Tu B'Shvat

A bare winter tree
with 12 crows

Yesterday was Tu B'Shvat ... the jewish feast literally meaning 15th (day) of Shvat (month). It's Arbor Day or the New Year of the Trees. This should signal the beginning of Spring in a week's time. Right now the almond trees begin to blossom, like the cherry blossoms in Japan. Winter is passing in a few days, and sunrise even today is about 5.45am instead of 6.30am. Jews celebrate by eating the 7 species of fruit described in the Book of Deuteronomy: dates, olives, wheat, barley, figs, pomegranates and grapes ... the choice fruits God promised to the Israelites. Today they are baked into bread or cakes.

It's been so busy these few days. You've heard me say that enough ... but yesterday and today was truly unbelievably busy. So may appointments are work ... had to postponed one in order to fit another more important meeting. The postponed meeting was scheduled today at lunchtime so another original one meant for lunch had to be postponed to next week. Then a job in Jaffa had to be postponed possibly 6 hours in order fit another meeting this evening. If I manage to pull this through, I should arrive at midnight in Jaffa. But I think I'll be so exhausted I prefer to go to Jaffa at 5am tomorrow morning and finish that job before rushing back to Jerusalem for class at 4am. It's major time for a nervous breakdown.

For 3 days now ultra-orthodox Jews have been rioting in several cities, and beating up police and soldiers. They were demonstrating against the arrest of one of their boys who refused to report for military service. It sort of mars the happy Tu B'Shvat spirit.   http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Haredi-extremists-riot-for-third-night-in-a-row-31-arrested-481085

Israel has been secretly sending blankets and other aid to syrian refugees. In the end, Israel has a heart ... remembering God's word to Israel in the Book of Deuteronomy "Remember the stranger in your midst ... for once you too were a stranger in Egypt".  http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?Itemid=25352