Sukkot in Jerusalem
This year we have the privilege of being the place that YHVH chose to put His Name for the Feast of Sukkot. We thought that it would be a good idea to give you an idea of what it would be like to join us for such a special appointment.
This year the city is really packed! We have never seen Jerusalem this busy. The hotels and hostels are turning people away because they are fully booked. The streets are crowded like you have never seen before.
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- Jaffa street – the sidewalks are packed
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- Ben Jehudah street at night
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- Old City – Heading towards the Western Wall – Mount of Olives in the background
Everywhere in the streets you can see Sukkahs of all different shapes and sizes. You can even purchase some Sukkah kits to build your own Sukkah. Maybe next year IKEA will have a flatpack Sukkah as well!
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- Sukkahs in the Old City – Jewish Quarter
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- Two Jewish boys coming out of the Sukkah
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- Outside a restaurant in the Old City
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- Some boys teaching the tourist how to wave the Lulav
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- A lot of the balconies sport a Sukkah during the feast
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- At the City of David they have created a Sukkah for visitors to enjoy.
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- On the Shabbat the Restaurants are empty
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- The small side streets and walkways are filled with “standard” Sukkahs
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- Every restaurant has a Sukkah on the sidewalk
Sukkot is one of the harvest feasts. The olives, pomegranates, grapes and dates have now been harvested. Some trees in the city still have some of their fruit.
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- Last grapes
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- Olives have been harvested
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- This tree near the City of David still had some dates
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- Last Pomegranat on the tree
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- Some more olives
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- Fruit stall in the market
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- Fresh fruit being served in the street cafe
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- Everywhere you go you see the pomegranats
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- Fresh fruit squeezed on demand at the market
We also had the privilege of watching the first re-enactment of the water libation ceremony of the Temple Institute. We joined them at the City of David, after they had collected the water from the spring of Shiloach. The priests then carried the water past the Temple Mount to the Jewish Quarter in the Old City. Along the way we hear a lot of music, with singing and dancing. Once we got to the Old City there was a ceremony at a plain next to the new Synagogue. Lots of people showed up to watch the show.
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- The priests carrying the water from the spring to the Old City
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- Entering the Old City via the Dung Gate at the Temple Mount
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- Every now again we would stop to sign and dance while waving the palm branches
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- People gather in the Old City to see the cermony
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- Two priests waiting with the water and wine.
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- Getting ready to start the ceremony
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- The water from the pool about to be poured
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- The priests have just finished pouring the water and wine
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- The vessels that the water and wine were poured into
Every year during the feast of Sukkot the ICEJ also hosts their annual Sukkot conference in Jerusalem. This year Joseph Dumond from SightedMoon also had a booth to introduce the Sabbatical Years to the attendees. I helped Joseph one evening and bumped into a number of very interesting people. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of attendees that already keep the Shabbat and the moedim of YHVH.
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- The booth of SightedMoon at ICEJ 2014 Sukkot conference
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- Joseph busy explaining to some visitors
Every year at the end of the ICEJ conference, the city also hosts the Friends of Israel march. During this march lovers of Israel join together to march through the streets to show their love for the country. This year the march was joined by around 60,000 people.
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- The flags of Israel was clearly visible
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- Lots of people with their flags and banners getting ready for the march
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- 60,000 people joined at the start of the march
The city is always one big feast. This is very clearly seen by the number of musicians that can be seen on every sidewalk of the city. You cannot walk too far without bumping into some wonderful live music.
To wrap up – some random shots of the City that YHVH chose to put His name!
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- A replica of the Ark of the Covenant was on display on the way to the Old City
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- An Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man on his way home from the Western Wall
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- Prayers at the Western Wall
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- The walls of the Old City
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- The windmill is working again
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- The parks in front of the walls of the Old City
We pray that next year YHVH will allow us all to get together in His city!
Shalom!
Further reading
Tags: Feast, Festivals, Israel, Jerusalem, mo'edim, Pictures, sukkot
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Comments (3)
Wendy
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The 3 of us are watching the sun come up over the rooftops next door to you. Just checked your newsletter, it is beautiful and captures the atmosphere wonderfully of what we all experienced this week. I’ll send it to my friends in Canada. Say hello to your lovely wife! We are leaving for Haifa this morning .
Wendy
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Charles
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Hello, I miss your facebook posts… YHVH told me that I was to leave facebook before Yom Teruah so I am no longer on it. I look forward to your email updates… in general, I can only say that I am amazed at how the whole world, and my own have been completely shaken since 8/25/14, the day I departed from FB. You are one of the things remaining, unshaken.
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Lessons from Sukkot | Set Apart People
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