My dear Friends
Yesterday was The Jewish New Year for Trees. Sometimes called Tu Bi'Shvat, this refers to the date, the 15th of the month Shevat, in the Jewish Lunar Calendar. So it moves around a bit, usually between the end of January and the beginning of March.
This Feast is the anniversary or birthday of The Little Sisters of Joy. Yesterday was our 9th anniversary, so we are in our 10th year. In the year 2000, in Benigna's garden in Cambridge, a group of us stood around while I planted a sapling silver birch tree. Then we recited Psalm 96 (95) Let the trees of the wood all shout for JOY, at the presence of the Lord, for He comes...'
We were also commemorating the new life of Latif Freedman, Benigna's son-in-law, who died shortly after having lunch with us on the previous Christmas day. He was a wonderful composer and he love the little trio of silver birch trees in the Cambridge Botanical Gardens. In 2003, having moved to the Arbury, I planted another silver birch with the help of a friend. And Arbury is connected to the word in Latin 'arbor' meaning tree.
Don't you think there is something magical about silver birch trees? Feminine and elegant, they are used by some Native tribes for their canoes, as these people feel they have a special presence. The silver birch tree in Benigna's garden is extremely tall now; some years I asked Benigna, as we were standing together looking up at it, how long she thought it would last. 'Longer than you and me,' she replied.
Going back to the Feast of Tu Bishvat, it all started in my Jewish childhood, when I use to love, on this day, taking in as many fruits as I could to school. Lychees were quite rare in those days...
Our whole mission is about bearing fruit, which will last until eternity. Please pray that lots of trees can be planted with our help.
Love and Shalom
Sister Gila
Wednesday 23 January 2008
Saturday 19 January 2008
Weekend blues
My dear Friends
Its Shabbat, I am feeling under the weather but had to come in to the UL (University Library) to check out some details for my concert programme. Consolation is, the Anderson Music Room is beautiful, with long elegant desks. Sorry, to my great surprise, a whole bunch of sixteen year old boys from Westcliff-on Sea have just invaded the computer room, where I am writing the blog! I managed to exchange a few words with their 'leader' - I have no idea what they are doing here, but seeing ten of them troop in cheered me up.
To get back to the Anderson Room, a very nice young man is sitting there, who is a former Music student, now working in the Faculty. He has aided me with the computer and chatted to me about the concert-hopefully he may even come. I have done a lot of advance publicity, and it has gone onto an email of the Jewish community; I am singing a lot of Jewish music and the Concert is in memory of Professor Risa Domb, who died last year and who was my Hebrew teacher here in Cambridge, when I did my degree from 1988-1992.
Risa was an exceptional person. Israeli, born in Natanya by the sea, she married Dickie, an Englishman, and lived with him and their children between here and Israel for many years. She understood what it was like to live in '2 Landscapes' and I feel she is still with me now. Right at the start of The Little Sisters of Joy she gave me her support and encouragment, telling me not to be afraid of confrontation-sometimes it is necessary to get to resolution. She told me to persevere, despite any hostility I might encounter. Easier said than done, but I do try!
Since the New Year, my life has got a little more peaceful and I am looking ahead. I miss Alexia and my friends in Paris, but hopefully it won't be too long before we are reunited.
A bientot!
Shabbat Shalom!
Sister Gila
Its Shabbat, I am feeling under the weather but had to come in to the UL (University Library) to check out some details for my concert programme. Consolation is, the Anderson Music Room is beautiful, with long elegant desks. Sorry, to my great surprise, a whole bunch of sixteen year old boys from Westcliff-on Sea have just invaded the computer room, where I am writing the blog! I managed to exchange a few words with their 'leader' - I have no idea what they are doing here, but seeing ten of them troop in cheered me up.
To get back to the Anderson Room, a very nice young man is sitting there, who is a former Music student, now working in the Faculty. He has aided me with the computer and chatted to me about the concert-hopefully he may even come. I have done a lot of advance publicity, and it has gone onto an email of the Jewish community; I am singing a lot of Jewish music and the Concert is in memory of Professor Risa Domb, who died last year and who was my Hebrew teacher here in Cambridge, when I did my degree from 1988-1992.
Risa was an exceptional person. Israeli, born in Natanya by the sea, she married Dickie, an Englishman, and lived with him and their children between here and Israel for many years. She understood what it was like to live in '2 Landscapes' and I feel she is still with me now. Right at the start of The Little Sisters of Joy she gave me her support and encouragment, telling me not to be afraid of confrontation-sometimes it is necessary to get to resolution. She told me to persevere, despite any hostility I might encounter. Easier said than done, but I do try!
Since the New Year, my life has got a little more peaceful and I am looking ahead. I miss Alexia and my friends in Paris, but hopefully it won't be too long before we are reunited.
A bientot!
Shabbat Shalom!
Sister Gila
Saturday 12 January 2008
Sparks of Joy
My dear Friends
It's Saturday evening and I have just been speaking to my Catholic Friend Anne from Manchester. Manchester... We were just reflecting what an enormous Jewish community that wonderful city has. In certain neighbourhoods you can see the very Orthodox Jews, 'Black Hats' as they are known in Jewish circles, walking along the streets with their children on Shabbat, the Sabbath, going to the Synagogue.
Their colour scheme suggests a kind of glooominess, but in fact that is quite contrary to the tradition from which they came. In 17th Century Poland, when the poorer Jews were being discriminated against by the Jewish hierarchy, a group rose up and formed their own movement of Orthodox Jews - the Chassidim. Their leader was a Rabbi known by the beautiful name of 'Baal shem Tov', Master of the good name.
The Chassidim believed that there were Divine sparks everywhere, that prayer should be simple and joyful, and so went out into the fields to pray, much like St Francis of Assisi and his band had done before them. One of the strong themes of The Little Sisters of Joy is this link between the JOY of St Francis and the JOY of the Baal Shem Tov. In the writings of the Chassidic Rabbis, there is a strong emphasis on unconditional love, which is reminiscent of some of the great mystical writers in the Christian tradition.
Some years ago, the headline in the Catholic newspaper The Tablet read:
'Let us pray like the Baal shem Tov!'
Simplicity, Joy and a sense of God in nature - surely we can all understand that?
As the Shabbat yields to the Day of Resurrection, I wish you all a peaceful and joyful week, lit up by those sparks which were so central to the life and prayer of the Chassidim.
Shalom from
Sister Gila
It's Saturday evening and I have just been speaking to my Catholic Friend Anne from Manchester. Manchester... We were just reflecting what an enormous Jewish community that wonderful city has. In certain neighbourhoods you can see the very Orthodox Jews, 'Black Hats' as they are known in Jewish circles, walking along the streets with their children on Shabbat, the Sabbath, going to the Synagogue.
Their colour scheme suggests a kind of glooominess, but in fact that is quite contrary to the tradition from which they came. In 17th Century Poland, when the poorer Jews were being discriminated against by the Jewish hierarchy, a group rose up and formed their own movement of Orthodox Jews - the Chassidim. Their leader was a Rabbi known by the beautiful name of 'Baal shem Tov', Master of the good name.
The Chassidim believed that there were Divine sparks everywhere, that prayer should be simple and joyful, and so went out into the fields to pray, much like St Francis of Assisi and his band had done before them. One of the strong themes of The Little Sisters of Joy is this link between the JOY of St Francis and the JOY of the Baal Shem Tov. In the writings of the Chassidic Rabbis, there is a strong emphasis on unconditional love, which is reminiscent of some of the great mystical writers in the Christian tradition.
Some years ago, the headline in the Catholic newspaper The Tablet read:
'Let us pray like the Baal shem Tov!'
Simplicity, Joy and a sense of God in nature - surely we can all understand that?
As the Shabbat yields to the Day of Resurrection, I wish you all a peaceful and joyful week, lit up by those sparks which were so central to the life and prayer of the Chassidim.
Shalom from
Sister Gila
Tuesday 8 January 2008
Canadian tales
My dear Friends
I thought I must get cracking again after publishing the Christmas Newsletter-the response from round the world has been overwhelming! Thank you so much, The Little Sisters of Joy, thanks to modern technology, is beginning to feel more and more like one huge family!
I wanted to share with you something which is giving me so much pleasure and delight at the moment, while I am in the 'waiting zone' for Canada. When I tell some people about my plans, they open up and share with me some very beautiful experiences they have had in Canada over the years, usually on holiday, although one man worked for a while in native Canadian country and became familiar with their beautiful soapstone carvings.
Another friend said I must go to the 'Martyrs Shrine' - a place deep in the woods of Ontario, where some Jesuit priests had been killed some centureis ago and who are listed in the liturgical cycle of prayer in The Divine Office (collection of the Psalms as laid out for different days in the Catholic Church.) An elderly lady on the bus just this morning spoke of a week she would never forget in southern Ontario, miles from anywhere, where you hear the hoot hoot calls of those special birds(I forget the name) in the silence of the middle of the night.
I treasure these experiences: I know I will never get to all those places, but they are already forming a kind of memory bank in my own soul. It is all part of the preparation and is very exciting.
If any of you have your own memories of Canada or north America, do share them on the Blog or send an email.
For now, its getting late, I am in the Grad pad and have to make my way home...
Goodnight, Dreams of fine gold..
Sister Gila
I thought I must get cracking again after publishing the Christmas Newsletter-the response from round the world has been overwhelming! Thank you so much, The Little Sisters of Joy, thanks to modern technology, is beginning to feel more and more like one huge family!
I wanted to share with you something which is giving me so much pleasure and delight at the moment, while I am in the 'waiting zone' for Canada. When I tell some people about my plans, they open up and share with me some very beautiful experiences they have had in Canada over the years, usually on holiday, although one man worked for a while in native Canadian country and became familiar with their beautiful soapstone carvings.
Another friend said I must go to the 'Martyrs Shrine' - a place deep in the woods of Ontario, where some Jesuit priests had been killed some centureis ago and who are listed in the liturgical cycle of prayer in The Divine Office (collection of the Psalms as laid out for different days in the Catholic Church.) An elderly lady on the bus just this morning spoke of a week she would never forget in southern Ontario, miles from anywhere, where you hear the hoot hoot calls of those special birds(I forget the name) in the silence of the middle of the night.
I treasure these experiences: I know I will never get to all those places, but they are already forming a kind of memory bank in my own soul. It is all part of the preparation and is very exciting.
If any of you have your own memories of Canada or north America, do share them on the Blog or send an email.
For now, its getting late, I am in the Grad pad and have to make my way home...
Goodnight, Dreams of fine gold..
Sister Gila
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