Sabbath begins

Sunset as Sabbath begins

The weather is once again growing cold despite the sun in the afternoon. We had to wear jackets and sweaters to stay warm. I had planned to go to the cemetery this morning but all was cancelled because some important profs from Italy arrived and wanted to see me. Spent the whole morning on meetings. In the afternoon I did a little work but needed to rest because of my back. So the rest of the day was burnt. My planned vacation on All Saints Day and All Souls Day were also burnt. This is getting so depressing. One day I'll just walk away ... enough is enough.

Pre-Sabbath scene this morning at
Jaffa Street

The Sabbath has started ... the weather is cold and the sun sets at 4.30pm. It gets dark so quickly. This weekend I will be so busy: Tomorrow Saturday I must work in the library all morning then class in the afternoon, and Sunday I have 3 masses to celebrate and one conference to deliver. As busy as a weekday. Next week there's a 3 day exhibition that I am in charge plus an international conference that I must chair. Enough is enough. When can I rest? I need a Sabbath.

A recent poll has shown that one fifth of millennial jews actually believe jesus as the messiah. Signs of the times.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/jews-for-jesus-poll-15-of-jewish-millennials-believe-christ-was-god/

Tensions on our northern and southern borders. Israel blew up a Hamas tunnel in Gaza killing several activists ... drawing the ire of Hamas which vowed revenge. Up in the north, syrian rebels sent a car suicide bomber into a druze village next to the Israeli border, killing 9 druze and 22 injured. Druze from the neighbouring israeli college of Magdel Shams crossed the border to aid their relatives but Israeli soldiers extracted them, providing medical aid to the injured and vowing to protect the syrian village of druze even though it's outside of Israel's borders.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5038041,00.html
and  http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-resident-wounded-after-being-shot-from-Syrian-spillover-fire-513260

Meantime we hear Trump has bypassed the UN and is offering direct aid to christians in the Middle East. Well let's hope it's not just words. https://www.newsmax.com/lelagilbert/christians-aid-usaid-mike-pence/2017/10/25/id/822136/

And a few days back the protestants, especially the Lutherans, celebrated the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's nailing of the 95 theses starting the Reformation. In Israel it was very muted ... in fact I think there was no such celebration. Jews have been attacking all week Luther for his anti-semitism and influence on the Holocaust. Definitely not a nice reception for the Lutherans. I met a jewish friend who's first reaction to the celebration was .. "why celebrate an anti-semite?"  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/martin-luther-paved-the-way-for-the-holocaust/