Golden Times
The weather is starting to hot up and after a few days out of it with illness, so is our social calendar.
We have a wedding tonight, the in-laws also arrive tonight to check on the state of their grandchild to be and it's Yom Yerushalayim tonight as well.
Let me focus on the latter. Of all the billions of people born since the destruction of the Second Temple, how many can say that they have only known an undivided accessible Jerusalem? Very, very few so I am in indeed in elite company. Never thought twice about it and just took it for granted as many people born post-1967 have done.
Not that I make the most of this. In the 18 months I have been here would have been to the Kottel only about six times.
The day should be about a celebration of one of the world's most famous cities but how much celebrating is there to do? The attitude of Israelis not living in Jerusalem towards the city of gold is anything but complimentary.
It's ancient roots and legacy mean that at times it stuggles to adjust to life as a major metropolis in the 21st century. With its delicate and touchy it invariably means that no matter what happens here is always political. Whether its a Gay Pride parade, tens of thousands spent on a clock at the city entrance or trying to get them to stop digging up the roads.
But enough of that. Later tonight and tomorrow when you are devouring your Jerusalem Artichokes (forgetting that its neither from Jerusalem or an artichoke) and singing Jerusalem raise your glass to 39 golden years.
PS: Speaking of roadworks, can't believe that thing they have been working on for months at the exit to the city by the massive yellow crane is nothing more than a 40 yard detour. They must have spent millions on that!
We have a wedding tonight, the in-laws also arrive tonight to check on the state of their grandchild to be and it's Yom Yerushalayim tonight as well.
Let me focus on the latter. Of all the billions of people born since the destruction of the Second Temple, how many can say that they have only known an undivided accessible Jerusalem? Very, very few so I am in indeed in elite company. Never thought twice about it and just took it for granted as many people born post-1967 have done.
Not that I make the most of this. In the 18 months I have been here would have been to the Kottel only about six times.
The day should be about a celebration of one of the world's most famous cities but how much celebrating is there to do? The attitude of Israelis not living in Jerusalem towards the city of gold is anything but complimentary.
It's ancient roots and legacy mean that at times it stuggles to adjust to life as a major metropolis in the 21st century. With its delicate and touchy it invariably means that no matter what happens here is always political. Whether its a Gay Pride parade, tens of thousands spent on a clock at the city entrance or trying to get them to stop digging up the roads.
But enough of that. Later tonight and tomorrow when you are devouring your Jerusalem Artichokes (forgetting that its neither from Jerusalem or an artichoke) and singing Jerusalem raise your glass to 39 golden years.
PS: Speaking of roadworks, can't believe that thing they have been working on for months at the exit to the city by the massive yellow crane is nothing more than a 40 yard detour. They must have spent millions on that!
posted by Dot Co Dot Il at 9:06 AM
1 Comments:
I actually drove on it yesterday and it took me a few seconds to realize that that's what they seemed to have been working on for so long. I don't know anything about road construction (eventhough my father was a builder/contractor), so maybe there is a method to this madness.
J.
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