Burbara

Burbara

Yesterday was Dec. 4th which is the feast of St. Barbara ... and as local tradition dictates, we ate burbara. It's wheat grain and dried fruit and nuts boiled in syrup ... and they throw in M&Ms, twinkles and other sweets on top as well. It's always the sign of the start of Advent. And we plant beans on that day so they grow tall like grass on Christmas Day and we put them around the Christmas Crib like grass. Years ago kids used to dress up in costumes not unlike Purim (jewish feast) because St. Barbara, an early christian martyr, was dressed in disguise to escape her roman persecutors. Well much as I like barber ... I didn't eat any because there're nuts in it and I am allergic. Wish our sisters would cook some without nuts for me.

Paul's doctoral defense

This evening our student Paul from India defended his doctoral thesis. Our Crusader hall was quite crowded with fellow students and his friends who came to encourage him. Paul is very hardworking and studies everyday in the library for all the years that he was here and I as director of the library. He deserves a good grade and I'm sure he'll be a great professor when he returns to India to teach.

Meantime there's consternation in the country as we learn the Lebanese terrorist Hezbollah who dug tunnels into northern Isreal had meant to capture Metulla the northern most Israeli city that borders Lebanon. And they would have succeeded if the IDF did not first discover the tunnels and blew them up. Our security is challenged and we must be more on our toes as the war has now gone underground ... just like in Gaza and its tunnels.

And on the 4th evening of Hanukkah, no controversy against non-jews can pass without some headlines. This time Israeli media jumped on a Catholic Newspaper for reporting on Hanukkah but putting up a picture of the Arch of Titus sculpture of Roman soldiers carrying off the Menorah as booty to Rome. A case of christian ignorance more than malice ... but the Israelis consider it a slight and insult. Remember Hanukkah is the celebration of the Jews defeating the pagan Syrians from Israel, the enemies who sacrificed pigs on their sacred altar and brought in idols into their Temple. And now the Catholic Newspaper puts up a photo showing jewish defeat by pagan romans who sacked the Templea and looted all its treasures to Rome. Well ... more anti-catholic attacks in our country for sure in the next few days of Hanukkah. Thanks to Catholic ignorance .... Now we'll have to disguise to go out like St. Barbara.