Last week of Lent

The Italian synagogue roof being
repaired

The weather has suddenly warmed up ... alot. The nights now go up as high as 19 degrees and I have to sleep with the windows open. It feels like summer and I'm ready for it ... at least it's good for my lungs. And its also good for major repairs for many buildings and houses that have suffered damage during the last 2 snow storms. And mind you, there are very many houses damaged. Private houses are the worse hit as the bad economy has hit hard and most affected families cannot afford to make the repairs. Hence the endless calls for help which have interrupted my rest in the Judean hill country.

Israel's President Rivlin is representing the country at S'pore ex-premier Lee Kuan Yew's funeral. He arrived in S'pore several days ago but had kept a low profile till Friday when he attended the wake at Parliament House ... still keeping low key as no newspapers have reported it. It's a sensitive issue as most muslim states (enemy states too) have representatives at the wake as well. But I think it's a great occasion for "behind-the-scenes" politicking and negotiations between these enemy states which I'm sure is taking place ... so LKY even at death has pulled off his last statesmenship as middleman in the world stage.

"Fast food" on Friday

Holy Week is upon us. I've not been able to join in the Sunday Vigils at the Holy Sepulchre this Lent as my health was too bad. But I did go to the Holy Sepulchre once to celebrate Mass and pray for you all as I always do each year. And of course on Fridays, I keep the fast as much as I can. The meals are literally "fast food" = food for fasting : half a bowl of soup, 8 carrot sticks, 1 broccoli and a 4 cm piece of fish with a piece of bread/sesame bagel. On Palm Sunday the procession will begin at Bethpage on the eastern side of the Mt. of Olives down to St. Stephen's Gate in the Old City. It's just over 1km long but there are 2 steep hills to climb. I doubt I'll be able to do it but I'll probably go to Gethsemani and wait for the procession there.