Stabbing attack

Yesterday just after noon, a stabbing attempt took place in front of the Austrian Hospice and 3rd Station of the Cross. It was the same place where the "stabbing Intifada" started. 2 policemen were injured in the head and the assailant was shot to death. The City Gates to the Muslim Quarter were closed and so too all the main streets in the Quarter. Shops around the area were ordered to close down. It's a bad start to Christmas. We hope the police will not limit our Christmas festivities because of this; and that this is not a new beginning to another season of violence.  http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Initial-Stabbing-attack-in-Jerusalems-Old-City-475348

Christmas wishes
from the Jerusalem
Municipality

The rains finally came to Jerusalem ... a few minutes of a regular shower but for the rest of the time it's a constant drizzle. Dark skies, very strong and cold winds but nothing severe unlike the rest of the country. The highway from Tel Aviv to Netanya was flooded, and Haifa suffered the most from the storm. Ironically only 2 weeks ago Haifa was ravaged by the forest fires, destroying over some 700 houses and thousands had to be evacuated. This is a land of extremes.

The miniskirt crisis in the Knesset (Parliament) reach breaking point when several more women were turned back from work due to the ultra-orthodox dress code. The demonstration against it included a male member of parliament coming in his shorts to protest. Today security personnel refuse to enforce this dress code and it seems this demand by the ultra-orthodox is falling apart. Let's see how it will unfold in the next few days. http://www.timesofisrael.com/mk-strips-in-solidarity-with-miniskirt-clad-knesset-aides/

And the revered circumciser who told apprentices to practice on ethiopic and non-jewish children has been suspended for 3 years by the Chief Rabbinate. Apparently he was caught doing just that by undercover journalists posing as non-jewish parents wanting a circumcision for their baby. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Chief-Rabbinate-suspends-cannon-fodder-mohel-for-three-years-475378

Sign boards placed
throughout East
Jerusalem

The siege in Aleppo still disturbs us. Though a cease-fire was called to allow civilians to leave the area, bombings continued. We hope the poor people will be safe ... and they reach help not only for shelter from the winter but also food and medicine. In Iraq the Christian population fell from 1.6 million to a mere 150,000. Christmas will be a very trying time for them as they live under ISIS persecution. http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-Threat/Few-remaining-Iraqi-Christians-prepare-for-Christmas-as-lands-liberated-from-ISIS-475216

The Jerusalem Municipality has placed numerous signs wishing Christians a Merry Christmas just as it did for Ramadan for the muslims. Very noteworthy is that these signs are not found in the western side of the City because it's jewish and the ultra-orthodox jews would riot if such a thing were done.

Awesome full moon

Full moon at Ben
Yehuda Mall

Very dark skies and bitterly cold winds .... but only a drizzle here in Jerusalem today. The rest of the country is flooded in most parts. There'll probably be snow up in the Golan Heights these few days but I doubt it'll snow in Jerusalem. Too humid and not enough rain. Anyway these nights there is a beautiful full moon shining over the City. Utterly amazing. Weaving through the rain clouds, it creates an eerie atmosphere for the end of the year ... ominous and mysterious. The moonlight shimmers through a rounded aura created by the clouds ... emanating strange colours.

I managed to photograph the moon on my way home yesterday evening. It was a marathon exam session. Oral exam for 24 students. It started at 1pm and ended at 6.30pm with only a 2 minute toilet break. I was utterly exhausted, and very cold and very hungry. The sun sets at 4.30pm and the drizzle and bitterly cold winds made it a miserable walk until I spotted the moon. I was the only one photographing the moon ... everyone else was rushing around getting out of the cold. If it does snow, the moon would look even more incredible.

Moon peeking through the palms
at Municipality Square

The provincial of M. Teresa's sisters arrived in Jerusalem and recounted the horrors of the war in Aleppo and the rest of Syria. Their sisters and 60 handicap patients have moved into our monastery next to the church for safety. Fighting is just 2 km away and it could spread at any moment into west Aleppo where they are now. The situation in Yemen is worse and Iraq is not any better. This is a very sad christmas for the christians in those countries. Do something meaningful this christmas .... share your blessings with these persecuted brothers and sisters in the Middle East.  http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-Threat/Few-remaining-Iraqi-Christians-prepare-for-Christmas-as-lands-liberated-from-ISIS-475216

Another 5 female employees of the Knesset (Parliament) were prevented from entering the building for work because they violated the new dress code .... skirts too short for ultra-orthodox jews to accept. In retaliation other female workers demonstrated in protest. The ultra-orthodox have practically controlled most parts of Jerusalem life now.

Storm again

The awful news of the massacres in Aleppo continue to flow out. Many innocent people are sending out their last farewells because Assad forces are entering east Aleppo, driving out ISIS but killing everyone in the process. It is so tragic ... and the world remains silent. Shame on the UN.  http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/.premium-1.758722

Overcast skies today

Today's skies seem to reflect the frightening events in Aleppo. The rest of the country saw storms and flooding so bad that a man drowned in his car when a road in Haifa was overcome with flood waters. Extremely cold and strong winds beat down all day throughout the country. But there was no rain in Jerusalem, just some drizzle in the morning. People are saying that Jerusalem is punished by drought while the rest of the country is flooding. Forecast is heavier rains tomorrow. Well good luck to Jerusalem.

Meantime Israel's ultra-orthodox community begins to tighten the noose in the country as the Chief Rabbi declared that girls should not serve in the army (it's compulsory for boys and girls here) but rather do the laundry and cook. Then more restrictions on non-orthodox jewish women who pray at the Wailing Wall. And a dress code imposed in Parliament for women ... an assistant was prohibited from entering Parliament because her skirt was above the knees.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.758568  But my biggest fear was the Minister of Health, an ultra-orthodox jews, announced publicly that Hannukah should not be celebrated by eating sufgoniot (jam-filled doughnuts) which is the traditional thing to do!! And I love sufgoniot!!! http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4891755,00.html

News just out: the Jerusalem Municipality will give out 150 free christmas trees.  http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Jerusalem-Municipality-to-distribute-150-free-Christmas-trees-475255

Pruning palm trees

3 years ago this day we had the great snow storm of the decade. Newspapers have been floating pictures of the 4 day storm, stirring up not just memories but fears of electrical and food shortage. Well enough fear for the Municipality to prune all the Palm trees at Palm Plaza outside Damascus Gate. Any storm would uproot these palms and crash onto parked cars below.

Chrismukkah again

Stormy weather by the coast

Still recovering from the busy weekend. Couldn't rest much though because it's Monday ... meaning I have to get up at 3am to prepare for classes. This morning the sun was up and bright but I think like yesterday it'll be overcast and cold again by noon.

Last Friday I walked through the Musrara open market just outside Damascus Gate. I usually avoid that place on Fridays because of the immense crowds. And I saw something which I haven't seen in a long time ... fresh seafood on sale. Now "fresh" by local standards means "not frozen" and not "alive and swimming in the water". I had visions of chilly crab, steamed carb, cuttle-fish fried and steamed .... and that's that. Without a fridge or cooking facilities, there is no way I can cook seafood. I thought of bringing it to the chinese sisters .... but they're northern chinese; and being nuns they do what they fancy no matter what you tell them otherwise. Seafood for them means throw it all in a pot of water, add salt, bring to boil then eat. Last week I called them to ask if they can just boil some soup for me ... nothing fancy, just soup with nothing but a little salt and pepper. They came with a pot of noodles, veggies, seafood in soup.

Anyway with the stormy weather by the coast, I think seafood will be pretty expensive soon. That means nothing to the jews as they cannot eat seafood (non-kosher) but muslims and christians do it when it's cheap.

"Fresh" seafood galore

This year like last year, Christmas coincides with the jewish feast of Hanukkah - the feast of the rededication of the Temple after it was profaned by the Seleucids (see books of Maccabbees). The locals have a name for it when the 2 feasts coincide : chrismukkah. Each time there is a big discussion whether jews may put up a christmas tree for Chrismukkah. Last year the rabbis condemned the Christmas Tree as an idol and forced police to remove all Christmas trees from public places. Even the Municipality which offers free Christmas trees to poor people at Damascus Gate, were stopped by the rabbis. I wonder if it will be the same this year.

Busy weekend

The Netanya community at Mass

It's been a super hectic Saturday. Well Friday I made sure I finished all the work of the week because the weekend would be full of activities. On Saturday morning at 6am it was Mass at the Holy Sepulcher in the Empty Tomb for the Block Rosary Group of filipinos form our St. Anthony Parish in Jaffa. Over 25 members came for the Mass. Immediately after I had to give them a Bible Class from 7am to 8.30am. Once finished I had to rush back to house work and within 2 hours it was off to our other Jaffa parish of St. Peter. Went there to pick up wine, hosts and vestments because I had to preside at the Mass in Netanya for another community of filipinos. It's 60km from Jerusalem to Jaffa and another 60 km from Jaffa to Netanya. I had to turn down another penitential service at Rehovot which is 30 km drive away from Jaffa because there was no way I could rush there in time.

Sunday Mass at
St. Peter's church

After Mass there was blessing and confessions and then back to Jaffa which was already almost 10pm. The superior there told me to stay overnight as it was late and I was tired. Sunday morning there was another Mass at 9am at St. Peter's ... a much smaller community of expatriates attend this Mass because Sunday in our country is the first working day. Most catholics cannot make it.

The week before Christmas will be equally busy. Several Masses in various cities along the coast. I think on the 24th Dec I have a Mass in Bethlehem for a filipino  community, then rush off to Jaffa for the Indian Mass at 4pm and immediately off to Netanya again for the 7pm Mass.

Luckily there were no traffic jams along the highways. There was drizzle tough and the skies were dreadful dark and the winds bitterly cold. In a way it feels like Christmas 25 years ago.

Just read the horrible news that over 25 copts were killed in a bomb blast in their cathedral in Cairo. Still no news who is responsible. A terrifying christmas for the egyptian copts. Another bad news is that the first reading of a new law to expropriate palestinian land for jewish settlements has passed. It's amazing that this is happening in broad daylight and no one is saying anything. http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/.premium-1.757846

Christmas soon

Our wild poinsettia

Another Friday. The first thing I noticed about this morning was .... the muezzin's call to prayer at 4am was much less loud than before. Apparently the govt.'s imposition to silence or lower the volume of the loudspeakers have gone into effect. It was significantly softer, the loudspeaker of the Al Aqsa Mosque that lies directly in front of my window. The other smaller mosques were so soft I could not even hear them. What a difference! Today however we read in the newspapers that the PM is now going to enforce this low volume even during the day.

The Tourist Ministry just reported that November saw the highest volume of tourists in the year, a 38% increase from last year which comes up to about 300,000 people. Chinese and Indian tourists make up the bulk of this visitors and the govt. has decided to pump more money to attract asians because the market in America and Europe has dropped significantly. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4890567,00.html

Christmas is fast approaching and streets in the Christmas Quarter are decked with buntings and lights. It's an italian tradition that Christmas trees are put up on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (yesterday) so most shops and houses have had them up by evening yesterday. Our courtyard has a huge poinsettia tree, almost 2 meters tall and it is flowering profusely. That's our christmas tree ... it looks very festive in green and red, and evokes the spirit of christmas to every visitor that comes to our place.

Immaculate Conception Day

Weekend with cloudy skies

From sunny weather to cold cloudy skies. Huge change in weather this morning. Went out to work in warm sunny climate but within 2 hours it must have fell to 9 degrees. As it's a feast day, no one is working in the libraries but we still have 3 books on loan to an exhibition and I must go at 8am to deliver the books and collect them at 5pm when the exhibition ends. So I had to celebrate Mass early this morning at 4.30am in order to arrange all my work and get to my delivery mission on time. Then there was a series of emails to respond, bookings for volunteers, work schedules to be organised and luckily for me, a very nice lunch break with my best buddy Aviram. Haven't seen him for over 2 months though we keep in contact. He's been always there for me during my toughest times and I really appreciate that. And he had wonderful news when we met ... an institute just offered him an internship a few minutes before he left his house to come for lunch. He was very very happy. And I'm happy for him too. He's a really bright guy and passionate about his studies.

The other day I went to Rami's pharmacy to buy Tiger Balm plaster for my shoulder. It's been hurting so bad I cannot sleep because of the pain. Well Rami was out of it but had another type of plaster, less powerful and stinky. No choice ... had to buy it. But it worked out good .... I had minimal pain last night after keeping it overnight on my shoulder. Will have to use it again tonight. Well I also kept the shoulder warm by wearing double t-shirts.

Icon of Mary's birth
in St. Anne's Church

So it's the Immaculate Conception feast day. At St. Anne's Church (Bethesda Pool or Sheep's Pool in John's Gospel) there was a solemn Mass celebrated at 10am because traditionally that's the place where Mary was born. I think almost all the seminarians of the 5 seminaries in Jerusalem were there. And of course the many religious and priests as well. Few people know that it was our 14th century theologian Duns Scotus who defended this dogma when many were against it. He was vindicated only 400 years later when it was declared a dogma but he remained in the shadows until 16 years ago when Pope John Paul II beatified him.

Latest bit of news ... a stabbing attempt at a check point. Hope this will not sour the Christmas celebrations should Israel decide to close the borders and not allow christian arabs to come to Jerusalem.