Jerusalem Vibe: The conflict on Aza Street

Since Oct. 7, the area around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem’s Rehavia neighborhood has been somewhat of a closed military zone. The neighborhood’s main traffic artery, Aza Street, is often shut down for protests, among other reasons.

“I’d say Aza Street is closed more than half the time,” said Lilach, a waitress at Bab Al Yemen, a trendy bar café at the corner of Aza and Metudela streets, where the street closures typically begin. “I understand that there is a need to protect the prime minister’s house, but it is very hard on the businesses here, and it’s not always clear why the streets are being closed at a particular time.”

On a recent night when no large protests were scheduled, my wife and I went to Bab Al Yemen for drinks. The outdoor seating area was about half full – normal for midweek. Several people walked past the restaurant carrying protest signs and were interrogated by guards before they were allowed access to the street.

At the corner by Metudela Street, a large truck was set up to block access to the road, bolstering the defenses of the usual police barricades. The truck is owned by a private moving company, our waiter explained. “They have an arrangement with the police to rent out their trucks for days like this.”

People still come to the bar despite the inconveniences, Lilach said, but the past year has been hard on the locals. “There’s always something. There was one night when they used skunk spray against protesters, and customers stopped coming for a few days because it smelled so bad. The owner had to go out and clean things up. He suffers a lot from this.”

Lilach, a student at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, moved to the neighborhood just before the war. “I don’t know how it was before this, but I had a friend living across the street who had to move because she couldn’t handle the chaos. I live down the street where it’s a bit quieter, so I guess I’ve gotten used to it. Maybe that’s kind of sad.”

Jerusalem expands skyward

One of Jerusalem’s largest urban renewal initiatives has begun in the Katamonim neighborhood. The SOHO project, led by Kidmat HaYovel and Africa Urban Renewal, will replace 376 outdated apartments, housed in five buildings constructed in the 1960s, with nearly 1,000 residential units spread across five modern 35-story towers. The first building demolition, at 15 Bar Yochai Street, recently kicked off in a celebration attended by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and Construction and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf.

Lion hailed the project as part of the city’s broader transformation, noting that such urban renewal initiatives will shape the future of Jerusalem. Neighborhood residents, meanwhile, are up in arms, claiming that the construction of high-rise towers will overload local infrastructure and harm their quality of life.

The project comes with some benefits. Bar Yochai Street will be upgraded to a two-lane road with wider sidewalks to improve accessibility. And the project will include a large commercial boulevard, daycare centers, and a synagogue, alleviating some of the strain on local infrastructure. But many neighbors say that is not enough.

Like it or not, massive construction projects like these are going to dominate the capital city for years to come. A recent report in the Hebrew press found that some 483 tall buildings averaging 26.7 floors are planned for the coming years in the capital, adding 58,728 housing units to the city. Currently, Jerusalem is relatively “short,” with only 30 buildings above 18 floors, so this type of building will drastically change the face of the city.

After praying for so many years for Jerusalem to be rebuilt, Israel is now raising its eyes heavenward for different reasons.

Free admission to the Israel Museum for Jerusalem youth

During the coming year, entrance to the Israel Museum will be free for children and teens under 18 who are residents of Jerusalem. A new collaboration between the Jerusalem Municipality and the Israel Museum aims to make the museum’s exhibits more accessible to the younger generation.

The Israel Museum in Givat Ram is Israel’s largest and most prestigious museum, with nearly half a million pieces of Judaica, archaeology, and Israeli and international art.

Youth will be given free entrance upon presentation of an ID card with their address. The museum will continue offering free admission to all children every Tuesday as it has done for years. Entrance is also free for evacuees, upon presentation of an ID card.

Preparations for ‘slihot’

With the beginning of the Jewish month of Elul and the upcoming High Holy Days, Jerusalem is preparing to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors from across Israel and around the world.

Much of the season’s tourism revolves around the late-night slihot prayers for forgiveness recited in synagogues around the city.

This year, the city plans to host hundreds of events, musical performances, and tours around the slihot experience. A series this past week drew guests to cafés around the center of the city, while future events will be staged in Nahlaot, Yemin Moshe, Geula, and, of course, the Old City.

Slihot services at the Western Wall are among the most popular activities in the city during this period. Municipal data show that about 70% of visitors to the city during this period also visit the Old City and the Western Wall. 

In order to accommodate the expected influx of visitors, hotels are offering discounts and benefits for guests staying more than one night. The city is also beefing up public transportation during this period, and advises travelers to use the light rail or free park-and-ride lots for visits to the most popular spots.

Wine for the New Year

Do you know what wines you’ll be serving in the coming year? More than 45 wineries, importers, and distilleries will present their newest wines at the Wine Festival at the First Station on Thursday, September 19. The NIS 129 admission (NIS 108 for Yerushalmi Club members) includes unlimited free tastings, NIS 25 credit toward a wine purchase, and a crystal glass that you can take home after you’ve used it at the fair. Tickets at jrslm.news/wine19

For those who missed the annual wine festival at the Israel Museum this summer, this is your opportunity to drink and laugh with thousands of your neighbors as we prepare to enter the year 5785.■

Send comments to zev@jrslm.news