Double curfew

People lining up for govt aid

Yesterday was Independence Day ... but a totally surreal one. We were under curfew. No one was allowed to leave the house. Not even for food. It lasted from Tuesday evening 5pm till Wednesday 8pm. We've been used to picnics and barbecues in the park and streets, parades, parties, flybys by the airforce, concerts ... suddenly this year everyone is locked in the house. All celebrations cancelled. It felt so very different.

Well for us here living in East Jerusalem it was a double curfew because other than the Independence Day curfew, we also have the nightly Ramadan curfew which aims to stop muslims from gathering. A double curfew? totally surreal.

This morning I had to go to the other library and check because one librarian is allowed to come back to work. The relaxed directive is 30% of the workforce allowed to restart work. Then I had the usual payment of books and magazine orders, arrangement of other workers' permits. After that I had a long walk to East Jerusalem to the bookshop to buy files that are urgently needed for our admin work. On the way back I bought 2 papayas that were locally grown. Gave one to our sisters. I need the vitamins because my mouth ulcers have broken out again.

Hawkers reopen their stalls

On the way I passed the Post Office and there was a huge line with distancing waiting outside the Post Office. It's been like this since the lockdown started. These people are getting govt aid. But the Post Office is limited to 10 persons each time so the line gets very long. Nevertheless the walk out this morning was refreshing. The sun was shining brightly but a cool breeze was blowing. And I got to exercise my legs.

Hawkers selling toys and other stuff also open though it's not included in the directives. Police close one eye ... like ignoring arabs without masks (a 200 shekel fine) or social distancing. Perhaps its a little mitigation in the Ramadan spirit ... but that's dangerous as we're in a viral outbreak. The  arab population will be decimated by this virus ....

Sad day

Police below our
house stand in 1 min
silence

Last night at 8pm the sirens sounded throughout the country and all Israelis stopped in silence for a minute. This morning at 11am another siren ... 2 minutes this time ... sounded and again the country came to a standstill. A sombre as Israelis remember their soldiers and victims of terrorism on this date. But sadder still because of the pandemic, no one could go to the cemeteries. The President was with a small entourage at the Wailing Wall last night to deliver a speech ... and today again at the cemetery of the fallen. It's been hard for many families.

Some instead went to Ikea and protested there ... because while cemeteries are closed, Ikea was allowed to open. There's general discontent with the megastore but there is little the people can do except protest and boycott to register their disapproval.

Mt. of Olives under night curfew

I was out on our terrace for the evening siren. The street below was empty ... because of the night curfew on muslims during Ramadan. Only 2 police were at the street corner. They stood in silence ... and it was really very sad. But I also thought of the palestinians who were innocently killed these 70 yrs ... and they have no memorial day, no sirens, no public mourning. It's a sad world ... and the pandemia is reminding us all of our common fate ... death. What with all the fighting on earth when in the end we'll all lie buried in the same earth?

One redeeming article in a newspaper ... israelis saluting arab medical workers who are leading the frontline in fighting this pandemia. If jews can trust an arab doctor or nurse to care for them ... why can't they trust outside of the hospital?  

Out again

Damascus Gate market back
in business

Life is slowly getting back to normal. Today news say the 500m limit for walks will be extended after Independence Day which is Wednesday. 3 fighter jets have been roaring overhead all morning in rehearsal. They'll fly over hospital s to salute health workers during the Independence Day celebration ... which I think that's about it. All concerts, parties and the navy-airforce flypast have been cancelled.

The Suq today

I had a chance to go out again today. Wanted to get medicine at the pharmacy and the superior told me to buy an infra-red thermometer. Went to 3 pharmacies and they're all sold out. But the walk through the Suq (covered market) was interesting ... the first time since 2 months under lockdown. It was quite crowded ... now that most shops are allowed to open again. And being Ramadan, people came out shopping. Not everyone was wearing masks which is mandatory ... but the police are not enforcing the law.  

Meantime we learn that an israeli shop owner committed suicide because of the lockdown. His veggie stall was closed and he lost everything. Other wet-market hawkers demonstrated and scuffled with police. It's terribly sad. And many shops including chain-stores refuse to open because Ikea was the only major store that was allowed to open last week. Everyone questioned why. Well there's a newspaper report answering that question. Not sure if it's verified.  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/.premium-ikea-israel-s-owners-gave-millions-to-health-chief-s-sect-it-won-approval-to-reopen-1.8800732?fbclid=IwAR3KXK4y0RRnalOVd5lRzLRZXgtbZpApXk8KABUMh9XegzKFohERhJ1U_ko

It's another week and things are looking brighter. We'll see what summer holds for us.

Less restrictions

Police blockade Damascus Gate

It's well over a month of lockdown today ... and news reports say perhaps from today even street stalls/kiosks and other most other shops not mentioned in the Thursday directive may also  reopen. Restaurants though still cannot have sit-in customers ... only takeaways and deliveries allowed. And there are some large franchise shops which refuse to reopen unless the govt recompense for lost profits during the monthlong lockdown. And all those directives mainly are applicable to the wester/jewish side of town. In the eastern/arab side of town it's Ramadan and there's a curfew every night from 6pm to 3am for a month while Ramadan lasts. Less shops would open in this arab side as the muslims are fasting and so avoid work. And police presence is high in this area ... though I've not seen them actually enforcing social distancing or mask-wearing rules. It's all so schizophrenic ... daily warnings of jail time and fines but in reality the law is not enforced.

Damascus Gate is blockaded for over a month now ... non-residents are not allowed to enter. But Herod's Gate 300 meters east is open and anyone can enter freely or exit. What's the logic of all that?

Turtle-dove eating crumbs

The weather has again gone back to summer mode. 23 degrees in the morning and very sunny. The birds are back looking for food and water. We usually leave a dish of leftover rice or breadcrumbs for them in the sisters' courtyard and they find water in all the plates under the flower pots. And some stray cat has given birth to 2 kittens somewhere in the 2nd floor terrace. The lockdown has seen a lot of strays and wild animals entering cities and looking for food.

Last night there was another huge demonstration in Tel Aviv against the coalition agreement for a new govt. And some ultra-orthodox sectors continue to fight the law-enforcers because they want to pray and study in a group. Prayer is actually allowed but it must be in an open space and with only 19 people standing 2 meters apart. I guess it's difficult even to do that for some people.

Rain after sandstorm

Sand covered rose

What a sandstorm yesterday ... and in the early morning today it started to drizzle. The ground, everything outdoors was mucky with mud. Even my beautiful roses were dappled with wet sand. By noon we had a couple of showers and the temp. dropped below 19 degrees. And a strong wind is whipping the City ... so the mud has all dried up and the sand is being blown around the streets. I'm afraid I might get an asthma attack by breathing in the sand.

I had a lot of work at the other library in the morning as professors and students all needed books to prepare for exams. But due to the lockdown my movements are very restricted. I hitched a ride from our community van which was going there to buy provisions but I couldn't come home with them as I needed 3 hours or so to get the requested books, go to the Finance Dept. to pay subscriptions of magazines and books, speak to the Human Resource Dept. to discuss which of our workers may come back to work because the lockdown restrictions have been relaxed ... and many other stuff. Then I had to help some of our students buy essentials like soap and detergent because they cannot come out of the house. There was a heavy shower when I walked home ... the first time in over a month I've walked since the lockdown. All the stuff weighed 6 kgs and my shoes were very slippery along the wet staircases. I had to be very careful. Managed also to buy a week's supply of bread for myself.

Blossoming thyme

There are so much changes outside the City. For one, the terraced park on the east side of Damascus Gate was been totally redone ... flattened and covered with grass. Other parts of the park on the west side have been replanted with rosemary. Further down towards Herod's Gate the herb garden was blossoming with thyme. It was very beautiful.  

News is that more shops and businesses will be opened. It seems even kindergartens and primary schools might be opened on May 2nd. Medical experts are warning against it but the Ministers are adamant in getting the economy moving again. Of course all this is going on while the arab side of the City is on strict lockdown and nightly curfew for the whole month of Ramadan.

Sandstorm

Al Aqsa mosque empty at noon prayer

It's the 1st Day of Ramadan and an enormous sandstorm has struck the country. Jerusalem is yellow ... fine desert sand ... almost like power is everywhere. It gets into your mouth and nose and eyes. I just put my laptop on the terrace for 10 minutes and it was covered by a coat of yellow powdery sand. I guess that's not good for my asthma. The weather forecast is for a thunder storm tonight till tomorrow. I certainly hope so ... it will wash away all the sand. And I want our plants to be watered ... it's difficult for me to go and water the plants in this sandstorm. They are all withering in the heat.

View of Mt of Olives in sandstorm

The Al Aqsa mosque was very quiet during noonday prayers. The muezzin called for prayers and the imam led the prayers and gave a sermon broadcast very very loudly over the PA system so that all the muslims around could hear it. The mosque is closed and muslims have to pray at home and listen to the sermon. Strangely the morning was bright and sunny and I could see clearly the entire mosque compound from my roof. But within an hour the sandstorm broke and visibility was reduced greatly.

Tomorrow is Genocide memorial Day for armenians. Over a million armenians (all christians) and thousands of syrian christians were slaughtered by the Ottomans 100 years ago. But this has never been acknowledged by the world as a genocide ... the 1st in the 20th century. Having served the amrneian catholic community here, I know how much it all means to them. I've spoken to some elderly parishioners who fled as refugees int he aftermath of the genocide ... horrific stories they retold. I can feel their trauma and pain ... especially when it is not acknowledged. In a sense I share their pain. They call me half-armenian.

Curfew begins

Sunrise this morning

Ramadan begins tonight ... in fact right now as the muezzin is singing the call to prayer. But the cannon has not been fired ... maybe it's because of the curfew which the govt has imposed on all arab neighbourhoods. Spoke too soon ... the cannon is being fired now ... 7 shots to announce the start of Ramadan. For sure it will be very muted as the curfew has started and people are expected to stay indoors. Then again it's not going to be easy to implement the law as the festive mood from this religious sector of society is difficult to halter.

During the day I looked out from our terrace and saw people walking about the streets ... not many but still more than usual under the lockdown. Even families with prams and babies ... which means they're going to visit their parents/grandparents for Ramadan. And the police at the street corners have not stopped them.

Chinese buns

The Education Ministry has decided to slowly reopen schools, beginning with the administrative staff but the Health Ministry is against the idea. You can see that there's little communication and coordination among the ministries ... like any other countries. This is one pandemic no country was prepared for. And the govt has agreed to allow money changers and barbershops to reopen as well ... which made other small business upset as they are remained closed. Ikea is allowed to open though no one knows why.

With the lockdown, wild animals have come out into the city, roaming in public parks looking for food. We have wild boars in Haifa damaging gardens, ibexes wandering in Eilat's beach promenade, Jackals in Tel Aviv's seaside parks and now foxes in Ashkelon's boardwalk. It's fascinating for many city dwellers to see these wild animals close up ... but it also tells us how much people have damaged the natural habitat and now the animals have come back to reclaim it.

The chinese sisters have been very good ... they made steamed buns and left them at our doormen's office so when I went to the library several days back, I collected them and now am rationing them for my meals. Lockdown is tough when I have  few access to food sources so these buns came in very handy. And an arab classmate from way back 30 years called and offer to buy and deliver some food to me if I needed it. It was very kind of him but I wasn't that desperate. It's times like this that you find who your friends are. He lives up in Bethpage on the Mt of Olives and for him to make his way down to the City would not have been easy with all the police patrols. Really appreciated that kind offer.

More curfews

Empty road at Notre Dame

As Holocaust remembrance Day ended ... the muslim Ramadan begins. Last night the govt voted to lockdown all ran areas for one month, adding a nightly curfew from 6pm to 3am. It's going to be tough for us. As it is we're 59 days into lockdown already ... including 2 curfews. Also next Monday and Tuesday are Memorial Day and Independence Day so another curfew on those days for the jewish areas. Cities will be closed down and no intercity  travel is allowed. It's tough for everyone.

Imams have issued calls to muslims not to gather during Ramadan and all mosques will be closed. However the govt in its relaxed lockdown rules last Saturday allows for 19 persons to pray in a public open space keeping 2m distance from each other. I wonder if this is applicable for muslims during Ramadan.

Empty road at St. Louis Hospital

I've forgotten to take my medicine again .. the 2nd time this week. I've been wheezing and coughing really bad and cannot sleep and was worried if I had caught the virus. However there was no fever or other symptoms except the asthmatic wheeze. Then later this evening I discovered from my pill box that I had forgotten to take my medicine this morning.

It was a busy morning even without going out of the house. I had to throw the rubbish out and then clean out the old rubbish dump ... and a huge rat jumped out ... and then the technician came to check on our 2 elevators. After that I had video chat with a worker to get some payments and documents done ... and another video chat to another worker to find out how to top up credit on our photocopy machine card system. By noon I was exhausted and had no energy to cook anything. So I ate my 4th last pitta bread. Must ration as the last 3 pittas must stretch for the next 5 days. Maybe I'll just go on a no-food diet.

More fresh air

2 cute boys in our courtyard

It's Yom haShoah today ... Holocaust remembrance day. Israelis remember in a sombre note the murder of 6 million jews .... Sirens sounded throughout the country at 10am for 2 whole minutes while everyone stopped and stood in silence ... even cars on highways. Genocide has marked the turn of the 20th century ... from Armenia to Congo to Myanmar. Why has humanity not learned anything?

Thomas & puppy

Our streets are heavily policed. Everyone is stopped and questioned from where they had come and where they're going. I had another chance to go out to the other library to work today. My superior doesn't want me walking in the streets as he knows my health condition ... last year he saved me in the streets when I nearly collapsed from asthma ... so he offered to drive me there and waited for 2 hours till I finished my work. There was lots of paper work to be done ... payments which for over a month now had not been remitted ... the publishing houses have been sending letters and emails demanding payment. So I had to get it all done ... at least what I could do. There's another lot waiting ... I'll probably get it done next week.

While rushing back and forth from the library to the finance department ... I was happy that I could get some sun and wind and open space to enjoy. And a fantastic surprise in our huge courtyard. Fr Thomas had returned from somewhere with 2 labrador puppies. They were very cute and I played with them for some 20 minutes before he brought them to his monastery. The brown puppy is called Corona!! Playing with them really made my day ... pets really are a great way to pass the lockdown.

And some good news ... there will be a small flips on Independence Day ... by 4 fighter planes but they will circle over hospitals around the country to salute the frontline fighters of the virus. Bravo!!

A little fresh air

Seeing the City Walls again

This evening Holocaust Day begins. It's a solemn memorial in Israel as they recall 6 million of their people killed by the Nazis. And the call this evening as always is "Never again". It's a horrific genocide. And let's not forget also our martyrs Edith Stein, Maximilian Kolbe, Titus Brandsma and many others. Every year I'd get my students to stand in 1 minute silence as the siren sounds at 10am. Most places of entertainment should be closed ... but as we're under lockdown, they'd be closed anyway.

And yes our lockdown has been relaxed ... as mentioned yesterday. This morning I went in our van to the main monastery ... there was laundry to collect but I go to check on the library. There was a lot to do, payments for subscriptions, books to be checked out for students writing their theses, checking if the ceiling is still leaking .... the 30 minutes given to me is not enough. I really must find another time to go and get all the backlog done but I need permission to leave my house alone. Though the govt has relaxed the lockdown, our house rules are not.

Fruit shops and bakeries reopened

Anyway getting to see the City Walls again, more people in the streets, more shops opened ,,, they are all good signs. It was a moment of getting some fresh air and sun again ... something I miss very much as we live in a tightly packed area in the Old City with no gardens. The lucky ones have a terrace ... but most only have a window or two for a bit of sunlight. We just hope everyone remains cautious, wear masks and keep social distancing from preventing a 2nd wave of infections. We so much want this pandemia to end.

There was another riot by ultra-orthodox jews in our northern neighbourhood against the lockdown. It was quite violent and the police had to charge and fire stun grenades. In Tel Aviv 2000 israelis demonstrated against the political stalemate but in an amazingly orderly manner, each one standing 2m apart in accordance with the law. You have to see the photo to believe it.   https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-over-a-thousand-israelis-brave-coronavirus-fears-to-protest-netanyahu-1.8781869?fbclid=IwAR0DHGAMmfMfFyaPnxxbPwLXTLzOrHyqvPF9rS12D8oFp-AXtUhecGWNmoA

And very sadly the annual fly pass on Independence Day has been cancelled to avoid crowds gathering to watch it. Every year I would go to our Jaffa house and watch the fly pass of the latest Israeli air power. It show flies directly overhead our church as it's a landmark on a promontory. I hope next year I get to see it.

2nd Easter

Holy Fire brought out of the Tomb

It's Easter Sunday again ... and though the media has been showing an almost empty Holy Sepulchre with only high clerics from various orthodox churches waiting for the Holy Fire ... there are also videos circulating showing the orthodox laity swarming the streets of the Old City celebrating and breaking the distancing law. They've always been an unruly lot ... and they should be held responsible if an outbreak of the virus occurs in the Christian Quarter.

Today the youngest citizen has died from the virus ... only 29 yrs old. Let's hope the pandemic will be under control locally. Everyone must do their part ... our lockdown here is a lot harsher than most of yours ... but we accept it because we want to end this cycle of infections.

And the govt has relaxed the lockdown rules as of this morning. One can now walk 500m away from home instead of 100m, more shops will be opened and public transport will be more frequent. 30% of a workforce may return to work. All points to a slow easing to normality.

But there're major links along the way ... as early as it's started. On Tuesday evening the country celebrates Holocaust Day and then Thursday evening begins muslim Ramadan and next Monday is Memorial Day and Tuesday is Independence Day. The govt has already issued no public celebrations allowed during those commemorations but we're not sure how the police can enforce that.

Sunrise on 2nd Easter

I received a lovely phone call from an old friend; a jewish tour guide who was recently widowed. Usually I would wish her on jewish feast days and she would do the same to me on christian feast days ... but with the lockdown and all that, I forgot to do it this year. But she called this morning to check if I was alright and warned me of my asthmatic state that I'm high risk of catching the virus so she encouraged me to stay home. It was very nice of her. Well yesterday I received a call form the Nazareth hospital asking about my health situation and called also for me to stay home as I'm high risk. I guess the message is loud and clear.

Holy Saturday again

Wild barley in the fields

It's Holy Saturday again ... this time for the Orthodox Churches. The bells of the Holy Sepulchre have been tolling the death knell all day yesterday ... but the celebrations inside have been very quiet. Though 4 major orthodox churches are represented inside, only the official heads can preside and there will be no faithful allowed to enter. So the service of the Holy Fire will be a rather private affair. Israeli police will make sure there will be no crowds ... and the Holy Fire will be brought out orderly according to the various churches straight to the airport where it will be flown to orthodox countries.

Today all the City Gates except Zion and Dung gates are closed. It's to stop christian orthodox from gathering at the holy Sepulchre for the Holy Fire ... but some of these people ... all russians ... insist on entering and have been stopped by the police.

Last Thursday evening saw riots in our ultra-orthodox jewish neighbourhood of Mea Shearim. They had been protesting against the lockdown and when police came in to break up synagogue gatherings, they started attacking the police with stones and sticks. The police fired stun grenades but one exploded in front of a 9 yr old girl out with her mum to buy food. It was caught on video.

Meantime the govt is relaxing the lockdown this evening after the sabbath ends. Among the relaxations are the possibility of walking 500m from your house, instead of 100m; some shops will reopen. All that is good news.

I'm unable to upload photos on my blog ... so I'm trying again with this blog. Someone is hacking into my system again.

Friday the last

It's the last Friday before Ramadan and usually it's amok with crowds in the streets ... lots of temporary food stalls and hawkers selling toys and new clothes. The streets would have been packed shoulder to shoulder. But today it's all empty. All the mosques are closed ... including the central shrine the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque ... the 3rd holiest shrine in Islam. What we living here in the Muslim side of Jerusalem worry about is will there be curfews and stricter lockdowns during the whole month of Ramadan? That would be too much for us. Anyway muslims leaders are calling their followers to pray at home instead of the mosque during Ramadan.  https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/palestinians-instructed-to-pray-at-home-during-ramadan-due-to-coronavirus-624723?fbclid=IwAR3jE5QJ1tl5-H2rVoTYoe4xM-MR4fqboRKF2ia3YiG4gnx6yMdSn5g2oHw

Anyway here's an interesting article on religion and the spread of coronavirus. It's true that majority of the epicentres  https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/ry7xuoHuL

Anyway we're waiting for a new government to form ... as talks between the 2 largest parties continue after the dateline to form a new govt expired last night. Without a proper govt, there is no exit strategy for the viral pandemic ... when schools can reopen, when workers can go back to work, when the airport reopens .... we're all waiting and some people are quite confused from lack of clear instructions.

Caught a Cold

Police stopping
every car

The curfew ended this morning ... and hopefully though the lockdown is still in place, it might be relaxed. Yes it was a curfew but the govt didn't want to call it that. But some newspapers did. It was similar to the 1st day of Passover and then it was called curfew.  But it should be noted that it was not applicable to the arab parts of the country because they don't celebrate the jewish feast.

Meantime the virus is spreading rapidly in East Jerusalem but because of lack of testing kits and hospital facilities, we don't know the exact numbers. We do know that there is one case south of the Old City in Silwan (biblical Siloam) and another in the Shufat refugee camp north of the Old City. Because the local arab attitude is that the virus is an israeli problem which they can't catch .... all this complicates the pandemia. It is impossible to convince or educate the arab youths who possess a stubborn resistance to anything demanded of them. There is no civic conscientiousness or to think of the benefit of others. Well when they start to die ... and decimate their population ... it will be too late to regret.  https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/.premium-after-weeks-of-warning-coronavirus-spreading-among-palestinians-in-east-jerusalem-1.8765534?fbclid=IwAR1JxRu_L0oX48Jyoe96GhF3bIRsw7adBTQrJSTNgL3f6Pq6lnyUo4foHxU

In the midst of this viral chaos, the extremists jewish settler youths who refuse to obey the viral containment laws, have now taken advantage of the lockdown to vandalise, destroy and harm arab properties and persons. They act with impunity because they know the govt is afraid of them ... it needs their votes and their presence in palestine to be a viable govt.  https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Stones-thrown-at-Palestinians-cars-torched-near-Dead-Sea-624589?fbclid=IwAR30zdVWNshTGTTzPG-tvcK1kl0D3_-4I_y3JbrzFaI1TebK7bzbvQtDekc

Tulips in bloom

Yesterday I caught a dreadful cold ... sneezing and runny nose all day. And I wasn't the only one. Several in the house also have it. It's because the weather changed too drastically ... from 28 degrees to 8 degrees. I had gone to the terrace for a stroll and being so sunny and hot, I only wore a t-shirt. However the occasional cold wind blew ... and last night the temp dropped to 8 degrees ... so I ended up with this cold. Awful. I've taken cold medication and sleeping for an hour in the afternoon did help. I shall go to sleep early tonight tor relief the runny nose. The medication makes me sleepy.

A video has been going viral on social media showing the waves of the sea of Galilee crashing on the walls of the Primacy of Peter monastery. It's been 30 years since the lake waters touch the walls of the monastery ... 30 years of drought is official over. Let's hope it won't return.

Last day of feast

Herod's Gate ... no one but 2 passersby

Yesterday we had to bring the laundry to the main monastery and also buy provisions for the week from our own grocery in the monastery. I took the opportunity to go along in our van as I must check on the other library ... if water is leaking from the roof or whatever disaster that could happen. Well there was a leak on the left wing and a chunk of the ceiling fell. I informed our technical workers ( a minimum team is still working on maintenance ) and the supervisor said he'll put this job on his list.  I also managed to buy some of my provisions ... mainly cleansing detergents and some biscuits. It was good to get our of the house and see a bit of the outside .... see the sun and feel the wind in open space.

But I noticed all the City Gates are closed and police check everyone ... forbidding most from entering or leaving. We're practically locked inside the Old City. We had to do a lot of explanation in order to convinve them to let us enter through New Gate into St. Saviour's monastery. Going home was also full of police blocks.

Police stopping us at New Gate

So today is the last day of the jewish Passover and the rest of summer would be quite quiet until September when the series of feast days roll one after another for 4 consecutive weeks. But between now and then ... we don't know what will happen. We read from the news that flights will only restart in September so many of our professors and students will be stuck here for summer.  

Easter Tuesday

Sunrise on Easter morning

This evening at 5pm a 36 hr a strict lockdown will be imposed. This is to prevent jews from travelling to visit families because it's the last day of the Passover. It's going to be tough. And just when we think it may get better next week, there's Ramadan starting on the 23rd. There'll probably be another one month's strict lockdown.

17 neighbourhoods in Jerusalem have been put under total lockdown because they have been identified as the epicentres of the viral infection. It's terribly unfortunate. But one bit of news claims a specialist has declared Israel has contained the pandemic and now its time to look for an exit plan. The Foreign Minister published a letter acknowledging asian countries coming to the aid of Israel during this crisis, noting that the same asian countries are still fighting the pandemic. But on the downside, Israeli scientists have discovered that the viral symptoms now include skin problems including redness and rashes.

Few people wear masks

Face masks are now necessary if anyone is going out of the house. It was declared on Easter Sunday. But will it be enforced ... especially in arab East Jerusalem where majority of the younger generation scoff at the pandemic. It is these people who pose the greatest danger to society but the police have not been enforcing the law on them. And the greatest concern for the govt is Ramadan which will be celebrated next week. It is unlikely the arabs will obey the distancing law, let alone lockdown and mask-wearing, and if the police don't come down hard ... the arab side of the City will be the next hotspot.  https://www.ynetnews.com/article/SyCDD3xu8?fbclid=IwAR0lUM1THg0nRZ7C_tcjnyXAlkspbhxRyfCAtCJOJQrSM8J1RiCCVLR-w20

Easter

Our Easter Sunday Mass

Yesterday was Easter Sunday and though we had our own celebration, we could not join the solemn one at the Holy Sepulchre where it all happened. I was told that the last time the Holy Sepulchre was closed during Easter was in the 13th century. We had to watch everything on live stream ... which was poorly done on a cellphone because the police would not allow a filming crew to enter. It would break the limit of 10 persons only in a religious service. We kept distancing in our chapel ... one to a pew.

In the Sepulchre, the Archbishop was alone with deacons and a couple of priests to proclaim the resurrection from the Empty Tomb. It was surreal. And a policeman was stationed inside to watch over the proceedings ... even taking videos to make sure everything went according to the law.

MC sisters' lunch gift

At noon I went to the pharmacy to buy medicine and the sisters of M. Teresa came to meet me and gave me lunch which they had prepared. It was nice of them to remember me. They cooked veggie rice with 2 chicken wings and a piece of cake. I was preparing to eat bread with canned tuna ... which is mainly what I eat during this lockdown. I took advantage of my outing to buy 10 pieces of bread for the coming week ... the bakery is opposite the pharmacy.

Today is Emmaus Monday. The Custos should usually preside at the basilica there and at the end of Mass, distribute blessed bread to everyone. This year only the small community of friars there celebrated it on behalf of the Church. No one can get there because it's inside Palestine and the borders have been closed for a month now.

Now we read the news that the govt. now is discussing if the country would again be put under strict lockdown again like last week to prevent large movements of people during the 8th and also day of the jewish Passover on the 15th. This time newspapers report it would last from Tuesday to Sunday ... thereby locking down also the Orthodox churches which will celebrate Easter Sunday then. This are certainly extraordinary times.

Easter Vigil

Anointing the body with myrrh

Yesterday I felt very unwell. I don't think I could lead the Passion at 3.30pm for my community so I asked an Indonesian student to take my place. My blood pressure must have been very high as I had a headache and dizziness ... and couldn't sleep till midnight, only to wake at 2.30am. This morning I discovered I had forgotten to take my medicine ... that was why I was sick. Thank goodness nothing serious happened.

Carrying the body to the Tomb

Anyway it rained all yesterday evening and through the night. It gave a sombre mood to Good Friday and Holy Saturday. At 9am the Easter Vigil began in the Holy Sepulchre. Less than a dozen friars and the Archbishop were there. The Empty Tomb was surrounded by emptiness. There was no need for a microphone ... the Archbishop's voice resounded through the empty vaults of the basilica. It was a simple rite ... all the 9 readings were proclaimed and chanted. The candle was blessed and also the water. The resurrection was proclaimed. All the essentials of the christian faith were present ... that's enough. No pomposity, no unnecessary cluttering ... as the Archbishop said in his homily ; we're experiencing what the first christians experienced here in the Empty Tomb ... emptiness, uncertainty, fear. We have gone back to the original roots ... for a rebirth.

The body laid in the Tomb

Last night the funeral procession inside the Holy Sepulchre took place also with only 10 friars. The body was removed from the Cross, anointed with myrrh and then carried to the Tomb where it was laid all night. It's very solemn and in itself is not a liturgy. It's simply a procession which established in Status Quo, must be carried out every year by the franciscans. Here are some pics of that event.

Good Friday

Flagellation and Crowning of Thorns

Instead of the Via Dolorosa packed with crowds and police controlling the flow of pilgrims making the Way of the Cross ... the street is empty except for a couple of police. It's a terrible sight. It's raining and it had been raining all night ... it's very cold ... about 10 degrees ... everything seems so gloomy. But it does give an atmosphere of Good Friday. Sombre, dark ... as if the whole world has stopped.

Living at the Flagellation and Condemnation chapels, today's liturgy starts here. We here are obliged to pray on behalf of the whole world since the world cannot come to visit. It's a heavy responsibility. But we will fulfil it.

Here are some photos of the Flagellation and Condemnation chapels ... the 1st and 2nd Stations of the Cross. Let the images speak to you.

Mary meets Jesus

Ecce Homo

Jesus carries the cross

Crown of thorns on the dome

Jesus is condemned

Condemnation chapel

Maundy Thursday

Gethsemane basilica last year

It is surely one of the strangest Holy Triduum in living memory. All church doors closed ... not just any church but here in the Holy Land ... the churches on the actual places where the Passion took place.  This is extraordinary. We're under a curfew ... not just a lockdown.

The Last Supper Room is closed and the friars there celebrated the poignant event alone ... but on behalf of the whole Church. Gethsemane's basilica is closed ... the friars are making eucharistic adoration alone on behalf of the whole Church.

Last Supper Room

It's unprecedented. Even during the war, during the Intifada when muslim extremists threatened to bomb our churches, we went ahead with our celebrations. Now with a virus ... everything changed. In a way it's good. It makes us appreciate what we've taken for granted ... all the liturgies and celebrations.

The curfew has also restricted the jews form celebrating their Passover as a family event. It's even more unprecedented when the chief rabbis supported the social-distancing law and overrode tradition by allowing many other provisions deemed unacceptable in normal times ... like using telephones and computers to unite with family during the ritual. Soon at the end of the month, muslims will be celebrating Ramadan and already talk is that they too will not be allowed to visit and crowd around when the fast is broken every evening. Unusual times ... but I'm sure there're positive aspects.

Retreat today

It was nice to receive phone calls from former workers. People who worked on certain projects and then left. But in this crisis, they remembered and called to ask if everything is alright. I appreciated that. I myself have been calling lots of others to make sure they're ok. It's good to see the christian community caring for each other.

I spent the most part of the morning and afternoon on retreat. Read some homilies by Augustine and Cyril of Alexandria and John Chrysostom. Also Macarius the Egyptian. The weather was fine so I sat on our terrace enjoying the sun, facing the Mt. of Olives. The sermons were very inspiring ... but what occupied my mind was how sad most families in the City are ... living in tight quarters, not being able to see the sun or stretch their legs during this lockdown. Up on the Mt of Olives, families have huge gardens and fields. They are the lucky ones.

Curfew

Curfew

We've gone one step above a nationwide lockdown. Last night a curfew was decided. It will start at 3pm today and end tomorrow ... inanely to prevent jews from travelling to other cities to celebrate the Passover. All shops including pharmacies must be closed. It says in the directives that this will not affect arab neighbourhoods that do not celebrate the jewish feast. Well, where does that put me? I live in an arab neighbourhood but it's part of the jewish walled city. Very nebulous ... we'll have to see this afternoon if anyone is walking in the streets. Israel is employing helicopters and drones to keep the israelis indoors. It all looks so much like a war. It's all for our own good.

But we've been seeing videos of ultra-orthodox refusing to obey the rules, gathering in crowds to pray in public, spitting and biting police officers. Extremist settler jewish youths rioting and damaging police cars when arrested and forced to quarantine because one of them is infected. Though a minority and a marginalised groups ... their reckless and careless behaviour endangers us all .... and will only prolong the lockdown.

I guess if the curfew does include us, then I won't be able to throw the garbage since the collectors won't be working. That's one job settled. And being Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord's Supper is celebrated only in the evening ... and it's a private affair since no one is allowed to participate or walk in the streets. So I'll do a short retreat on my own.

If you need, take

Despite the terrible time of people losing their jobs, unable to feed their families, and falling sick to the virus ... there're still good news that uplift people. Yesterday there was a photo of several racks of vegetables left on the roadside with a note in arabic saying anyone who needs and can't afford, may take them free. It's heartening that there is still kindness and generosity. Especially among the poor, like the arab farmer who offered his produce for free.

I've also received lots of private photos from former students around the world ... indians packing thousands of food packs to give to the poor; syrians in the midst of war making masks and distributing food; filipino nuns bringing provisions to the slums .... In this crisis, we see who are the truly generous and self-sacrificing. And the Church is leading in this.

Nationwide lockdown

Holy Tuesday ... according to the gospels, it's the day Judas met with the chief priests to discuss how to betray Jesus and received 30 pieces of silver. Something to meditate on.

Empty Palm Plaza

Yesterday our superior and dean went to our grocery at our main monastery at New Gate. I took advantage to go with them because I needed to check on the other library. Travelling by a van is easier than walking because police stops everyone walking in the streets. Coming home in the van was very difficult ... as within an hour the police tightened the closure of the City. Every single car passing Damascus Gate was stopped and questioned. Then before entering Stephen's Gate from the west into the Old City we were stopped again by police who refused to let us enter and return home. We had to argue for some time before they allowed to enter. Our van was stocked with bread and spaghetti and when the police saw it, they were convinced we were just out to buy provisions. That's a valid reason to go out. The other is to see a doctor or the pharmacist.

Passover full moon last night

The streets outside the Old City were empty of people. Some areas with groceries and bakeries had people milling around them. But other than that, only police can be seen in all the other areas. Last night the PM ordered a total nationwide lockdown before the jewish Passover begins tonight. The fear is the entire nation moving around the country to get home and celebrate the feast. And spreading the virus. All intercity roads have been closed. The nationwide lockdown ends on Friday but will resume onApril 15th I guess, the last day of Passover. After that, the PM says things like be a little more relaxed but partial lockdown will continue to be enforced.  

And the egg crisis is partially solved. Egg is essential in the Passover meal ... to be eaten tonight ... but there was a nationwide shortage. That is a national crisis. Israel managed on short call to get a shipload of eggs from overseas to dock at the southern port of Ashdod. Passover meal is saved tonight.

Jerusalem Urbi et Orbi

Dominus Flevit chapel

It's Holy Monday. That's when Mark's gospel records Jesus "cursing" the fruitless fig tree while on his way from Bethany to Jerusalem's Temple. All the readings since yesterday till Easter Sunday are so different from me than it is for most of you. I actually live here. From my window I can see the Mt. of Olives and the route Jesus took riding on a donkey. The Temple was just 300m. from my room. And I live in the compound where Jesus was flogged, crowned with turns and carried his cross. Golgotha is 800m to my east ... everything is so real and vivid. It is alive. Yesterday when we proclaimed the Passion of Christ according to Matthew, all the places mentioned are just within 1km from where I live. It is very special. And I know many of you have not been here ... and those who have, have only seen the places for a few minutes. I'll be praying for you all in these places on your behalf. Living here is a privilege and a calling.

Shraq and kaya

Yesterday instead of the traditional Palm Sunday Procession from Betphage down to Jerusalem's Old City, there was a special prayer service at the Dominus Flevit chapel midway up the Mt. of Olives. The Archbishop was there with a small entourage. The whole service was live broadcast. After the prayers, the archbishop blessed the City of Jerusalem and the world, effectively it's an urbi et orbi blessing which the pope gives. Here the patriarch can give the blessing because Jerusalem is the Mother Church where the Incarnation and salvation was established. A relic of the True Cross was was used for the blessing. Very touching. It was a prayer for an end to the pandemic.

From my terrace I could see the whole service. But a sandstorm had struck us and the whole city is overcast with yellow clouds. Sand is everywhere. And I've started coughing as a result ... with a sore throat. So I'm not going down for our prayers in my house.

To those asking what I had to celebrate my birthday ... well we're under a lockdown. I celebrated by myself with 2 arab unleaven bread called shraq with kaya (coconut jam) which some kind people from S'pore gave me when they visited last year. And I was very happy ... a taste of home.