Stromata

Indigo salvias in
bloom

Many of our students have started to go out to buy their foodstuffs and necessities. It's testing the waters ... to see if the superior will allow it. Fresh air and open space ... something to bring normality to the mind and emotions. Some medical experts think it's too early for easing of restrictions but of course, the economy takes precedence like many other countries.

The weather has been warmer up and we're expecting a scorching summer. Weather forecasters say it'll be around 40 degrees. Well I certainly hope there'll be no lockdown when the weather is that hot. Indoors would be like an oven. The green grass covering the Mt. of Olives have turned brown and the wild capers and snapdragons on the Old City walls have withered. Perhaps the heat will kill the virus as most reports say.

Last night the jews celebrated La BaOmer which is celebrated with bonfires. The police had warned against crowds gathering for this, but many ultra-orthodox jews defied the ban and gathered. Police tried to break it up but had stones thrown at them. Corona-infections among the ultra-orthodox are 75% of the total infections in Israel.  https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Watch-Massive-crowds-gather-in-Mea-Shearim-for-Lag-BaOmer-bonfires-627686?fbclid=IwAR2LTODCQHgQDOV8oYqJHD3qxyQeclMJK1IWd9dTdyOVoQxEspPi5YBaSGo

Meanwhile a soldier was killed by arab villagers when an army raid into an arab village searching for terrorists. With the curfew and lockdown, nerves are getting frayed and another traumatic incident is not helping anyone. And now that the Christian feast of Pentecost, the jewish feast of Shavuot and the muslim end of Ramadan feast day Eid el Fitrih all happening within 1 week of each other .... I can't imagine the strict restrictions that will be imposed during that week.