Generally speaking, Michal Herzog, the wife of President Isaac Herzog, accompanies her husband to numerous events in Israel and abroad, and also participates in events that are hosted at the President’s Residence. In fact, she is the most visible and actively involved of all presidential spouses.
Earlier this month, it was Isaac Herzog who accompanied his wife to the inauguration of the vastly upgraded Wohl Rose Garden opposite the Knesset.
Prior to her husband’s election as president, Michal Herzog spent 12 years as Israel director of the Wohl Legacy, a British philanthropic foundation in memory of Vivienne and Maurice Wohl.
The foundation has been extremely generous in its gifts to Israel, and according to Michal Herzog, it showed her the extraordinary good that Diaspora Jewry can do to help reduce inequality and provide opportunity in Israel.
At the unveiling ceremony of the revamped Wohl Rose Garden, Michal Herzog welcomed the reopening of the garden as a moment of beauty, hope, and renewal in the heart of Jerusalem.
The garden, with more than 400 varieties of roses, was established in 1981. Vivienne Wohl was herself symbolic of a British rose. Whenever the Wohls spent time in Israel, they attended services at the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, where there is a mini Wohl Museum in the spacious ground floor lobby.
The revamped park, at a cost of NIS 60 million, is a joint endeavor of the Jerusalem Municipality, the Heritage Ministry, the Jerusalem Foundation, and the Jerusalem Development Authority. The work was carried out by Moriah, the municipal construction company.
Moshe Lion, Miri Regev cause Jerusalemites to leave city
■ JERUSALEM MAYOR Moshe Lion wants to make the city more attractive and humming with life, but the mayor’s lack of consideration and that of Transportation Minister Miri Regev will drive many Jerusalemites to greener, more affordable fields.
As previously mentioned, the vacancies on King George Avenue are mounting, as shopkeepers realize foot traffic will dip during light rail construction. Changing the public transportation system a week before Rosh Hashana, when people are rushing to do last-minute shopping, shows a total lack of consideration for the public. The project could have waited until after Sukkot.
While ads announcing new bus routes have been placed in local and national newspapers, they are lacking important details – and many perplexed people can be seen wandering about..
And what about returning tourists who will be here for Tishrei? For years they were used to certain routes and now suddenly so much has changed, with bus stop notices only in Hebrew. Is that the way to welcome tourists?
Stores close as days get shroter
■ Many stores were also closed last Friday because the days are getting shorter. They will be even shorter when daylight saving time ends on October 26 – meaning Shabbat observers will have to prepare more intensely before candle-lighting on the last Friday of October.
The Quint family
■ FOUR GENERATIONS of the Quint family were among congregants who attended services at the Migdal Hashoshanim Synagogue on Pinsker Street – one of the first fully functioning synagogues to be established in a multi-unit residential building in Jerusalem.
Most of the congregants are immigrants from English-speaking countries, a factor that is very obvious during Torah readings and among leaders of the prayers whose American accents override the well-conducted services.
It’s one of those synagogues in which a kiddush is held every Shabbat, enabling congregants to socialize, and providing those with minimal financial resources the opportunity to eat some nourishing food.
Last week’s kiddush was sponsored by Rena Quint in memory of her husband, Rabbi Emanuel Quint, who died in 2018. Rabbi Quint was an eminent New York attorney before moving to Israel in 1984. In Israel, he taught classes in Judaism free of charge, and served on various boards dedicated to Jewish law and practice.
One of the Quint granddaughters, Tzippy Bendheim, spoke movingly about her grandfather, and also her late father, David Quint, who died three years later and who, like his own father, had been dedicated to Jewish education, and had regularly taught a Daf Yomi class in Riverdale, New York. Bendheim’s mother, Rachel Quint, who is vacationing in Israel, was also at the service.
Rena Quint is one of Israel’s most articulate and best-known Holocaust survivors.
Shabbat Shuva
■ EVERY YEAR on Shabbat Shuva, the Sabbath between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Yeshurun Synagogue hosts a rabbi whose native tongue is English to give an address following the service, prior to which a light kiddush is served, presumably to make those in attendance focus on what the rabbi has to say rather than the rumblings in their stomachs.
This year, the address will be delivered by Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, executive vice president emeritus of the Orthodox Union, who will speak on “Seeing Is Believing – Plus Recognizing, Reacting, and Responding.”
The Shabbat Shuva address is attended by people from other congregations whose services conclude at around 10:30 a.m., leaving sufficient time for them to get to Yeshurun by 11 a.m., when Weinreb is to begin speaking.
Rosh Hashanah at Chabad of Talbiyeh
■ PEOPLE WHO like small, intimate gatherings for Rosh Hashanah services should take advantage of the invitation of Rabbi Eliyahu and Chana Canterman, the directors of Chabad of Talbiyeh, who are hosting Rosh Hashanah services on September 23 and 24 in the social space at the former President Hotel, 3 Ahad Ha’am Street.
The service will be led by Yisrael Hershtik and singers. Services begin at 8:30 a.m. Shofar blowing is at 10:30. Preregistration is required. Call 054-681-3737 or email Chabadtalbiya@gmail.com
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