Blessing

Jewish priests bless the people
(photo from JPost)

Today is the 3rd day of Sukkoth and the jewish priests gave the Aaronic blessing on the people at the Wailing Wall. This year it was an unbelievable crowd. It was so crowded there was really a danger of a stampede .... at worst a tragedy waiting to happen. We  were crushed on our way out as the bottle-neck angle saw an enormous flow people leaving and others coming in. There was alot of pushing and shouting and screaming as women and children were crushed. The police totally lost it. They just kept shouting and pointing for people to move. Utterly helpless.  I was lucky to squeeze out of it without an attack of asthma ... and the 19 nuns with me slowly got out behind me ... traumatized.

At the Blessing (photo from Jpost)

Nevertheless it's always quite an experience to be at the Blessing. The microphone almost broke down and the Chazzan (cantor) lost his voice twice. It was not quite like other years. I told our Archbishop I was going this morning and he encouraged me to go. And most of my jewish friends wrote to ask if I went or not .... They all know I never miss the Blessing every Sukkot. I met 3 of them on my way home from the Blessing and it was great to see them.  

Tonight there will be a series of events throughout the City. From Damascus Gate Park all the way into the New City there will be concerts, games and activities for the kids, light shows ... I have never seen Sukkot so well-planned. Then again I usually am not in Jerusalem for Sukkot as I try to avoid the violence that follow. I think this is the first year after many years that I am in the City for Sukkot.

Meantime not everything is fun and festival: news that Russia is arming Syria with lots of anti-aircraft missiles is causing jitters on our side of the border. It may just be saber-rattling .... but should they ever get used then it would mean an escalation of the war in our region. All this precipitated by Israel downing a russian surveillance plane last week.