Jerusalem, Jaffa Road

Photo: Miriam Woelke

From Ussishkin to Wolffson

One of the narrow alleyways of Nachlaot / Jerusalem. In the background you can see one of some ugly high buildings of the Kiryat Wolffson neighbourhood. Those Americans and Israelis living in the Wolffson Towers have money.

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Street Scene in Jerusalem: Kanfe'i Nesharim - Yemin Avot Junction

This morning: Junction Kanfe'i Nesharim Street / Yemin Avot in the Kiryat Moshe neighbourhood (Jerusalem). 

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Traffic Chaos in Agrippas Street / Jerusalem

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It has become harder to enjoy any freedom of space in downtown Jerusalem. Especially in the Nachlaot neighbourhood across the Machane Yehudah Market. 

Additional floors are being built on top of older buildings. Within the past years, Nachlaot has experienced a booming real estate demand whereas in previous years, in 2002 when I used to live there, a new flatmate could hardly be found. In those days, people looking for shared apartments rather preferred living in Old Katamon, the German Colony or the French Hill. Suddenly everything changed and now Nachlaot is the top address for sharing and new immigrants from the US buying houses. 

The hood has become an expensive area to live in. Carlebachers, self – appointed healers and artists, and now also plenty of Haredim have turned the former Kurdish and Moroccan immigrant slum into an overcrowded neighbourhood. Not only that but since Jerusalem’s new tram has started its job, almost the entire Egged bus traffic is going from King George / HaNevi’im Street through Agrippas Street up to the Central Bus Station. 

The Machane Yehudah Market is surrounded by Jaffa Road and by Nachlaot’s Agrippas Street on the other side. Agrippas Street is a long but narrow road and even before the buses came, the road was almost unable to manage all the car traffic. Let alone the masses of delivery trucks reaching the market every morning. Since last summer, the road has been constantly packed with thousands of Egged buses every day. Buses making their way from the Central Bus Station to Katamon, the outskirts, the German Colony, Talpiyot, Armon HaNatziv and vice versa. In times of rush hour, buses are standing in an endless line waiting to reach their destination which is the next bus stop across the Machane Yehudah Market. 

Right next to the road traffic, you find the sidewalks with thousands of people walking. Coming from the market with all their groceries, crossing the road in between the buses, bus stops located at the busy road … Agrippas Street has turned into a jungle. I rather prefer not to imagine a case where a bus is going wild, is having an accident and running into all those people on the sidewalks. 

Letting all the downtown traffic running through Agrippas is a big mistake but a real disaster has to happen until our Municipality may start thinking. Until then, people and buses continue making their way right next to each other.

I took all these photos last Thursday afternoon.

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Around the Bridge

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Entering Jerusalem, area around the Me’itarim Bridge

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

Jaffa Road in Downtown Jerusalem

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Entering Jerusalem

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Rainy Weather in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Jaffa Road: Rainy weather.

Photos: Miriam Woelke

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Yesterday I really started missing Germany in a certain aspect.  Having to deal with bureaucracy in Israel mostly turns out being a disaster. Suddenly you find clerks who work completely unprofessional, yell around at other people while working at your file. When I spoke to a German institution yesterday, everything went smoothly and professional. No one screaming around, smoking or hanging around useless. :-) 

Yesterday was also a big rainy day. In Tel Aviv as well as in Jerusalem. I took the above photos yesterday and when I came home to Tel Aviv, it started raining so heavily that I ended up dripping. 

Due to all the private bureaucracy I underwent, my blogs are not up - to - date. Someone told me that today is Rabbi Me'ir Kahane's Yahrzeit but I had no time to check. However, I saw this poster in Jerusalem yesterday:

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Coming to Israel carrying your whole life in your luggage

Seen in Jerusalem

Photo: Miriam Woelke

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Everyone coming to Israel, no matter if as a tourist or a new immigrant (Oleh Chadash) is coming with his own personal package. According to my experience, many many people carry their own problems all along. Various tourists and new immgrants seem to run away from something in their former life and somehow make their way to Israel.

People may tend to think that, once they are packing their suitcase and travel to another country, all of their former issues will be solved. A new life is waiting and thus they have new opportunities. Sometimes this is true but the usual slogan is: If you can't make it in your own country, you won't succeed anywhere else. 

Due to all the different religious sites, tourist have discovered Israel as a way of finding themselves. This is alright, as long as Gentiles don't decide to stay. If they want to stay, they are going to face the Israeli authorities and will be soon told to leave the country. Most of them do anyway, as they run out of money. Most people coming here only realize later how expensive Israel is.

Plenty of new immigrants couldn't really make a living at home and then took the opportunity and made Aliyah. The same thing: Only in Israel they realized what living in this country really means. You need to be a real pioneer. Especially when you don't know Hebrew yet. 

There are new immigrants who are disappointed and start missing their former country. There are people who get to the point that they forget all about their problems in their former country but just want to leave Israel and return to New York, LA, etc. 

Running away from something cannot be a solution, as all your thoughts and issues follow you anywhere you are.

Traveling before Rosh Hashana

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I have been traveling a bit lately. Enjoying the last days before Rosh Hashana and enjoying G - d's creation. Just being on my own for a change is great. Not depending on anyone and just walking alone. No, it is not a kind of Hitbodedut, as Breslov would suggest but it is simply a way of putting some personal thoughts into order without being bothered by anyone else. For me, traveling on my own is extremely enjoyable and I will continue doing so.

Who says Tel Aviv has no great parts ? Those who do have no idea about the city. Today, for instance, I went to the famous former train station called HATACHANAH. Wait until you see the photos and hear the interesting background story about the Tachanah (Station). 

Not the Tachanah but the shore across. 

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Strauss Street / Kikar Shabbat (Jerusalem)

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Walking down Strauss Street towards Kikar Shabbat. The Kikar (Square) is a kind of separation between the Ge'ulah and the Mea Shearim neighbourhood. 

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Jerusalem Jaffa Road / Corner HaChavazelet

 

A wide part of Jerusalem's main road Jaffa Road turned into a shopping mall without traffic. Only the tram is passing through.

Only a short while ago, Jaffa Road / corner HaChavazelet Street used to be one of the busiest locations in town. I know that because I used to live in HaChavazelet Street. The town has changed a lot since then.

Photo: Miriam Woelke

My first ride on the new Jerusalem Tram

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Jerusalem has its new tram and for the next upcoming ten days, anyone may get on for free. I went on my first two rides yesterday and have to admit that I was impressed. After years of contruction work and wasting millions of Shekels, the tram is turning Jerusalem into a modern era. I saw happy and proud people getting onto the tram. No matter if Jews, Palestinians, tourists or Haredim, each one of them was excited. I have never seen Jerusalem so advanced and peaceful despite yesterday's terror alert. 

It is the time of summer vacations and entire families got on the tram in order to enjoy the new attraction. Even Jaffa Road has changed its face and looked more international. Street cafes and people are able to sit outside everywhere. Without traffic, noise and pollution smell.

I really enjoyed my tram rides although it was packed. As soon as something is free of charge, people are there. :-) The Municipality employed security guards for the tram. Furthermore, lots of youth are helping the customers with information. What the Jerusalemites still have to learn is not to run around on the tracks. The constant "Mind the Gap !" warning from London's underground is missing in Jerusalem. :-)

I asked one of the information people for the ticket price after the free of charge period but she didn't know the answer. A former working colleague of mine seemed to know the answer: 6,90 Shekels for a ride.

And how is the new tram ? I loved it. The trains are sliding around quietly. No noise but it does waste a long time at stops and traffic lights. Or in other words: It is not that fast yet.

And here comes the tram rolling.

At Jerusalem's Central Bus Station

Chic and new: Inside the tram. An electronic board shows the stops in Hebrew, Arabic and English.

 

Have a look how Jaffa Road is finally changing.

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

The SHOMREI EMUNIM neighbourhood in Mea Shearim

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A few photos from the SHOMREI EMUNIM neighbourhood in Mea Shearim. 

Learn more about the history of the Shomrei Emunim HERE !

 

The houses in the back belong to the Shomrei Emunim neighbourhood. The renovated building to the very left is the Beit Midrash of the Breslover Baal Teshuva Rabbi Shalom Arush.

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

Further Links:

Pictures of the Shomrei Emunim Rebbe

Tragedy of Luck - The Split of Toldot Aharon

Let's Eat, Israel

Downtown Jerusalem from a different Perspective

 

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Picture of the Day

In Jaffa Road / Jerusalem

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Photo: King George Street / Jerusalem

Jerusalem / King George Street

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Pictures from Jerusalem, 11 April 2011

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Jaffa Road with the tracks for the new tram.

Still testing the new tram without passengers. I took the photo outside the Machane Yehudah Market.

Jaffa Road is widely closed for the traffic due to the tram. Furthermore, the street is turned into a shopping mall with lots of green and cafes where people can sit outside. The wild Jerusalem traffic, however, is now passing through Agrippas Street (see photo) behind the Machane Yehudah Market.  Agrippas is far to narrow and doesn't have a sufficient capacity for all the traffic.

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

Photos from Jerusalem

 

Agrippas Street

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Jaffa Road

Photos: Miriam Woelke

I went to Jerusalem for a few hours yesterday and took the above photos. It was a rainy cold day and even colder for me, as I came from Tel Aviv.

Jerusalem is so holy and Israel's capital but when you live there, you are forced to make a living which isn't that easy at all. Jobs have become rare and not too well paid. The temperature is much lower than in Tel Aviv, Haifa or Netanya making Jerusalem depressive.

The inhabitants have a difficult mentality. What they don't know, they don't want.

"Lo Zarich - We don't need that !".

Will Jerusalem change ? No, because the Yerushalmim don't want to move on and change.