Another rainy day

Grotto of OL in
the MC convent

Another freezing night ... and I was too tired to take out the extra blankets so I slept in my bathrobe to keep warm. Buddy also huddled beside me to keep warm. I think there was a passing shower last night because this morning the ground was all wet. Then again it could be the fog and dew. Luckily for the Missionaries of Charity, they had a grotto built in their courtyard before this wet season started ... about 3 weeks ago. The damp humid conditions would not have let the cement set. The grotto houses a statue of the Immaculate Conception who is their patroness.

La Salle College
in lights

Last night I had to preside over prayers ... it's solemn Vespers with the chanting of the O antiphons and Magnificat in latin. Immediately after I rushed off to the chinese sisters' convent because they organised a Christmas dinner for the chinese religious in Jerusalem. We're not many ... one jesuit, one salesian, 3 franciscans and the 2 sisters. Well I was late and everyone had already left. I didn't want the sisters to bother cooking again so I drank a bowl of soup and went home. That was when I saw the lighting of the Christmas lights at New Gate. It was very nice.

Under High Court orders, the illegal jewish settlement in Armona built on arab land must be demolished by Christmas. Tensions are rising as the settlers refuse to leave and are promising a heated resistance. To appease the settlers, the govt. is proposing to allow 20 families to rebuild on another plot of land nearby; the govt. will also demolish arab houses in other parts of East Jerusalem as a tit-for-tat gesture. This should appease the jewish public.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4894513,00.html

For a couple of days now the newspapers are reporting of a rise in poverty among the jewish community. Living expense has gone up steeply and many people have fallen into the poverty line. The govt. must address this sooner or later otherwise the next elections will not be about security from arabs but where to find the next meal. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4894318,00.html

One bit of good news though: the govt. is starting a new bus line from Jerusalem to the airport. Thank goodness because the Nesher company of minibuses has held the monopoly of this route since living memory and they have become arrogant and tyrannical in their service and attitude.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/221864

Christmas lights

Fog covering the Mt. of Olives

It was freezing last night. Almost 4 degrees but it felt a lot colder. The weather forecast said it felt like 1 degree. I think it will be similarly cold tonight. I must get the extra blankets out. The whole day  was damp and cold as well .... temp. hovered around 9 degrees. Skies were dark and there was a thick fog overing the Mt. of Olives. The streets are very slippery because dew had smothered the pathing stones ... and these stones are so well worn, you would even slip without it being wet.

The huge Christmas tree at New Gate

The christmas lights are finally turned on at New Gate in the Christian Quarter. The huge Christmas tree at the La Salle College this year is white instead of green. And the streets are much more well decorated than last year. Remember last year the ultra-orthodox jews demanded the Municipality to remove all Christmas trees in public because they ere idols. This year we have not heard any objections yet. No decorations were placed outside the City Gate though ... only the 4 trees outside had lights wrapped around them. Nothing religious.

Entry through
New Gate

The Municipality, as if to make amends for last year's fracas with the ultra-orthodox jewish demands (we had to remove christmas decorations from the New Gate), has now announced that it will organise free shuttle buses from Jerusalem to Bethlehem during this Christmas week. Nice gesture but too little too late. The ultra-orthodox have taken over the City and they are making life difficult for the rest of us.

Israelis ar organising a huge demonstration in Tel Aviv to show solidarity with the syrians in Aleppo. They have not forgotten how they themselves suffered the Holocaust and they are now demonstrating that others should not suffer the same. A human chain will form from the Russian embassy to the American embassy. http://www.timesofisrael.com/israelis-to-hold-mass-protest-over-aleppo-massacre/

Solidarity

Full moon over
East Jerusalem

There was a brief moment of sunshine this morning but the clouds soon came to overcast the sky. It's been chilly ... below 10 degrees during the day and nights fall to 4 degrees. However whenever the clouds disperse during the night there is a wonderful sight of the full moon. I managed to take a beautiful photo of it just over East Jerusalem.

2 seminarians are doing a short study program here in Jerusalem. They are from Melbourne which sends each year 2 seminarians abroad for experience and formation. These 2 seminarians came to acquaint themselves with our libraries and, like the last group that came, I brought them out to dinner and we had a great chat, catching up with news of the former group.

Healthwise the shoulder is less painful as the medicine pads seem to help reduce the inflammation. The sciatica is still bothering me though ... I can't sit for longer than 20 minutes as the pain becomes acute. That becomes a problem when I have to travel to Netanya for Mass ... the journey takes almost 2 hours.

Santa Claus with phylacteries

The Christmas season is in the air and some secular jews are not averse in joining in the celebrations. Here's a picture circulating in social media of a jew dressed as Santa Claus but stopping to wear the phylacteries in order to pray. I'm not sure what the ultra-orthodox would say about that.

The bombing that killed 26 Coptic christians in Cairo has shocked all the christians in the region. We thought that some form of normalcy has returned to Egypt but obviously we were wrong. Now even Israel is aware of its moral responsibility to protect its own minorities and those in the surrounding region because of tis own experience during the last World War and also because of its distinctive calling by God to be a light unto the gentiles. http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/The-bombing-at-St-Marks-Cathedral-Why-Israelis-should-care-475408

In fact Jews from around the world are planning to do something to show solidarity to the syrians caught in the massacre at Aleppo. To quote the organizers ... "Citing the Jewish commandment, “Lo tuchal lehitalem” (Deuteronomy 23:2), which means “You must not remain indifferent,” organizers called for a show of solidarity with victims of the Aleppo violence. “Indifference – to human suffering, to hatred and to genocide – contradicts everything that Judaism holds sacred,” they said. “Regardless of your opinion on the politics behind the conflict, the reality is that children and innocent civilians are being killed in a war waged by others.”  http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Jews-around-the-world-speak-up-for-Aleppo-evoking-never-again-mantra-475542

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.