The ancient walls of the City of David have likely never witnessed such a scene. Over four thousand women gathered outside Jaffa Gate for the first ever mass festival of women’s athletics in Jerusalem.

Women wearing scarves and long skirts shook their bodies alongside women in tanktops and Lycra shorts to the overpowering thump-thump of dance music as instructors shouted, “Come on, girls! Move those hips!”

The outdoor festival, called “Jerusalem Women Marching for the New Year”, managed to bring together women of all ages, religious backgrounds, and body shapes. The event, organised by the Jerusalem municipality in collaboration with the group ‘Athena’ that promotes women and girls in sports in Israel, offered free outdoor classes in spinning, step, drumdancing, and Zumba.