School starts

Thanks to Jacqueline Wong (Rome) for her gift to the Gaza Catholics, as well as a few other friends who remain anonymous. Also the donation to help the Musky kids. Fr Vincenzo is coming to Israel in November and I shall see him about the progress of this project.

School has started here in Israel and suddenly it struck me how silent it was the past 3 months - no school bells ringing every hour and kids screaming and teachers yelling - believe me it is really loud from where I'm situated next to the Omariyya School.

At 4am the watchers walk through the streets of the Muslim Quarter (where I live) beating on a drum, calling people to wake up. They go to the mosque to pray and eat before the sun rises. The muezzin begins singing at about 4.30am for 20 minutes of so. Then as the sun sets each evening, a canon is fired from the Dome of the Rock mosque to signal the end of the daily fast, so muslims go home to eat with their families. The streets in our street is very pretty - lit up with lots of colourful lights. Its very festive.

And the weather has changed very much - humid and chilly every morning. It's spelling the beginning of autumn - and the jewish feast of Tabernacles will come round soon.