This week in Jerusalem: Bless you

• Author: PEGGY CIDOR
• Published date: 30 September 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Considering the limits imposed by the coronavirus, this Sukkot's traditional Priestly Blessing was a big success. To accommodate more people, the ceremony, led by hundreds of kohanim from across the country, was held twice – on Wednesday and Thursday.

Thousands of Jews from across the country and abroad flocked to the Western Wall Plaza for the traditional blessing introduced in the Torah. Launched 40 years ago, it has been held without interruption twice annually since, on Passover and Sukkot. This year, 8,000 men were permitted to reach the Kotel Plaza, through hundreds of capsules. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, in charge of the ceremony, also broadcast the entire ceremony live for those who were unable to enter the site.

cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });

>

All roads leading to the Old City were blocked during the festival, allowing only neighborhood residents to enter, with visitors and pilgrims requested to use the shuttle available at nearby parking areas. Some 8,000 policemen were deployed during the High Holidays in the city.

Strike a deal

Another nearly annual – though less joyous – tradition at this time of year is the threat of a strike in the education system. This time, the threat for a total strike is coming from the Daycare Assistants Association, which wants their employer – the municipality – to regulate their working conditions and pension rights.

Weeks from now, the 900 employees who work in afternoon enrichment programs in municipal preschools and first grades may choose to disable all these city institutions, affecting about 10,000 children aged three to six. The association says the strike comes as a last resort following the refusal of the municipality and the community administrations (the local councils in which these preschools operate) to discuss improving the employment conditions.

The association says that while there are only about 22 children in those frameworks in the rest of the country, the average number in Jerusalem stands at 30, thus requiring more employees. Yet because salaries are so low, it is practically impossible to find additional candidates for the jobs.

Waste not

The first permanent residence in Israel for a food rescue group was inaugurated earlier this week (September 22) in Givat Shaul. This permanent home will include a visitors center, the first of its kind in the country, which promotes ongoing...