Fire

Massive fires around the outskirts of Jerusalem today. And also along Highway 1 that links Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. The weather is terribly hot and dry ... and the forest brush is perfect kindle for a forest fire.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=275297  Fires were sparked as far as Ein Kerem (home of John the Baptist) and Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum).

Red hue hanging over the
skyline of Jerusalem in the evening

In the evening, the skyline of Jerusalem shone a hue typical of a heatwave and fire : glowing red. Luckily the heat died out and a very cool breeze kept blowing.

I managed to escape the fire on Highway 1 because I left very early in the morning for Tel Aviv ... 6am to be exact. Had to go to my other community to help them do a major cleanup because the nunzio (papal ambassador) will be celebrating his last Mass with the diplomatic corp before his retirement from the diplomatic service. Security will be tight but they'll only sweep the church and monastery for security purposes after we clean the place up. Hugo and Mario - 2 mexican friars - also came along and we all helped out.

And the saga continues in the world of Judaism: this time over 100 orthodox rabbis protested because the State is recognising Conservative and Reformed rabbis. The orthodox rabbis have so far held absolute power over the running of Judaism but now with this recognition, the conservative and reformed rabbis can perform matrimonies, circumcisions, bar mitzvahs which till now orthodox rabbis refuse to recognise as valid. This Judaism implodes.

And so the fire rages ...... in the land and in the minds and hearts of those who occupy the land