Black Friday may have attracted a rush of shoppers in suburbia, but in Jerusalem’s center it was close to nil. Several merchants, taking into account early Shabbat, turned Black Friday into a holiday and did not bother to open their premises.
Meanwhile, less than a handful of shops that for some time had “For Rent” signs in the windows have been leased to new, optimistic vendors. One in particular is the largest of the vacant premises. What was formerly the Castro menswear store on King George Street, vacant for well over a year, is now occupied by what looks like a discount store for basic clothing and other goods.
On Ben-Yehuda Street, the coffee shops were just about empty, and not all were open. But at nearby Shatz and Bezalel streets, the coffee shops were overflowing with multi-generational clientele.
Rising skyline and property taxes
■ LIVING IN one of the new high-rises dominating the skyline can be very costly, including in property tax.
Kol Ha’ir, the local supplement of Haaretz, reported that the Jerusalem Municipality will have to shell out millions of shekels in rebates to 13,000 owners of residential units in buildings constructed from January 1, 2020, onward. Last year, the city put a steep hike on the arnona of these units.
The rebates will be paid out thanks to the efforts of lawyers Matan Gutman and Nir Friedman, who, in a class action suit, took the matter to the High Court of Justice, arguing that the increase was unreasonable and illegal. The court accepted the argument and ordered the municipality to immediately reimburse those who were overcharged.
Yossi Havilio: Warrior against urban renewal
■ JERUSALEM’S DEPUTY Mayor Yosi Havilio is a latter-day Don Quixote who appears to be tilting at windmills in his disagreements with municipal measures. Havilio’s is one of the strongest voices against urban renewal, which he says changes the character of the city in which he was born.
His greatest struggle was his failed attempt to prevent construction of the controversial building known as Epstein Tower. Though more than 200 organizations and individuals along with Havilio formally objected, construction was approved.
The project, in Ein Kerem, overlooks Yad Vashem. It will be 40 stories high and will comprise 240 luxury residential units. One can only imagine the ensuing traffic congestion.
Tour old Jerusalem neighborhoods
■ AS FOR Jerusalem’s character, the Ben-Zvi Institute is conducting tours of those neighborhoods that still bear a folksy old-world charm. On the immediate agenda are the religious neighborhood of Sha’arei Hessed; inner city streets off Jaffa Road; alleyways of Katamon; and back lanes of Baka.
All four tours will take place on Sunday, December 7: Sha’arei Hessed, 4 p.m.-6 p.m., led by Naama Nissani; inner city, 4 p.m.-6 p.m., led by Avihai Avraham; Katamon, 3 p.m.-5 p.m., led by Talya Ziskin-Joskowitz; and Baka, 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., led by Esther Sa’ad.
Participants will learn about the area’s history and culture.
Registration and details: (02) 539-8888.
Dorraine Gilbert Weiss turns 80
■ THE OLD adage about not asking a woman her age does not apply to Dorraine Gilbert Weiss, who suffered a life-threatening illness 10 years ago when she was diagnosed with both breast cancer and a heart attack. This week, she welcomed a houseful of guests to her large apartment in Abu Tor to join her in celebrating her 80th birthday.
An active and enthusiastic member of Hadassah before she and her husband, Barry Weiss, made aliyah from California in 2008, Dorraine, when recruiting new members for Hadassah while still in the US, never imagined that Hadassah would one day save her life.
In fact, Hadassah Medical Center has been part of the lives of four generations of her family. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren were born there, and any family member who suffered an accident or illness headed straight for Hadassah.
When Barry, now 93, took ill more than a year ago, he was hospitalized at Hadassah, from where he was transferred to Herzog Medical Center, where he will remain in good care for the rest of his life. Dorraine visits him frequently, and reported at her birthday that he is in high spirits and happy for her to be celebrating a milestone birthday.
Dorraine and Barry are very social people. They love to entertain, and throughout their years together hosted many parties and had both strangers and friends at their Shabbat table. Dorraine also ran a bed and breakfast for tourists and a matchmaking service, and can boast of bringing together couples who now enjoy happy marriages.
Up until a few months before he took ill, Barry and Dorraine used to love to dance together, whether in public or private. In fact, they did almost everything together, and she misses that. But after she recovered from her own illness, she decided to make the most of every day and live it to the full.
She loves being in Israel, and voices her admiration of how people come together in a crisis to help others in every way possible. She is also full of praise for the doctors and nursing staff at both the Hadassah and Herzog medical centers.
Dorraine is very close with her family in Israel and was delighted to see them well represented at her birthday party.
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