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Walk the Old City alleys and streets and be enchanted by the nighttime exhibits from world-renowned sculptors during the Jerusalem Light Festival 2012, brought to you by the Jerusalem Development Authority and Ariel Municipal Company. In addition to the Old City, the fourth annual festival features light exhibits in major tourist sites and public spaces. Be sure to include a visit to the Light Fixture Design Fair at The Archeological Park, Davidson Center.

The Jerusalem Light Festival 2012 literally brings the dimensions of the Old City, its architecture, statues, nooks and crannies alive with the illuminating glow of a large number of light sculptors and artists. The public is invited to see Jerusalem in a different light at this family oriented celebration by referring to a downloadable festival map or pick up a printed map at the information centers located at Jaffa Gate and Hurva Square.

In 2012, the Festival will host a special opera production of Verdi’s La Traviata at the ancient Zedekiah’s Cave. Opera Shows take place daily, and the festival also includes daily performances by the famous dance troupe Mayumana.

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Enhance your visit to the City of David when planning a visit during the Jerusalem Day 2012. Also known as Yom Yerushalayim and Jerusalem Reunification Day, the 2012 event will be held on Sunday, May 20, the 28th day of Iyar on the Hebrew calendar.

One of four Jewish holidays added to the Hebrew calendar to recognize events in the 20th century, Yom Yerushalayim commemorates Jerusalem’s return to Israeli power in 1967. This special day in Jerusalem occurred when the Israeli army regained control of the eastern part of Jerusalem from Jordanian control. The first official Jerusalem Day was celebrated in 1968 and became a legal holiday in 1980 symbolizing the “continued historical connection of the Jewish People to Jerusalem.”

In Jerusalem, the joyous celebration of Jerusalem Day 2012 includes recital of the Hallel (songs of praise) in synagogues with the lifting of the Orthodox morning restriction during Count of the Omer. Thousands of people march around Jerusalem and entering the Old City, where during 1948-1967 Jews weren’t allowed. The Jerusalem Reunification Day march ends at the holiest site in Judaism, the Kotel (Western Wall), for speeches, concerts and dancing.

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