26th Sunday of the Year

Palms overloaded
with dates at Palm
Plaza

There was a slight drizzle last night as I came home from work ... it was getting cold even just at 9pm and small drops of condensation could be felt. It really feels like autumn. The autumn crop of fruit are due for harvesting. That includes, dates, olives, grapes, pomegranates .... the 7 species mentioned in the Book of Deuteronomy. The palms at Palm Plaza are heavy with huge loads of dates. And the wild parakeets are enjoying eating them. Same thing with the olive trees in the parks ... most are ripe and purple but here the poor local arabs go to collect the olives.

As the Jewish holidays near, police and military presence are getting heavier. Lots of police dogs and horses as well. The annual tension of these holidays never die down.

Israeli implosion continues as the Israeli Chief Rabbinate annulled the conversions to judaism made by american rabbis. In effect the Chief Rabbinate in Israel is declaring itself the sole legitimate authority to enact conversions and other matters. The Chief Rabbinate is acting as if it is the High Priest and Sanhedrin ... both of which have no effect since there is no Temple. It's like a Pretender to a long lost throne. Well tensions have arisen because  of this. The actual system of rabbis is that all are equals ... but it doesn't seem so now.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.744063

And more implosion to come as the Jewish Holy Days are round the corner. A huge public concert to http://www.timesofisrael.com/women-left-off-the-bill-for-tel-aviv-unity-concert/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Mounted Police and the local tram

celebrate unity and forgiveness for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is now the turf of discontent because no women performers are included. Apparently an anonymous donor of the event is religious (read "ultra-orthodox") and does not allow women to perform in public (any difference from Islam?). Not much of "unity and forgiveness" ... that's what everyone is complaining.

On a nicer note, there's an Oktoberfest here in Palestine in a  totally christian village called Taybeh. It produces the best palestinian beer also called Taybeh. Apparently it's getting famous around the world and international beer-lovers are flocking to it and praising it. http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/in-israel/local/watch-oktoberfest-in-west-bank-23846

And another positive news - tours of the Old City are being organised for muslim, christian and jewish students to overcome prejudice and misinformation about each other. It's a very positive step and I think it should be encouraged.  http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Christian-Jewish-and-Muslim-youth-from-Jerusalem-take-a-stand-in-the-Old-City-468615