Rita of Cascia

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Rita of Cascia - patroness of hopeless cases. A good case for consideration would be the "problem" this morning of Jewish women detained by police at the Wailing Wall because they wore the tallit / prayer shawl which according to the law (not biblical but rabbinical), is permitted only for men.   http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=270968  and a desparate call for equality at the Wall   http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=270902   Funny thing is I don't read about other ultra-orthodox women at the Wall denouncing these women .... is the silence condoning this act?  I'll never know .... sad and hopeless.

Money for doing nothing

I've been stumped by this bronze statue of a violinist at the entrance of Mamilla Mall. It's part of the Mall's outdoor Art Exhibition. What gets me is, people are actually throwing money into the violin case of this statue. Huh???? Who's collecting the money every night??? The municipal street-cleaners? And just round the corner near the Old City are beggars to whom no one pays any attention .... I just don't get it.

Well I guess I'll never understand most things around here ... seems like Rita of Cascia has a lot to work on in this part of the world. No rest in heaven for you, St. Rita! we're all hopeless down here.