The Gazelle Valley - Urban Nature Park in Jerusalem

“My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag” (Song of Solomon, 2:9)

The Gazelle Valley is the first urban nature park in Israel. It’s a short walk from my home in the Katamonim neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem. For over a year now I have been volunteering at the park. It’s my second home, a place that lifts my spirits, where I feel at peace with the world. The 61-acre nature reserve is just down the road from the Botanical Gardens at Givat Ram, nestled between the busy Patt Junction, the Begin Highway and the neighborhood of Givat Mordechai. It is a great place to view mountain gazelles in their natural habitat and commune with nature. Around 80 members of this endangered species are living in the park, roaming freely throughout the grounds. The mountain gazelle is the more prevalent of Israel’s two gazelle species. They live in herds within defined territories. Formerly common in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean, it is now only found in central and northern Israel. These delicate creatures are mentioned frequently in Jewish sources as a symbol of power, speed and beauty.

Due to increased urban development and construction, the number of mountain gazelles dwindled from a few hundred in the 1940’s to a mere handful that remained in the valley by the end of the 1990’s. Hemmed in on all sides, many were attacked by predators or killed on the newly-built roads. A protracted grass-roots battle by neighborhood activists, together with the Society for Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), saved the area from local property developers. The Jerusalem City Council and the Jerusalem Foundation put their weight behind the project which culminated in the grand opening of the Gazelle Valley Urban Nature Park in March 2015. Before it could be opened to the public, a perimeter fence was constructed to keep the gazelles from falling prey to wild dogs and jackals. Part of the valley inside the fence was developed with trails, observation platforms, picnic areas and a visitors’ center. A larger natural core was roped off exclusively for the gazelles to wander freely, but protected, in the abundant undergrowth. Rainwater runoff fills the ponds and irrigates the valley’s trees and plants providing a “Nature –Based solution” to urban flooding.

No-one could have predicted the success of the Park. Since its opening, the number of gazelles has risen from 3 to over 80 – a sure sign that they are happy in their home. This year, for the first time, 20 gazelles were successfully relocated to the Golan Heights and Ramat Hanadiv on the Carmel. In addition to gazelles, the park is home to dozens of species of birds, reptiles, insects and native plants, creating a functioning urban ecosystem which attracts a cross-section of Jerusalemites and visitors from around the country. Bird watchers and photographers can be seen during the early hours together with joggers and others, like me, who just want to enjoy the peaceful, natural surroundings. The site is run by professional staff and volunteers who help maintain the park, advise visitors, and offer educational programs for school groups. It is open everyday from 6:30 a.m. until sunset. There is no entrance fee. https://www.gazelle-valley.com/eng/

By Madeleine Lavine .

Christmas in Jerusalem 2021

Sadly there are no overseas tourists visiting Jerusalem this Christmas. However plenty of locals were out and about last Saturday evening when I joined a friend to check out the Christmas lights at this holiday time. We weren't disappointed. Walking from the Russian Compound we popped into the Holy Trinity Church where we were enchanted by the heavenly singing.

From there we wandered through the City Hall complex to the Notre Dame Pilgrim Guesthouse. Opened at the end of the 19th century, this magnificent building faces New Gate where a local Christmas Market was in full flow. The view from the roof is spectacular. I was surprised to discover this gem after almost 40 years of living in the city. The spectacular views from the roof show the Chritmas tree in the courtyard below and the Christmas market just inside the New Gate across the road.

After tasting some of the delcacies on offer in the market, we continued through the alleyways of the Christian Quarter to the home of Jerusalem's Santa Claus Issah Kassisieh, who has turned his family home into a Christmas wonderland. We didn't visit this time but many others waited patiently for their special visit.

Touring Again, Finally! Scenes from a recent Old City Tour

How wonderful. After nearly 20 months, I have actually toured the Old City with friends and international tourists. On November 1st Israel opened up its gates to vaccinated tourists. What a joy to see familiar faces and sites in the glorious November. weather. This is a great time to visit. Sites are pretty quiet and accessible and locals are happy to see tourists. I want to share some of the places we saw on our walk from the Jaffa Gate along the Ramparts to Damascus Gate - one of my favourite routes. The colours, the sights and even the smells are tangible through the wonderful pictures taken by my friend, Viva Press, who visited from Tel Aviv. Apart from the Ramparts, we wandered through the Muslim Quarter savouring the sights, tastes and smells. We toured the Haram eSharif - The Holy Sanctuary housing the beautiful 7th-century Dome of the Rock - a Muslim shrine marking the site of Mohammed's ascent to heaven, and in the Jewish tradition site of the First and Second Temples, the place of the Foundation Stone and the Binding of Isaac by Abraham. Below are views from the ramparts: the bustling market streets, fresh sesame breads and delicious foods, and views to the Western Wall and the Mount of Olives from the Haram. We ended up in the iconic Mahane Yehuda Market at Rachmo where we ate Kurdish kubeh soup. Yum! We hope to see you here soon!

HAPPY 2021 - IDEAS FOR PLACES TO VISIT ON YOUR NEXT TRIP TO ISRAEL

Now we have shut the door on 2020, we can now focus on renewed hope for travel and tourism by the second half of this year. Israel is steaming ahead with its vaccination roll out and on target to see a return to nearer normal by April. Here is an article by VIva Sarah Press about some of Israel's natural wonders No Camels. (NoCamels.com covers breakthrough Israeli innovation in tech, science, food, health, cybersecurity, clean energy, art and design and more). I hope you enjoy it. The landscapes are certainly spectacular. We are waiting for you!

CHRISTMAS 2020: JERUSALEM'S SANTA

The Old City is very quiet this year. However, if you walk down St. Peter's Street from the New Gate, and continue down the winding alleyways of the Christian Quarter to the junction of St. Peter's Street and the Latin Patriarchate Road, you will soon hit "Santa Lane" where this December you can find the festively decorated Santa's House.

Issa Kassissieh, outside Santa's House
December 2020

For three years, Palestinian Catholic and well-know former local basketball player Issa (Jesus) Kassissieh, has been dressing up as the Jerusalem Santa and decorating his family's traditional 14th century home.

This year Santa is needed more than ever. 

Kassassieh, 42, says, "I try to bring happiness, even when I can't give a hug. When I talk to the children I see they need this in this situation. A smile, a nice word - they are very happy for that. Anyone can put on a red suit, but if you don't do it from the heart, you can't bring the miracle of Santa."

In better years, he has given his Santa a local twist by trading in the reindeer for a borrowed camel he rides in the Old City to the delight of locals and tourists alike.

Santa on his Camel

People of all religions visit. "I don't care who they are. My message is love and peace. Santa is for everybody."

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2021!

(Adapted from an article by Judith Sudilovsky, Catholic News Service)

Virtual Jerusalem Tour March 2020

Easter and Passover are busy tourist times in Israel. This year is different from all others. The city is empty. Tourists and their guides are at home and sites are closed.

Here you can take a tour through the beautiful but empty streets of the old city.

To paraphrase Rabbi Judah HaLevy, I am in the West but my heart is in the East

 I cannot wait to return.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2WxwZeGH-U

Looking forward to better times.

Rare color footage from 1930s casts new light on holy city

I am a fan of old black and white photographs of Jerusalem.

Inside the Jaffa Gate

The link from the YNet news site shows rare footage of Jerusalem from the 1930s as never seen before, from the lens of the Margulis family, who vacationed in the city and took with them a 16 mm camera and a newly acquired color film.  

The Jerusalem Cinemateque has digitized the rare photographs. The photos and a short film of the old city can be seen in this link: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5569188,00.html
Note that the Holy Sepulchre was undergoing renovations after the earthquake of 1927.
Apologies for the extraneous adverts, but I think this is worth it for a rare journey to Jerusalem past.

The United Nations Headquarters in Jerusalem - Government House

Built in 1933, the former British High Commissioner's headquarters - Government House or Armon HaNatsiv in Hebrew - is an elegant, monumental building.  In Christian tradition, the site is known as the Hill of Evil Counsel, linking it to home of Caiaphas the high priest from the time of Jesus. Situated in the south of the Valley of Hinnom, it commands a superb view to the old city, Mount of Olives, Judean Desert and into Jordan.

Facade - photo Daniela Penkova

Designed by British architect Austen St. Barbe Harrison, it combines local elements and classical symmetry and bears great resemblance to the Rockefeller Museum in east Jerusalem which he also designed. Once again, he succeeds in creating a building that relates to local historical tradition, the dramatic landscapes and represents the values and culture of the British Empire of its day.

Main Guard Entrance to the compound

In 1948, the British abandoned the building handing it over to the Red Cross. After the Armistice Agreement was signed in 1949, The United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation - UNTSO - moved into the building. It also overseas the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) based on the Golan Heights. 

Having fallen into disrepair, the building recently underwent a $7 million renovation restoring it to its former glory.

Sunken Garden from the south
photo Daniela Penkova

Two weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be taken on a private tour of the building which reminded me of the YMCA on King David Street and the Rockefeller Museum. 

The simple stone interiors are grand but not overwhelming. High windows allow natural light to flood into the rooms. The most impressive room is the ballroom, which connects to the reception room and incorporates a splendid fireplace designed by Armenian ceramic artist David Ohanessian. 

View to the ballroom

The fireplace with Armenian ceramics

Ceramic detail

Facade at Dusk - photo Daniela Penkova

A Centenary of Armenian Pottery in Jerusalem - Hagop Karakashian

2019 marks the centenary of Armenian pottery in Jerusalem. In 1919, David Ohannessian and his two assistants, Megherdich Karakashian and Neshan Balian, were brought to Jerusalem by the British from Kutahya in Turkey to repair the 16th century tiles covering the Dome of the Rock. These craftsmen were glad to leave Turkey to escape persecution and settle in Jerusalem to practise the craft of making richly-colored glazed pottery.

Even though they ultimately didn't carry out the repair work on the Dome of the Rock, the British commissioned their decorative tiles to grace a number of significant public buildings erected during the Mandate Period. These include: the Rockefeller Museum, St. John's Eye Hospital on the Hebron Road, St. Andrew's Scottish Church and the American Colony Hotel.

In 1964 Stepan and Berj Karakashian established the Jerusalem Pottery workshop on the Via Dolorosa where it remained until the end of 2018. Following Stepan's death that year, his son Hagop (third generation) and his wife Tzoghig, moved the workshop and studio to the Greek Patriarch Street close to the Jaffa Gate in the Christian Quarter.

Interior - New Pottery Workshop

Their work incorporates traditional Armenian bird, animal and flower designs and biblical scenes on tiles, bowls, plates, mugs and vases.  They will also make custom-made panels for your new kitchen or bathroom.

It is always a pleasure to stop by and admire the beautiful, hand-crafted work still made in the traditional manner by the family.

Jerusalem Pottery is open daily 9:00 - 19:00 except Sunday. 3 Greek Patriarch Street. 02-6261587

Through His Father's Eye - Elia Photo - Christian Quarter

Learning of the recent passing of Kevork Kahvedjiah, a kind and gentle soul, I wanted to update this post.  His son Elie continues the family tradition.

Kevork surrounded by his father's pictures
Photo: Aliza Orent

Kevork Kahvedjian was raised in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City and inherited his father’s photography business. His father fled Armenia and was raised in an orphanage in Nazareth. After discovering a trove of his father’s negatives in an attic, he published “Through My Father’s Eyes” a unique collection of photographs showing everyday life in Jerusalem and throughout the Holy Land as captured by his father’s camera since 1924. Recently, the photographs were used to guide the restoration of the historic Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, which was destroyed by the Jordanians in 1948.. 

A visit to Elia Photo on El Khanka Street is a must for anyone visiting Jerusalem. Even more so if you are interested in photography and historical photographs.



Kevork Kahvedjian of Blessed Memory

Austria in Jerusalem - the Austrian Pilgrims' Hospice

The Austrian Pilgrims' Hospice, strategically placed in the Muslim Quarter at the junction of the Via Dolorosa and El Wad Street (HaGai), is one of my favourite places to visit while touring the old city.



Austrian Hospice in the 19th Century

The Austrian Hospice is one of a number of  historical buildings erected by European powers towards the end of the 19th century as the 400-year Ottoman rule was coming to a close.

After the foundation stone was laid on New Year's Eve 1856 the Hospice became one of the city's leading ecclesiastical guesthouses before being taken over by other parties. It served as an orphanage, internment camp, officers' school and military hospital. In 1985, with assistance from Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek, the building was returned to its original function and is currently run by local and Austrian staff and volunteers.

One of its most famous guests was Kaiser Franz Josef who stayed here in 1869 on his way to the opening of the Suez Canal. In addition to being Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and monarch of other states in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he also took the title of  "King of Jerusalem". 

A mosaic in the charming chapel depicts him pointing the way to the Holy City leading his new Crusade.

Built in the style of Vienna's Ringstrasse palaces of the 19th century, the pilgrims' hospice is a wonderful place to enjoy a coffee and strudel in the Viennese Cafe or sip a beer in the well-tended gardens.

View from the roof

The Austrian Hospice offers an oasis of tranquility in the old city and affords a wonderful panoramic view from its rooftop. Ring the doorbell to leave the Middle Eastern bazaar and enter the grandeur of the House of Habsburg - a real Jerusalem secret!

There is a fee of 5 shekels to visit the rooftop panorama.



Jerusalem's Hansen Hospital: From Leper Colony to Multi-Media Art School

In the affluent neighbourhood of Talbieh, across the road from the Jerusalem Theatre complex, sits an impressive 19th century building - the former Hansen Hospital. Named after Dr. Gerhard Hansen, the Norwegian physician who discovered the leprosy bacteria in 1873.

In the early 19th century there were no real medical facilities in the Jerusalem. The first modern hospitals were established by Europeans.  Leprosy, an infectious disease, was a stigma. It was also misunderstood.

The Hansen House story began with a visit from Germany, of the Baron and Baroness von Keffenbrinck Ascheraden, to the old city of Jerusalem in 1865. During their visit, they encountered lepers living in tents and mud huts at the Zion Gate, an encounter that brought them to decide to promote the establishment of a proper asylum for people with leprosy. In cooperation with a committee of the Joint Anglican-German Protestant Community in Jerusalem, the first leper asylum was established in 1867 next to the old Mamilla Pool. When this initial structure could no longer fit all people with leprosy seeking shelter, it was decided in 1882 that a larger home be built.

Designed by Conrad Schick, a German missionary and self-taught architect, the spacious two-storey building named "Jesus Hilfe" (Jesus Helps) was opened in 1887 with 65 patients. Set among fruit trees and a vegetable garden, it provided clean air, hygiene, nutrition, work, and spritual and emotional support for the patients who were mostly Muslim but there were also Christians and a number of Jews. It was the only place of its kind in the Middle East.

The hospital operated from 1914-1948 with European staff. By 1948 it became part of the Ministry of Health and continued to function until 2000.



Main Entrance and Gardens

Hansen Hospital Museum

Two rooms are dedicated to the history of the hospital and Hansen's Disease.

The city decided to preserve the building and in 2013 the compound became part of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design masters program. The centre includes exhibition spaces, an animation lab, theatre performance space, a projection room, studios for visiting artists, an artists guest house and a restaurant. 

I revisited the building last week for the first time since its restoration and enjoyed the delightful Ofa'im Cafe which serves delicious dairy meals in historic surroundings. The small museum is open to the public free of charge.

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Ein Gedi's Ancient Synagogue

For most visitors, a tour of Ein Gedi means the short circular nature trail among lush vegetation and fresh water pools of Nahal David or the longer trail of Nahal Arugot.

Many people overlook the nearby antiquities which can be visited on the same entrance ticket and are well worth a short stop.



Evidence of the ancient Jewish settlement from the Second Temple Period were discovered by chance in 1965 when a mosaic floor was revealed among the date plantations of the modern kibbutz Ein Gedi.


Ein Gedi Synagogue Central Medallion

Further excavations in the 1990s revealed remains of a settlement and synagogue from the late Roman and Byzantine periods - 3rd-6th centuries CE.

The synagogue was completely excavated and nearby streets and buildings partially uncovered.  Recently, excavations have restarted in the surrounding area.

Eusebius, an early 4th century father of the Christian Church, wrote about a very large village of Jews at Ein Gedi. Early manuscripts tell of Ein Gedi's inhabitants who grew date palms and persimmons. The source of the community's wealth was the persimmon bush or afarsimon which yielded a substance from which a valuable perfume could be extracted.

mosaic detail

In addition to a bird medallion, a seven-branched menorah graces the synagogue mosaic floor. A Hebrew and Aramaic inscription in the left aisle lists the 13 forefathers of mankind, the 12 signs of the zodiac, thanks the benefactors and curses community members who do not keep the rules of the village.

Seven-branched Menorah detail





Archeologists believe that the settlement came to the end by the late 6th century.

Access the antiquites by following the sign to Nahal Arugot and Ein Gedi Synagogue.

There are picnic tables, bathrooms and a quiet place to enjoy the view of the Dead Sea away from the crowds. Open 8-4 in the winter and until 5 p.m. April-October

Restoration Work in Holy Sepulcher Completed

Two weeks before Easter, the edicule of the Holy Sepulchre has been revealed to the public in all its glory for the first time since 1809. I was touring the church on the day it was reopened. Here are some of the pictures that I took.

The Restored Edicule

 

Since May of 2016, the edicule covering the tomb of Jesus underwent major restoration for the first time in over 200 years. Even though the structure is surrounded by scaffolding the church has remained open to visitors. Until this week that is.

Light over the Edicule

In the past few days the church has been closed for 60 hours to enable major archeological investigations of the tomb itself.

You can read more in the link below and watch the video about what has been revealed under the stone covering the tomb.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/jesus-tomb-opened-church-holy-sepulchre/