Some 20,000 people participated in the annual Sukkot holiday Jerusalem Parade today, starting from the Yad Kennedy memorial in southern Jerusalem and stretching 14 kilometers towards the city center. About 12,000 participated last year, according to city officials. Most of downtown Jerusalem has been closed to vehicular traffic, and people from all over the country have arrived in Jerusalem to watch or take part. Representatives of many different organizations are marching in the parade. For example, among the over 200 marchers representing Hadassah Hospitals are 50 organ transplant recipients.
Among other holiday events are:
* Two days - yesterday and today - of tours, live music and more in Hevron and the Machpelah Cave.
* Many buses filled with visitors to the four northern Shomron Jewish communities targeted in Prime Minister Sharon's disengagement plan. The four towns are Ganim, Kadim, Homesh and Sa-Nur. The visitors are meeting with local families and will see a multi-media presentation. As the promotional literature states, participants are "voting with their feet, seeing the dangers of uprooting, and connecting with the northern Samaria communities."
* Two days of rest and relaxation in the northern coastal town of Kiryat Yam for children of Kassam-besieged Sderot.
* An evening of Torah study tomorrow night in Tel Aviv on the topic of "Rabbi and Student," in honor of Rabbi Yehuda Amital's 80th birthday.
* Nightly Sukkot festivities in various Tel Aviv neighborhoods.
* Open-house for visitors to the President's Residence in Jerusalem.
* The community of Yatir, between Kiryat Arba/Hevron and Be'er Sheva, is celebrating its 25th anniversary today with a "happening" for visitors. The town boasts the Yatir Forest vineyard and other agriculture, a pre-military yeshiva academy, and 70 families.
Among other holiday events are:
* Two days - yesterday and today - of tours, live music and more in Hevron and the Machpelah Cave.
* Many buses filled with visitors to the four northern Shomron Jewish communities targeted in Prime Minister Sharon's disengagement plan. The four towns are Ganim, Kadim, Homesh and Sa-Nur. The visitors are meeting with local families and will see a multi-media presentation. As the promotional literature states, participants are "voting with their feet, seeing the dangers of uprooting, and connecting with the northern Samaria communities."
* Two days of rest and relaxation in the northern coastal town of Kiryat Yam for children of Kassam-besieged Sderot.
* An evening of Torah study tomorrow night in Tel Aviv on the topic of "Rabbi and Student," in honor of Rabbi Yehuda Amital's 80th birthday.
* Nightly Sukkot festivities in various Tel Aviv neighborhoods.
* Open-house for visitors to the President's Residence in Jerusalem.
* The community of Yatir, between Kiryat Arba/Hevron and Be'er Sheva, is celebrating its 25th anniversary today with a "happening" for visitors. The town boasts the Yatir Forest vineyard and other agriculture, a pre-military yeshiva academy, and 70 families.