Jerusalem Vibe: Battling for the streets of Jerusalem

In its relentless drive to add more housing units to the city, Jerusalem is building higher than ever before, having a dramatic impact on current residents. Jerusalem leads the country in new housing construction, with an 86% increase in building starts between July 2023 and June 2024 compared to the previous year. 

Nearly 500 new high-rises of 18 floors or more are currently slated to be built in the coming years, adding more than 58,000 housing units to the city. Currently, Jerusalem has 30 buildings above 18 floors, and many people are concerned that the push toward this type of construction will lead to increased traffic and congestion, and lower quality of life for residents. 

On Asher Street, in the historic Baka neighborhood, a Pinui-Binui (vacate-and-rebuild) project has been approved by the District Committee to build a massive 26-story building with 180 housing units, thousands of square meters of commercial space, a hotel, and an underground parking garage. All this would be on a quaint residential side street where buildings are currently no more than four stories high. 

Understandably, neighborhood residents are up in arms against the plan. A petition signed by more than 500 residents charges that the building will “exponentially” increase traffic congestion, endanger pedestrians, create noise pollution, and darken nearby buildings with the high-rise’s large shadow. The petitioners, as well as the local community council, charge that the project was approved without input from local residents or the consideration of alternative proposals put forth for the neighborhood. 

Last week, the district committee in charge of urban planning approved the plan, ignoring objections raised by local residents. Once approvals are given, construction could start as soon as two years if a solution is not found, said one resident who is helping to lead the opposition. The group is now preparing a petition to the District Court to block further progress unless a solution can be found. 

“The issue is more complicated than it appears because the light rail being built nearby is also going to divert traffic into the side streets,” the local resident pointed out. “This will create an impossible situation for the neighborhood.”

These types of conflicts are becoming more common. One of the highest profile building projects, a 42-story building planned for Herzl Boulevard, between the Kiryat HaYovel and Bayit Vagan neighborhoods, was also recently approved despite hundreds of filed objections. The “Jerusalem Burj Khalifa,” as it is commonly known, will overlook Yad Vashem and the Mount Herzl military cemetery and include 240 residential units, a hotel, commercial spaces, and a cultural center. 

The objections did have some effect on the Burj’s final approval. The maximum height of the building was reduced by about 30 m., and a portion of planned apartments were allotted for smaller apartments and long-term rentals, to address the city’s housing needs. 

The city engineer’s office insists that it takes locals’ objections seriously and that it investigates each project to make sure it addresses public needs before it can be approved. In areas where multiple projects are being done simultaneously, infrastructures are mapped out to help create long-term action plans for each neighborhood, according to the office. However, many residents remain unconvinced, with more Jerusalemites taking matters into their own hands. 

Cleaning Jerusalem quietly

Jerusalem is a lot cleaner now than it was before 2018, when current Mayor Moshe Lion made sanitation a central point of his campaign. From nighttime garbage collection after Shabbat to increased numbers of trash cans placed around the city, it is clear that the municipality continues to take garbage collection seriously. 

Now trash removal will involve less sound pollution as well. Jerusalem’s sanitation department has introduced several quiet electric garbage trucks that will be less disruptive for residents, particularly during nighttime garbage collection. A pilot program in Pisgat Ze’ev, Har Homa, Gilo, and Sha’arei Hesed found a sharp decrease in noise complaints from neighbors when the new trucks were used. 

These trucks are also more environmentally friendly, require less maintenance, and crush garbage for more efficient waste collection, the municipality said. 

The city is starting with three new electric garbage trucks, costing NIS 2 million each. That’s twice the price of a regular truck, but the Environmental Protection Ministry is subsidizing the purchase with a grant of NIS 400,000 per truck. More trucks are set to be purchased as the current fleet becomes obsolete. 

The municipality has also started using new outdoor vacuum cleaners that are quieter and more environmentally friendly to clean public spaces. The new vacuums, with a volume of 240 liters each, can efficiently clean papers, cigarette butts, dog feces, and more with minimal disturbance to drivers and pedestrians. The new vacuums are being used in crowded areas, such as markets, commercial centers, and pedestrian streets. 

A whale of an exhibit

The Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium has a new display: a 17.5-m.-long, 750-kg. whale skeleton, suspended in mid-air. The Balaenoptera physalus whale, nicknamed Sandy, was one of the largest to ever appear in Israel, after washing ashore at Nitzanim Beach in 2021 following a dramatic oil spill along the coast. 

In 2023, a team of researchers from the aquarium, the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens-Biblical Zoo, and the Israeli Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center exhumed the buried carcass and began rebuilding the skeleton. The bones were reassembled using advanced technologies including 3D scanning and custom suspension planning, and took a team of experts from around the world a year and a half to complete. 

Aquarium visitors can now see the entire whale skeleton, along with interactive displays and guided explanations of the whale’s anatomy and the restoration process. Tickets are available at jlm.news/uhKzEa.

Sukkot events

Communal leaders are still debating how to appropriately mark Sukkot and Simchat Torah, some of the most joyous festivals of the Jewish year, in light of the tragedies of the past year. But the festival is nearly upon us, and many events have already been announced. 

More events will no doubt be available as Sukkot approaches, but here are some of the biggest ones. 

• Every day: Most of Jerusalem’s museums, such as the Israel Museum, Bible Lands Museum, Begin Center, Bloomfield Science Museum, and The Tower of David Museum, will be open with holiday activities for the family.  

The municipal sukkah at Safra Square will be active the entire holiday, with children’s activities during the day and concerts in the evening. See jlm.news/PtGuEI for the full schedule.

• Friday: The Amazing Race is a fun scavenger hunt for the whole family, put on by Crossroads, an organization helping Anglo youth at risk. For info, visit jlm.news/8npvWI
• Sunday: Birkat Hakohanim at the Western Wall, with tens of thousands of festival pilgrims. Prayers start at 8:45 a.m., with the first priestly blessing at 9:30 a.m. The second priestly blessing (Mussaf) is at 10:30 a.m.

Derech Beit Lehem festival: (5-10 p.m.): Music, food, and entertainment for the whole family in the Baka neighborhood. Free. 

• Monday: The Jerusalem March. Tens of thousands of visitors from around the world converge for the annual march through the center of town. The colorful biblically inspired floats, and treats for kids, make it a top activity for families. The parade starts at 3 p.m., with hikes scheduled throughout the morning. jlm.news/8PAJBG

What about transportation? 

Traffic is a nightmare in Jerusalem during the holidays. Use public transportation or park in one of the Park and Ride lots along the light rail line. Free parking is available at the lots at Nahal Tzofim and Mount Herzl. Extra train, light rail, and bus lines will be added throughout Sukkot, along with special late-night bus routes. ■

G’mar hatima tova and a happy Sukkot!

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