A pretty church in a pretty blue sky, for SkyWatch Friday.
That's the flag of Romania flying.
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Let's let Aviva Bar-Am tell the story:"You may find Mea She'arim a strange location for an Orthodox Patriarchate. However, by 1927 when the Romanian Church was anxious to gain a foothold in Jerusalem, the choicest sites inside the Old City walls had already been taken.
Instead, it bought property on Rehov Shivtei Yisrael, which was close to the Old City and nearly empty; only later did the street fill up with haredim.
Stand back to look at the reddish tint of the Patriarchate's beautiful stone structure and to note its stately lines. The entrance to the church is hidden around the corner behind the gas station, a gesture to the area's religious residents."
Haredim refers to ultra-Orthodox Jews.The Toledot Aharon group are among the most zealous of the haredim.
In the 1970s they built a yeshiva right across the street from the Romanian church. Oi veh!
In order not to see the two crosses, they built a windowless wall right in front of the facade of the yeshiva.
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At least that is what an older guidebook says.
When I walked there last week (for the first time), the Toledot Aharon yeshiva was undergoing some new construction.
Maybe things are changing . . .
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It is always interesting to wander Jerusalem with you. I see things I remember from my long ago visit and others that are new to me. And your information about them is provided in an inviting manner.
ReplyDeleteThe "eagle" in my 365 post is indeed by Calder. Did he do everything in that color? I've a close--almost too close--view in today's post.
Hi Katney, I like your Calder photos. It looks like Jerusalem's Stabile but with its leg up. :)
ReplyDeleteNot all his mobiles and stabiles are that color.
When we had to repair the paint job, we had to order the special "Calder Red" paint from Europe.
See the funny picture at
http://jerusalemhillsdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/10/coat-of-many-colors.html
There are 4 posts under my label "Calder."
I agree with Katney; it's always interesting to visit Jerusalem with you...
ReplyDeleteExcellent Skywatch, Dina. But it can't already be Friday coming up!!! Argh. I feel like it was just Saturday.
ReplyDeleteRemembering some quite nasty jokes about haredim suddenly...
ReplyDeleteWill show your post to a Romanian colleague of mine.
I didn't know this, it is a funny and interesting story!
ReplyDeleteFascinating, Dina, and a beautiful sky as well!
ReplyDelete— K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
An imposing structure piercing the sky...
ReplyDeleteSKY DITTY
A little birdie told me,
Although I don’t know why,
That if I were to look up,
Way up into the sky,
I’d see some wondrous planets,
The moon and sun and stars –
There before my very eyes
Blazed Jupiter and Mars!
© 2011 by Magical Mystical Teacher
Big Cemetery Sky
interesting and surely a beautiful capture! :)
ReplyDeleteI have a series of shots of the FIRST EVER RAINBOW TO APPEAR IN CENTRAL WI SKY. I hope to see you at my page!
interesting as always!
ReplyDeleteShAloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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Nice blu sky. Like it. Pls try to visit my entry. Happy Sky watch!
ReplyDeleteppffffttt Israel is just about the tiniest nation on earth, but the charedim have nothing to worry about. The Patriarchate really does have beautiful stone structure and stately lines. And trees are always welcome.
ReplyDeleteIt made for a nice silhouette against the blue sky, and let us hope that things are changing.
ReplyDeleteThis does look like many of the churches I am seeing here (except typically they have three crosses on the top). Did you go inside? Every church here I have entered has been quite beautiful with icons, woodcarving, paintings and silver icons. And the service is mostly sung (at least the times I've been inside). I hope you are right that people are moving towards a more tolerant understanding.
ReplyDelete