A day to remember ... for better or worse

This morning Gilad Schalit - kidnapped Israeli soldier for over 5 years in Gaza - has been released in exchange for 1,027 Palestinians in jail. Palestinian schools have closed for half the day in celebration. While majority of these prisoners are exiled to Gaza or the Territories, some who are less of a danger are allowed back home in Israel. One of them was an old man behind our house. The tiny street was packed with people chanting and waving flags as they carried the old man on their shoulders back to his house where his family was waiting.

This exchange is still a very divisive topic - most Jews want Schalit to be released but at the same time think that the release of 1,027 terrorists, some jailed for multiple life sentences is a price too high to pay. Whatever it is, the decision was made. It now is up to time to tell if it was a mistake or not.

Meantime my worries are closer to home .. like when shall I ever get my operation done? The strike is still on. This morning I coughed and sneezed out clots of blood. It's really making me sick.

Don't forget if you want to check on your donations to help the poor, go to http://holylandassist.blogspot.com  If you want to watch Bible based video programmes go to http://elwebcast.blogspot.com

Sukkot 2

Giant sukka in Municipality Square

Spent a couple of days away from the City ... to rest and recover. Sukkot had just begun when I left. Never saw a sukka? Here are some pics. The sukka is a tent used by farmers as they go out for the autumn harvest. Today observant jews eat their meals inside a sukka for 8 days.

On Saturday morning the jewish priests went to the Wailing Wall to give the Priestly Blessing - an event that takes place twice a year (Passover and Sukkot). I heard thousands of people went there but I couldn't because I had classes.

Mini sukka for 4 people

Saturday was also the feast of St. Teresa of Avila - a very courageous lady who made reforms in her Order despite alot of persecution.

Sunday was quiet. Nice change. Bumped into lots of friends though when I went for a walk with Praveen. He wanted to know where the Convent of the Sisters of Ivrea was, so I brought him there to see it. On the way met lots of friends - arabs who owned shops etc... We also did abit of shopping at Salahaddin Street. He got some toiletries and cups while I got my elbow-guard (I have tennis elbow even though I don't play tennis). And we both got nice bamboo place-mats.

Inside the sukka of Luigi's Restaurant

This morning while about to cross the road, a car screeched next to me and someone inside grinning like crazy shouted "Liiiiiiiiooooooooo" so that the whole town could hear. It was Souhaib  -  a gym buddy who owns a cellphone repair shop. This is the second time he did that. Souhaib has the same stomach disorder that I have; he lost over 13 kg in weight, can't eat, vomits, nausea and diarrhea. He's gone real skinny. But he goes to Hadassa hospital for checkups.

So who else did I meet? There was Ihab whom I met twice walking pass his stationary store: he's another gym bud but though arab he was born and brought up in America, speaks with a southern drawl. Also met Mohanad in his jeans store; bought a nice shirt for 40 shekels but had to shorten it at Abu Muhammed's tailory which is next to Mohanad's cousin's store that sells muslim women's veils; that's where I got Mabel's nice veil!!! Also met Mohanad's brother Achmed who goes to China 4 times a year to get clothes for their store. Met Abu Peter going up Damascus Gate. Met several times another gym bud who owns a Drama Theatre for therapy with disturbed children. Can't remember his name. Met Mr. Serious (can't remember his name), a friend of Ihab. He gets his name because he's very serious when working out in the gym ... no smiles or hi. Anyway there was no shortage of people this weekend ... which is a nice way to start the New Year and Sukkot.

Sukkot

Last night there was a large protest by Palestinians at Damascus Gate. Youths were carrying flags, chanting slogans. The arab crowd that came to watch them was equally large!!! Passive participants who morally want to encourage the protest but afraid to be arrested. Police had started coming in to surround the protesters ... the road leading to Damascus Gate was blocked off from Notre Dame. I wasn't quite sure what the protest was all about - whether it's Sukkot or Gilad Schalit's release or some other reason. I moved on quickly as I too was afraid if the police charged, I'd be trampled.

I was on my way to a little private party organised by my 8 former students to celebrate their final profession into the Salesian congregation. Most made it a month ago. They were from Poland (2), Italy (3), Brazil (1), Canada (1), and the Indian who made it 2 years ago. I was the only prof. invited, besides the dean, rector and treasurer of the salesian community. Apparently they liked me alot as prof. so I got the special invite. And they are very musically talented ... using knives and forks as percussion, wooden shelves as drums, and a guitar, they could sing upbeat songs from Italy, Brazil and Kenya. And the barbeque cooked by themselves was really nice ... a simply meal enjoyed by great company. And there were lots of jokes - the students were imitating each of their professors but were politely demured when asked to imitate me. After the fun, Lorenzo and Dariusz (2 of the students) accompanied me home as bodyguards as they were afraid there might be violence in the streets. It was a fantastic evening. I really felt appreciated by these students.

Meanwhile the medical strike is widening and causing anarchy for the sick. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/staff-shortages-hit-hospitals-as-resignations-start-to-sting-1.389479  My operation will be postponed again. Sigh.  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-s-doctors-and-residents-are-letting-anarchy-reign-1.389247

This evening begins the feast of Sukkot - the greatest feast in the Jewish calendar. And this morning it drizzled ... a good sign.

Eve of Sukkot

Spent the weekend mainly sleeping ... don't have much energy. I don't know if the operation will go ahead (again) as mass resignations of medical workers are being threatened by a prelimary strike today. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/hundreds-of-israel-s-medical-residents-skip-work-amid-threats-of-mass-resignation-1.389131

Tomorrow Sukkot begins - an 8 day celebration of the greatest Jewish feast. In the streets, booths and tents are being erected especially in front of restaurants so that customers can sit inside them to eat their meals. This lasts for 8 days. On the 3rd morning, the priests will go to the Wailing Wall to give the annual blessing based on Numbers 6:24-26. Usually thousands go there for the blessing but last year a record number came. Let's see if I can get there. But as would be expected, tomorrow evening as Sukkot begins, the streets leading to the City will be closed again.


School has started and most of the students have returned. Another year begins ... and hopefully this year, it begins with rain as Sukkot ought to augur. The weather forecasters say Wednesday should see rain in Jerusalem.

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Yom Kippur 2

Now that I have rested from my trip to hospital, let me recount the adventure of travelling on the eve of Yom Kippur. As you would know, Kippur is the Day of Atonement, a sombre day where prayers are offered for the forgiveness of years committed in the past year. 2000 yrs ago when there was a Temple, the scapegoat was offered on behalf of the sins of the Israelites. Today without the Temple, Jews wave money or a chicken over their heads to transfer their sins onto the money or chicken which is then offered to the poor - evil turns to good. Jews fast for one entire day.

Well Kippur is so solemn, everything stops - literally. The entire country simply stops. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-comes-to-a-halt-for-yom-kippur-1.388782  So when I went to the hospital, I planned to come back to Jerusalem before Kippur began on sunset yesterday. The journey took longer than expected and when we arrived in Jerusalem, the sunwas already setting. There were no cars all along the highway leading to Jerusalem, and also in the city. It was so eery, ours being the only car in the street. Traffic lights stopped working. Poor Ramzi was panicking as he was afraid Jews would throw stones at us for travelling in a car on Kippur.

When we reached the vicinity of the Old City, we found ALL roads leading to it were blocked off. Police refused to tell us how we can get back home. They just told us to turn away.

So I told the driver to through King George Street, down Prophets' Street into Damascus Gate area. The driver didn't know the way and made a wrong turning - we entered Mea Shearim!!!! The ultra-orthodox neighbourhood. They came out in droves - hundreds ... and we were all panicking as we thought they would start attacking us for driving a car on Kippur. I told the driver to reverse and he drove in reverse like crazy back to the first road junction which he missed earlier .... phew! Just in time. We turned right and reached Damascus Gate which was not blocked ...

... and that was a very very close call from being lynched by a religious mob. That's life in Jerusalem. One wrong turn in the streets may determine your future!

Yom Kippur

Just got back from the hospital after the CT Scan on my nose. The septum is broken, swollen, inflamed, bloody and the left nostril has hardly any space for breathing. The specialist who interprets the images told me its bad and it's the cause of my constant nosebleeds and asthma ... more than the polyps in my sinus. Must have the op. asap.  :(

Today is the eve of Kippur ... the whole City new and old was swarming with police and soldiers. Roads around the Old City were blocked off. Muslims below 45 yrs were forbidden to enter the City to pray on Friday today. Most gathered at Damascus Gate and prayed in the streets as a protest. The imam gave a fiery sermon against Israel ... very loud on the PA system that most of the Old City could hear. Tomorrow the tension will be no less.

Muslims praying in the streets

New Gate is blocked

Damascus Gate closed

Feast of St. Therese

So I've been offline for a week. Had some good days, but lots of bad days. Still with stomach cramps and diarrhea ... love to eat but can't keep anything in. Visited the surgeon regarding the op. He said the hernia in the diaphragm is not worth operating because it's too close to the heart, stomach and liver. A simple infection could get very complicated if the other organs are infected. And me being so sensitive to operations, he said it's better I learn to live with the pain and change lifestyle ... meaning not to carry heavy things, eat too much (!!!!) or exert physically.

But the polyps in the nose and the infected sinus have to be done. I was told to see another surgeon who is more specialised in asian noses which apparently have fossa and are more boney than cartilege ... and being much smaller than jewish noses. I guess the op. will be after Sukkot ie mid-October. He warned that my face will be pretty swollen and the nose black and blue. Not a pretty sight.

These past 3 days are the Jewish New Year - Rosh HaShana. Alot of tension in the streets; heavy police presence. And cavalry as well. But the City was not closed on Friday so this averted more tensions with the muslims.

Next Friday and Saturday will be Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement which is a solemn fasting day for Jews. Then the following Tuesday and consequent 8 days is the feast of Sukkot - Tents or Tabernacles or Booths. It's the feast of the autumn harvest and is the most important Jewish feast in the calendar ... more than Passover.

Today we heard the sad news that a christian pastor was sentenced to death in Iran. The trumped up charges started with apostasy from Islam, then changed to Zionist and finally they accused him of being a rapist ... all so that the death penalty can be imposed. When will this muslim persecution of christians end? STOP IT NOW!!!

And we enter October, the feast of St Therese of Lisieux. Let's pray for her intercession that through her little way, christians can be saved and protected from these rapacious oppressors who seek to profit socially, politically and economically from the persecution of christians.