shirt. Its sides are split, forming a shirt with four corners, necessitating the addition of "tzitziyot," according to Jewish Law. And, of course, if you hadn't noticed, the shirt is orange.
These young women were well equipped with bouquets of flowers. I photographed them talking to policewomen. It looked like they were giving them flowers.

Seen in Jerusalem...

A Couple of Protest Signs, old pictures, pre-Disengagement

Here's a poster of the three young teenage girls who were in prison for weeks and weeks on trumped up charges. My neighbor's daughter was jailed for talking back to a policewoman. For that she was considered a danger to to the public. She told the policeman to leave her friend alone.
And here the man is telling Sharon not to destroy the country.

I've been going through the pictures and don't think I've posted these signs I photographed at the Maasiyahu Prison, Saturday night, Melave Malka. In recent days, most of the prisoners have been released, but not all of them.

The ones released were "just the demonstrators" against Disengagement. It was, obviously, a totalitarian tactic to keep opponents jailed.

There are still a few opponents in various jails for more "serious" activities, though none were violent or harmed anyone. They are mostly teens. Real criminals, like thieves, rapists, murderers are not kept in jail for so long or under such restrictive conditions. And remember all the terrorists who have been released.

Nefesh B'Nefesh Album #7

Yes, we'll start with one of the adorable babies on the flight. Considering all the kids, it was a pleasant flight. I guess that surprises me, because 28 years ago, I walked across the Altantic with a baby in my arms. Waiting for luggage is always feeled with tension, since one never knows if it will all arrive on time.
At the ceremony. I'm not sure, but this picture may already be on a different post.
And another baby.
And a baby of another sort, a very precious piece of cargo for this olah chadashah.

there's more to come...

Nefesh B'Nefesh Album #6

Yes, this white dog appears in lots of photos, from the check-in line, the plane and in the Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. The picture under this may have been a mistake, but there's something nice and artsy about it. It was at JFK, NY.
A nice family scene by that gorgeous mural at JFK.
Here's the doggy again, but this time in Israel!
Sean is now Eitan, and I hope to photograph him in his army uniform in a few months.

Sorry, but there's no order to this.

Nefesh B'Nefesh Album #5

Cats can also make aliyah. And I lost the rest of the images, rather stupidly, so look out for #6.

Nefesh B'Nefesh Album #4

Checking in baggage in JFK International Airport. Greeting the olim chadashim in the Ben Gurion Airport
At Ben Gurion, listening to the welcoming ceremony.
The cat owners.
On line with everything, yes, there must be everything in those boxes.

NEFESH B'NEFESH Album #3

Nefesh B'Nefesh Album #1 and Nefesh B'Nefesh Album #2.

For some peculiar reason, only this picture of the cats packed for the trip came out.
This and the next few picture posts are from the Nefesh B'Nefesh flight that left New York on August 2, noon time and arrived in Israel very early August the 3rd. I have an awful lot of pictures to post. I hope that the computer and blogger are more cooperative. They won't be in any particular order. .

Hatikvah in Tel Aviv

At the anti-Disengagement Demonstration in Tel Aviv, I photographed these loyal citizens standing at attention singing Hatikvah.

Anti-Disengagement Demonstration in Tel Aviv, More Flags

orange, blue and white for Gush Katif

Anti-Disengagement in Jerusalem 2

The People Speak


Look at the wonderful kids.
We had a homemade demonstration.

Anti-Disengagement in Jerusalem 1

We were a small demonstration by the Prime Minister's Residence.

anti-disengagement demonstration in Tel Aviv 2

I can never figure out how to get the pictures in the right order, but there are two of Mincha, afternoon prayers said soon after getting out the bus. The sign says it all.

Adorable young demonstrator with orange Gush Katif flags.
Mincha again.

Anti-Disengagement Demonstration in Tel Aviv 1

Blue, white and orange flags!

Kotel Prayers #3

There are some strange things in the order that the pictures are up here, not quite what I loaded, posted, but I'm not going to complain or correct. It's pretty clear that most of the pictures show the masses of people streaming to the Kotel to pray together, to beg G-d to help, to beg G-d to accept our prayers, to beg G-d to consider what we've done enough. Of course there are never any promises that G-d will agree. The number of people can't be counted. Many thousands never even made it into the Old City, as the streets were full, and crowds were held outside of the gates.
There's also a picture of the road to Ir David, where we went. A half hour after I took the picture, the road was totally full, and it was impossible to get in through Sha'ar Ashpot, the Dung Gate.

And just a reminder, the media did its best to ignore and minimalize this great event. It wasn't even mentioned in the "New York Times."

Pictures! Prayer Gathering At Kotel 2nd of 3

Actually the first is going to the Kotel Katan, but somehow didn't show in the first batch.




This includes shopping for orange, which seems to have gotten a "hetter," special permission from the rabbis, since during the three weeks, especially the nine days of mourning of the destruction of the Holy Temples, it's forbidden. But this year the orange tables have been mobbed, and people put on their orange tee shirts, even though they are new.
The last picture starts giving an idea of how many people were trying to get to the Kotel for the massive prayer assembly. Later on worshippers couldn't even get into the Old City. These are stairs going down from the Jewish Quarter into the Kotel Plaza.

Massive Prayer Gathering at Kotel and Kotel Katan

I'm rather surprised. It seems like only five pictures came out, though I loaded fifteen. If that's the situation, it'll soon be discovered. And I'll have to do this in three batches.

Before the massive prayer assembly against the Disengagement Plan at the Kotel, the ancient wall of the Temple Compound, not of the Temple itself, there was a special women's prayer gathering at what's called the "kotel katan," or the "small wall." It doesn't have a large plaza at all, but it's just as ancient and holy as the big kotel. Now guess who these two ladies are!