My dear Friends, this is proof of a wonderful Christmas with my friends. In the picture are Kanthi, Leonie, and Johan. James is not in this picture, as he is tucking into a whiskey cocktail. we enjoyed a nice Mass this morning and sang some corals, before a brisk walk home to a delicious meal Kanthi had prepared. James is in the picture below.

Blessings and Christmas reflection

My dear Friends

We are very lucky in this part of East Anglia as we have had very little snow. Some came down about a week ago and left the pavements and the roads very icy, so it is still treacherous to walk. Yesterday afternoon there was a small flurry but it soon petered out.

I wonder what it was like in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, on a cold winter's night, as the carol goes.Was it 'deep amid the winter snow' as the other carol goes? It must have been amazing as the Shechinah, the glory of God lit up the winter's sky above the shepherds and the manger. Let us hope that every birth at this time will contain the wonder of the miraculous birth of Jesus.

We think of the lonely, the unloved and the homeless at this time. I thank God for my little flat, given to me by the Council when I was made homeless in 2003. And for my little pussy cat, Thomas, who came out of the woods and made a beeline for me one evening when I was in my garden. He is a great companion but I wonder where he goes outside in the middle of the night: does he have a Friend to go dancing with??

Wherever you will be at this Christmas I wish you blessings, warmth and safe travel. I have no computer at home and all the libraries will be closed, so I am signing off until 4th January.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Sister Gila

The coming of the Christ child

My dear Friends

We are now in the 3rd week of Advent and we are eagerly anticipating the birth of the Christ child, the light of the world, coming to bring us out of darkness. It has been a time of watching and waiting, a time demanding patience and even endurance. It is a time of much joy and preparation, but there is even another meaning to all this.

For we are waiting for the Second Coming of Christ, as predicted in the Scriptures, the time when 'He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.' 'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' said Jesus, in other words the Beginning and the End. This thinking about the end time has its place in both Jewish and Christian eschatology-the Rabbis predicted the Messiah would come on the first night of Passover.

When Ely Wiesel, a French Jewish writer and survivor of the Holocaust was invited to speak to a group of American priests, he opened his remarks by saying 'We are all waiting for the same thing.' With all the violence in the 20th Century, some sources say that the 2nd coming is imminent. But we don't know exactly when this will be, only God knows. But let us hope that we may be ready and that we are found watching and waiting.

Shalom and many blessings
Sister Gila

Chanukah

My dear Friends

It is the time when the light is coming into the world with Christmas fast approaching. But the Jewish people also have a festival of light at this time - the Festival of Chanukah or Dedication. I remember it fondly from my childhood.
Around 164 BCE the Jews in Palestine were being tyrannised by the Greek kings, particularly King Antiochus. He tried to force them to force them to become pagans, eat the meat of the pig and lose their faith in the One God. The Greeks desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem and put up Greek statues.

Against this religious oppression rose up a Jew called Judah Maccabbee and a band of followers, called the Maccabees. They fought the Greeks and against all the odds, won and reclaimed the Temple and their faith in the monotheistic God of Abraham. They cleaned up the Temple, removed the statues and wanted to light the Menorah. However there was only enough oil for one day. Then God made a miracle and the oil lasted for eight days, until new oil was pressed and brought to the Temple. So, like Christmas, this is a festival of miracles and also a Festival of light. You can read the story in the Book of Maccabees in the Bible, in the part known as the Apocrypha.

There are many lovely customs associated with Chanukah. A candle is lit on the eight days of the Feast,with songs celebrating the triumph over oppression. There is interesting food-latkes-potato pancakes and also doughnuts and there is a game with a spinning top, called a 'dreidle.'

Handel the composer wrote an oratorio called Judas Maccabeus, with the famous chorus 'Hail, the conquering hero comes.'

Last night I relived my childhood and celebrated the 2nd night of Chanukah with my old friend Jane, we lit the candles and a feast of latkes and doughnuts.

Chag sameach! Happy Chanukah!
Sister Gila

Music for Peace (continued)

My dear Friends

The concert last Sunday was very exciting, with Hebrew, Arabic and Yiddish pieces. The Middle East Peace Orchestra turned out to be an ensemble of six musicians playing the oboe, the accordion, the oud, the bouzouki and the darbuka with the Egyptian singer Fatma Zidan. It was founded by the oboe player Henrik Goldschmidt, a Danish Jew. Sometimes there is a wider ensemble with musicians coming from Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.

The repertoire ranged from an Arab love song to a Yiddish song about bagels to a song which is a combination of an Arab love song, a Jewish tango and a Danish psalm. There were pieces about freedom and some dances. The audience responded by extended clapping in some of the pieces and loud applause at the end. Some of the music resembled Klezmer music.

Henrik Goldschmidt proved to be a remarkable oboeist and Fatma Zidan a gifted singer.Apart from teaching children music in Bethlehem, the ensemble performs in the streets, in hospitals and prisons and everywhere there is a need for a dialogue through music.

Very much after my own heart!

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Music for Peace

My dear Friends
Sorry I haven't written for a while, but things have been a bit hectic. I am going down to London on Sunday to the Cadogan Hall to a concert. You may remember that I went there recently to hear that marvellous concert on the 50th anniversary of the independence of Cyprus. This time it's a concert for Peace, given by The Middle East Orchestra for Peace.

I have no idea what they are playing, a friend kindly gave me the ticket but I will let you know after the concert.Music is one of the best ways of making peace, its a universal language, crossing all the divides and it lifts the spirit. When I do my concerts, the people all sing together, making a special resonance and I humbly say effecting Tikkun Haolam, a Rabbinical concept meaning 'fixing the world.'

Think of the great singers for peace in our time, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Tom Paxton, to name but a few. They may not have ended conflicts but it s huge statement in our troubled world.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

The great debate

My dear Friends
On Thursday I went to my first debate at the Cambridge Union. The motion was 'This house believes that Islam is a threat to the West.' I knew it would be controversial and emotional, but it has a bearing on my work of Peace and Reconciliation.

First to propose the motion was Stephen Gash, founder of the movement 'Stop the Islamification of Europe.' He spoke of the huge numbers of Muslims and implied that many were converted by the sword. He also talked about people being forced to eat halal meat.

First to oppose the motion was Idris Tawfiq, writer and broadcaster, a Muslim who is a former Catholic priest. He opened his remarks in Arabic and wished peace upon the gathering. He said the message of the Qur'an is peace.

Robert van't Hoff spoke next for the motion and he based his whole argument on the notion that the West is secular and Islam being a threat by nature of its being a religion.(Where do Judaism and Christianity fit in there, I wonder?)

Farah Jassat, the Islamic society treasurer, countered the secular claim and also made the point that the Arabs were responsible for developing mathematics, medecine and many other things.

Arrash Yassaee, proposing the motion, said it might be surprising for someone brought up as a devout Muslim, to be taking this stand but argued that political Islam was a threat to the West.

Abdullah Al-Andulosi was the last to defend the motion.

The whole thing was highly charged and made me realise how important it is to love each other and live together in peace.And to find the holiness in each other's religions.

Shalom/salaam
Sister Gila

Land of mists

My dear Friends

'Wherever you go, the mother is calling her child.' So goes a song about Wales. My trip to Swansea last weekend was a bit of a homecoming for me as it was in Wales in a monastery in 1987 that I first came to Christ.

I hadn't realised that Swansea would be so beautiful, all that sea and rolling hills. My friend and I spent several hours walking along the beaches, even in the rain! For Wales is notorious for wet weather.
Swansea was the home of Dylan Thomas and we visited the Dylan Thomas Centre, with an interesting exhibition about his life. Afterwards my friend gave me a book of his poetry which I look forward to reading.

It was lovely to see all those Welsh faces and to see the signs in Welsh and occasionally to hear Welsh spoken;my friend spoke it at school until the age of nine. In another life I would love to learn it.

We wandered into quite a few pubs and also visited an art gallery and I have come with many happy memories.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

The great debate

My dear Friends

Cambridge is a very interesting place. Apart from all the colleges, it houses the Cambridge Union, which has one of the great debating chambers in the world. All kinds of famous people go there . This week the debate is 'Is Israel a rogue house?'which promises to be controversial.I have just become a life member and so will enjoy many debates in the future.

There is also a lovely coffee shop and bar, where I have enjoyed many an afternoon.Upstairs is a beautiful library, which overlooks St John's College, and which has a large stock of paperbacks.

The Union is situated next to the Round Church, one of Cambridge's famous landmarks, so easy to get to in the town.I consider myself very lucky to live here.

Tomorrow I am going on a little holiday to Swansea to see an old friend. We hope to go walking on the Gower peninsula and I will keep you posted.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Talk on Sunday

My dear Friends

The talk on Sunday was a great success. Eight people came, all from different backgrounds, several Catholics and two people from the Reform Jewish community. Jonathan spoke on The Beginning of Jewish Christian Relations and it was very interesting. He spoke about the different Jewish factions in Galilee and Jerusalem in the first century AD and how this background sheds light on the New Testament .

He mentioned how the Pharisees were the 'nouveau riche' of the time and how the Temple had become corrupt.He mentioned the story of how Jesus overturned the tables of the moneylenders in the Temple.

There were various interesting questions afterwards and refreshments were served.It was a nice venue and thank you to Darwin College for hosting us.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Talk on Sunday

My dear Friends

It is always interesting to go back in history and see where things began. This coming Sunday Jonathan Gorsky will give a talk on 'The beginning of Jewish Christian relations.' Jonathan gave our very successful talk last year on 'Jewish Christian relations post the second world war.' He is a lecturer in Heythrop College in the University of London and helped devise a B.A. programme on the Abrahamic faiths. I believe he will speak about the first century, after the foundation of Christianity.

The lecture will take place in Newnham Terrace in Darwin College, which is a lovely venue.Let's hope the people flock along!

Shalom from
Sister Gila

A celebration of Cyprus

My dear Friends

On Tuesday I went to a concert to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the granting of Independence to Cyprus. The concert, in the Cadogan Hall, was given by the Oxford Philomusica under their Cypriot conductor Marios Papadopoulos.

It was a fine evening with 4 major pieces, the first being Schubert's Overture to 'Rosamunde Princess of Cyprus.' Then the Cypriot Sophie Sergi's 'Shall we Dance' a very colourful and vibrant piece. This was follwed by Christodolous Georgides' homage to Cyprus entitled 'Treasured Island' in 4 movements. Finally the orchestra played Dvorak's New World Symphony with great colour and vitality.

Heroine of the evening was Cyprus herself, who has had a colourful and turbulent history. Cyprus is the 3rd largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of its most popular tourist destinations. It joined the European Union on 1 May 2004.

The earliest known human activity on the island dates back to around the 10th millenium BC. As a strategic location in the Middle East Cyprus has been occupied by several major powers, among them the empires of the Hittites, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians and Ottomans. The island also experienced periods of Greek rule. It was placed under British administration in 1878 until it was granted independence in 1960.

In 1974, following 11 years of intercommunal violence and an attempted coup d'etat by Greek Cypriot nationalists, Turkey invaded and occupied the northern portion of the island. The intercommunal violence and subsequent Turkish invasion led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Cypriots and the establishment of a separate Turkish Cypriot political entity in the north.

But music is very unifying and there was a lovely peaceful atmosphere at the concert.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Sukkot

My dear Friends

September is the month for Jewish Festivals. Coming up hard on the heels of Yom Kippur is Succot, known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The word itself means 'booths' for the Festival commemorates the time when the Israelites dwelt in booths in the desert. This was a time of sojourneying and 'temporariness' before the people entered the land of Palestine.

It is customary for Jewish people these days to erect a booth or a succah in the garden of their homes and to spend some time in it to remind them of the days in the wilderness. The roof of the Succah is open to the sky, while decorated with branches and hanging fruits.Most appropriately in the Synagogue the book of Ecclesiastes is read, which is all about the transience of life.

It is an 8 day Festival, with some colourful ceremonies.A willow and myrtle branch, taken together with an 'etrog' which looks like a large lemon are waved to the 4 corners of the earth and carried round in procession. Then on the last day, Simchat Torah, the last portion of the Torah is read together with the beginning of Genesis, in a great outpouring of joy. This day means 'rejoicing of the Law' and there is dancing and waving of flags in the Synagogue.

One interpretation of Succot is that is was given to the Jews to help root them back into temporal time, after the mystical and dizzy heights of eternity on Yom Kippur.

Enjoy!
Shalom from
Sister Gila

The Jewish New Year

My dear Friends

Last Wednesday evening, Thursday and Friday was the Jewish New year, known as Rosh Hashanah. I celebrated it by saying some prayers , lighting the festival candles, drinking some kosher wine and eating apples and honey. This is a tradition to ensure you have a sweet New Year.

Rosh Hashanah is a penitential time, when the Jewish people ask for the forgiveness of their sins. It leads into the ten days of Penitence and then into Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.Yom Kipppur is a fast day, with strictly no food and no water.People spend all day in the Synagogue, fasting and praying.White is traditionally worn, as a sign of purity.There is a great feeling of grace working. There are several services, culminating in the Neilah service-Closure-the closing of the gates of repentance.

One tradition on Rosh Hashanah is to throw your sins in the river, in a symbolic gesture. The ceremony is called Tashlich and I always remember enjoying this as a child, when we would celebrate Rosh Hashanah in a Jewish hotel by the seaside.

Shana tova!
Happy New Year!
Sister Gila

9/11

My dear Friends

I am writing this 2 days ahead of time as I may not get to a computer on the actual day. Who can forget 9/11? It is embedded in our memories. I was still living with Benigna at the time, at Newton Road in Cambridge, where I lived for 16 years. It was hard to believe the reports as they came in. Thaat eveing a friend of ours, Natania came by. She was weeping as she gave me a bear hig at the door.She was concerned about the Jewish people in the twin towers but was really weeping in solidarity with the whole world. Afterwards we held a little service upstairs.

Benigna's daughter, Ruth was also with us.'There's always redemption,' she said wisely. As I knelt down to say my night prayer beside my bed that evening I suddenly remembered my friend Irene who was in New York. Something made me dial her number in Cambrdge and, miraculously, Irene answered. 'I got back from New York last night 'she said-a miracle indeed.

Retribution is never the answer. We are all thinking how misguided and utterly wrong for the pastor in America to even think of burning copies of the Koran, which can only be an incendiary gesture in so many ways. We must fuel the flames of peace, not hate.

On the Sunday after 9/11 our Parish priest preached a sermon. In it he said that there was a group of people at the foot of the twin towers and they were doing something but othere could not discern what. Going closer, they realised they were dancing.FOR THE PURE JOY OF LIVING.

Let us remember that as we commemorate this 9/11.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

The Cevennes

My dear Friends

On the next day my friends Andre and Marie Odile took me to the mountains where they have a lovely house. The house is situated in a village one hour's drive from NImes, also through lots of villages with the lovely plane trees.We arrived in the early afternoon. The mountains were tall and covered with trees. The village itself dates back to the 12th Century and there was a portico to prove it. The house nestles above a river, now sadly lacking in water because of the summer heat. There are several beautiful houses facing the one of Andre. This house belonged to his parents and he was raised there, so lots of happy memories. There is even a vine overshadowing the terrace and giving some badly wanted shade from the blistering sun.

That evening we dined on the terrace and a full moon rose above the mountains, making a really beautiful sight. We had walked a little way round the village and discovered it was on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella in spain-the famous shell of St James was embedded into one of the buildings. The steets were narrow, emerging into little squares now and then.

The next day we drove into the mountains, high up into a village where there was a 12th Century church. The stone was immaculate in this rounded building and we were able to discover a little of the history of the church from a tape playing inside. Services are still held there. The villages are mainly Catholic but in Andres village there is also a Protestant temple.

On our return to Nimes Andre took me to the coliseum, a very ancient building where they stilll have bullfights! And we made a brief tour of the city although there will be much to see when I hopefully make another trip next Spring.

So-lots of happy memories!
Shalom from
Sister Gila

Provence

My dear Friends

Unfortunately I didn't stay in France as long as I had hoped but I still had a wonderful time. Iarrived to slightly cloudy skies but the air was still warm. After having lunch with my friends in their lovely house in Nimes, they suggested a drive to the village of St-Etienne-du-Gres.It was nearby, in the community of The Sisters of Pomeyrol ,that the foundation of The Little Sisters of Joy took place in 1998.

So many happy memories-we sat in a cafe and watched the world go by as I reminisced. I remembered every detail of the village, especially the plane trees which are incredibly beautiful. And the lovely little shops all along the main street, as well as the Church on the corner.Then Andre suggested we drive to a rather grand Abbey, called Saint Michel de Frigolet. where several monks still live and work. The towers and stonework were rather fine, as were the two Churches in the grounds. They were rather austere, but with some lovely stained glass and of course deeply quiet. I lit a large candle and prayed. Afterwards we walked gently up and down the grounds, taking it all in.

To be continued!
Shalom
Sister Gila

Holiday

My dear Friends

I hope to be away from Monday 23rd August until Wednesday 1st September on my little holiday in Provence. See you on my return.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

a future holiday

My dear Friends

I met Andre at the Catholic church one Sunday after the service. He told me that was 63 and had come over to CAmbridge from France to study English at a language school. Very brave, as he hardly knew a word before he arrived!

In the course of our friendship I took him to Ely for the day and we sauntered round and looked at the Cathedral twice-he was very struck with it. We were having coffee afterwards when he issued an invitation to come to France to visit him and his family.

I knew nothing about Nimes, the town in Provence from which he comes. It was where denims originated-de Nimes-and is a beautiful town with Roman remains. Andre has a little summer house about an hour's drive from there which for sure he will take me too.

Beyond that I remain ignorant until 23rd August when I fly from Luton to Nimes to visit Andre. All I know is that the weather will be hot 35 -40 degrees and I must buy some summer clothes. The rest remains a lovely hidden experience and what I am sure will be an intersting holiday.

Catch you later!
shalom from
Sister Gila

A trip to the sea

My dear Friends

In the height of summer I had the chance to go on a coach trip to Great Yarmouth. It was run by Lifecraft, a place for people who have suffered from mental health problems. They normally run all sorts of activites, from a singing group to an art group to a women's group, which is the one I normally go to on a thursday afternoon.

It was raining on saturday but that didn't deter us as we piled onto the coach. It was a fairly long journey-2 hours-but we chatted happily and ate lots of sweets. We arived in Yarmouth about 1pm.
First we ate delicious fish and chips in a little restaurant and then basically strolled round for the afternoon, some of us looking at the shops for sandals and bags. I felt it was a pity we could not go on the horse and cart but it really was too expensive.

We split into 2 groups and I went with the group who wanted to see Seaworld, a huge attraction with all kinds of fish large and small and a group of delightful penguins who were having their feeding time which was amusing. It was quite surreal to see the sword fish, very beautiful, swimming round in their little tanks-apparently they are faithful creatures who mate for life. And they do a kind of dance in the water. big fish too - almost the size of sharks - swimming around. It was very instructive as well as entertaining.

Afterwards we wwent down to the sea and I paddle in the cold water- a very spiritual moment, as I remember praying by the sea in 1988 for my mother when I was on my way to becoming a Christian. Lovely to have the sand between my toes.

Then more coffee and a chat to a lady called Sue whom I had remet after meeting her some months ago when we were both in the hospital.the others had apparently gone to the Pleasure Beach and gone on some of the rides but I was not sorry to have missed out as the last time I got really dizzy on a ride called the Waltzer.

So home after another pleasurable day!

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Correction

For article below the Burka is the religious dress and the Niqab is the part which goes across the face, regardless of whether the eyes are covered or not. Sorry for the confusion.

Gila

To see or not to see

My dear Friends

Occasionally on a Thursday evening I drop into a pub on the South side of the city and join a group called Crosstalk-we have a meal and then bat around an issue which has been decided on for that week.

This past week the subject was the Birka and the Hijab-has France the right to try and ban them? The Burka is the long black dress which covers a Muslim woman completely apart from her eyes and the Hijab is the veil traditionally worn by Muslim women over their head and shoulders but not over their face. France has made a strong case for banning the use of these types of dress, but will Britain folow suit? And if so, why?

Not being able to see someone's face, some say, is scary, you don't know if you can trust them. Someone in our group said she thought the burka should be banned in places where the woman has to do business, the bank or the post office for example. And is it all a form of male oppression? Studies have revealed that the vast majority of women wearing the burka do it out of their own free will. One lady on a station was producing gurgling noises from under her burka and a lady on the station who heard it concluded that she was feeding her baby in privacy!

Perhaps even more daunting is the niqba, a form of dress where even the eyes don't show and the wearer sees through a form of gauze. Surely this is extreme? But Britain has a more tolerant attitude to all this and its unlikely they would impose a ban on Muslim dress.

I am sensitive to the issue of religious dress at the moment as I have just 'laid down' (given up ) my vows after 11 years. although I have the option of renewing in 6 months time. So I am not wearing my habit (which I only wore at home anyhow) at the moment. I still wish to be known as Sister Gila on the blog as the term 'Sister' is so much wider than just in the religious context and I am still working for The Little Sisters of Joy (possibly to be renamed The Little Sisterhood of Joy)These Muslim women feel that they are 'dressing up for God'-what do you think?

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Shakespeare

My dear Friends

It was a beautiful balmy evening, a few clouds in the sky but mainly blue patches. The perfect evening to view a Shakespeare play in the garden of one of the colleges, on this occasion Downing.The audience was quite full with people sitting on the grass in front of the 'stage.' Many had brought bottles of wine and things to eat; I had brought an umbrella and a blanket!

The play was one of his less popular ones Love's Labours Lost, a romantic comedy in which a group of men decide to be abstemious and not woo any ladies for 2 years. But temptation proves to get in the way and all kind of romantic entanglements ensue-typical Shakespeare.

The action was fast moving and the acting brilliant, with the garden proving the perfect setting for this delightful play. There was a lot of humour in the production too.

In the interval mulled wine was served and we chatted-a perfect night!

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Walsingham

My dear Friends

Walsingham is a beautiful spot tucked away in the Norfolk countryside and has been a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of years. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and you can really feel her presence when you are there.

I travelled by coach there last Sunday, with the SVP-the sick and the disabled- who make a pilgrimage every year. We bowled along in the hot sun until we reached the Catholic shrine, called the Chapel of Reconciliation, in the shape of a Norfolk barn. We were scheduled to have mass in the open air at 1.30.

Having two hours to spare,, I embarked along the Holy Mile, by a stream, to wend my way into the village of Walsingham itself, intending to find my old friend who is a nun, a Little Sister of Jesus. She lives in a little house with 2 other Sisters on the edge of the villlage. I duly found her and had a spot of lunch with her while we caught up on the latest news. It had been a long walk to her house, but I rested a little inside.

After our meetin, I steeled myself for the long walk back but was fortunate enough to hitch a ride with a local priest going to the Mass. And the Mass itself was lovely, containg a part where the sick (and anyone who wanted to ) could be anointed and receive the peace of Christ. I am alwasy very amused when umbrellas are held over the head of the priests giving out communion to shield them from the sun! And our bishop Michael celebrated the Mass, although he himself is suffering from cancer.

Afterwards there was another hour to wait before Benediction, a blessing over the holy sacrament with hyms and prayers. so I went into the little cafe and had another bite to eat before the final ceremonies. I met many nice people who had come from all over the country to attend the day.

After the Benediction we made our way by coach back to Cambridge and I chatted to Malcolm one of the parishioners and a talented amateur actor, so I had good company on the way home.

A very pleasant day!
Shalom from
Sister Gila

A touch of Slovenia

My dear Friends

Quite some time ago now I met a Slovenian priest, Fr Jose Cracovits.We became good friends. So I was delighted when he emailed me recently to say one of his colleagues was coming to Cambridge with her family.

And so I met Irena, Tomas, Jurij and David. Irena researches in literature at the university of Llubljana. Her subject is Slovenian literature as opposed to world literature and she has written a book on Ivan Cankar, a Slovenian writer and dramatist who was influenced by Dostoevsky as well as Shakespeare. Her husband Tomas is curator for one of the museums in Llubljana, specialising in medieval collections for which he is responsible.

They came to my little flat this morning with their 2 boys, David and Jurij, who ate a lot of cake! We talked widely of many things, including music-Irena used to be in a proefessional choir-and I gave them a rendering of several songs in Hebrew. Irena and I sang Hava Nagilah together which was very joyful.

At the end of their visit they invited me to Slovenia, to Llubljana next summer, to visit this beautiful city with its castle and river and also to travel round Slovenia and see the lovely lakes. I do hope to go.

Enjoy your weekend
Shalom from
Sister Gila

Jonah

My dear Friends

I thought I would write a little about Jonah today. Jonah had a mission to convert the people of Nineveh, but he was a reluctant prophet who ran away from his mission. He embarked on a long sea voyage in which there was a storm and the people thought they were dying. Jonah took this to mean that the wrath of God was against him and volunteered to jump into the sea to alleviate the storm. Once in the sea God arranged for him to be swallowed by a whale to preserve him.

Jonah was inside the whale for 3 days and 3 nights. He prayed fervently to God for all that time, a truly sublime prayer of repentance which God heard and saved him by having the fish spew Jonah out onto dry land. Jonah then decided to take up his mission and to preach to the people of Nineveh.

Can we ever escape from the hand of God? And if we truly have a mission can we ever turn our back on it? We would do well to heed Jonah's story. For it is in running away that we truly find ourselves, when God leads us gently back.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Benigna

My dear Friends

Last weekend I went to visit Benigna. Benigna is a sweet white haired 91 year old lady in whose house I lived for sixteen years. And what a beautiful house it is. 5 bedrooms and 3 reception rooms-a telly room, a dining room and an elegant drawing room complete with Blutner grand piano. Benigna still plays and has several pupils, and I remember all the music-making we used to do together, while she played and I sang.

Benigna is also very hospitable to all visitors, inviting the poor and the lonely into her lovely home. The house has an extended garden and at the bottom of the garden is a wooden hut which served as a chapel for The Little Sisters of Joy for a time. Indeed it was in Benigna's house that The Little Sisters of Joy officially began, on the 7th March 1999 in the upper room. Maryvonne le Goanvic and I got together and founded it and it has really grown, as youo know.

Sometimes now Benigna's memory is not what it once was and she needs reminding of people and places, but then she comes alive when the memories come back. Hundreds of people have passed through her house and been touched by it and there is a nice Indian family living there today-they look after Beninga and care for her.

So-happpy memories for me!
Shalom from
Sister Gila

Newsletter no 13

'The harvest of righteousness shall be sown in peace by those who make peace.' (St James)

FRIENDS OF THE LITTLE SISTERS OF JOY

An ecumenical foundation of prayer, peace and reconciliation

My dear Friends

Finally the long cold winter is over and everything has yielded to spring, with leaves and trees budding. The last 6 months has been a mixed time for me, after my return from that radiant trip to Ireland; my health has not been good and I have been suffering from nervous tension.

On the bright side though, there have been a few key events in the life of The Little Sisters of Joy. In January on Tu Bishvat, the Jewish New year for Trees, we held our annual celebration, this time to commemorate the 11th anniversary of The Little Sisters of Joy. It was held in the beautiful home of Kitty Stidworthy, one of our Associates and about 10 people were present. We all brought food and drink to share.After a little while, I gave an overview of the Foundation and its progress to date and then we all chatted happily. At the end, Kitty read out her translations from the Rusian poems of Tarkovsky, son of the filmaker and this was reallly moving. Kitty is a fine poet in her own right.

February/March saw the move into Lent, culminating in Holy Week. On the Monday of that week I co-hosted a Passover Seder at Sawston Parish Church, singing the Hebrew music of my childhood. About 45 people were ther from different churches, including the Anglicans and the people from the Free Church. Fr Dick Healy, from the large Catholic Church in Cambridge, was the co-celebrant and the 'Father' for the evening. while I was the 'Mother.' The ritual foods looked lovely on the table and the kosher wine was delicious.

The Seder dish with places for the Bitter Herbs, the shankbone of the lamb, the roasted egg, the haroseth and the green vegetables.

Last week I made a trip to Ware in Hertfordshire to see the Carmelite Sisters. Where is Ware? I can hear you say. Ware is halfway between Cambridge and London on the A10. The Carmel foundation dates back to Elijah the prophet and Mount Carmel in Israel. a A grouup of hermits gathered round the mountain and many years later the Carmelite Order was founded, being reformed later by St Teresa of Avila.

The monastery is on a hill, which is very Gospel based. I attended a lovely Mass, with a good priest, preaching a fine sermon about our vocation in life. This took place in the beautiful little chapel adjacent to the monastery. Afterwards I chatted at lenght with one of the Sisters who is my special friend and who entered in 1951, the year of my birth. We covered all aspects of my current life and then I had a lovely lunch, provided by the Sisters. A short walk followed, along the road which leads to a farm, before I returned to chat to my friend. Then I left to go back to Cambridge.

This week I was due to give a talk on my religious journey to a group of Anglicans, but adverse circumstances made it not possible to do so. Here are the first few lines of the talk:

'I was born in London in 1951 into an Orthodox Jewish family. My father took me to the Synagogue at a very early age and I loved it. I also loved the Sabbath and the Festivals. I went to a Jewish primary school until age 11 we moved to Glasgow.'

I have had a long and interesting journey and am now taking a bit of a Sabbatical. I hope to go to Provence in the summer and I wish you all happy journeys.

Shalom from

Sister Gila

sistergila@hotmail.com

www.ourchurch.com/member/s/sistersofjoy

Clare Priory

My dear Friends

I have just had a visit to Clare Priory, which is in Suffolk. This 750 year old monastic foundation is in the heart of the Suffolk countryside, near the villages of Cavendish and Long Melford, which boast very fine churches.

Clare Priory is a little comunity of four priests and 2 lay women living and praying together. They welcome guests of all denominations and you are free to 'do your own thing' without any set programme. I went to rest and to pray, and was given a lovely room in the guest house overlooking the garden.

The grounds are not extensive but are very pleasant, and there is a little rose garden which is particularly beautiful. I spent quite a lot of time sitting outside as the weather was mainly very sunny.

Prayers, if you want to participate in them, are three times a day before meals (which are delicious!) with Mass every day as well. This takes place in the Oratory in the main building which is finely decorated inside. In the grounds stands the Parish Church, a dark and contemplative place which is open all day.

The Priory is adjacent to the river and there are some lovely walks, although the family of swans seems to have disappeared for the moment. apparently there is an extensive family of ducklings which I unfortunately did not see, although I did the last time I visited. Apart from being by the river I wandered into the village of Clare close by and had a drink or two in the Bell Inn-the guiness was delicious!

Ivisited the majestic Parish Anglican Church, huge and quite bare inside. It spans both side of the road in the very centre of the village and is well worth a visit.

Last night a young woman from Northern Ireland arrived at the Priory and we had a long walk in the surrounding countryside;altogether a lovely peaceful time!

Shalom from
Sister Gila

The Cat Flap

My dear Friends
Have you ever done amy voluntry work? Volunteering is a good way to get to know people and to use your skills. In the past I have worked with the elderly and also in the Oxfam shop in Cambridge, although my skills with a till are not very good.I have also worked with the Women's Royal Voluntary Service in the local hospital, washing dishes and serving meals, a job which I quite enjoyed.

Now I am branching out into the world of cats, albeit at secondhand. There is a charity shop in Cambridge called The Cat Flap, selling all kinds of items and probably even something for cats! So as I have a beautiful pussy cat called Thomas I am giving it a go, maybe twice a week. It's a bus ride away, over the bridge in Mill Road in a bustling international neighbourhood so it will be fun. Wish me luck!

Shalom from
Sister Gila

My religious journey (Part 3)

In August 1999 I went to see my Bishop Peter Smith to tell him of my calling, of founding a religious community. He was very sympathetic and asked me to write a Rule of Life. I woke up the next day on the Feast of the Assumption and wrote 6 pages under the guidance of the Holy spirit. Constitutions followed over the next few years. David and I were divorced and annulled in the year 2000. But although I recruited as best i could, no-one has come to join me. I started an Association of Friends, sending them a Newsletter twice a year and now The Little Sisters of Joy is turning into a foundation for Peace and a registered charity.

This has come about in a rather unusual way. IN July 2004 I went to see my present Bishop, Michael Evans, about The LIttle Sisters of Joy.It was not altogether a fruitful meeting, but it was still something of a shock when he rejected the whole thing in a letter in November of that year. Carry on with the peace and reconciliation, he said but you have not suffered enough to found a religious community and yor gifts can be better used elsewhere. 4 days later, in the middle of the night, I felt moved to look for at a book of music. I went into my living room and my hand fell on the Canadian Book of Catholic Worship. All the hymns that I loved from all over the world were contained in that little book and I spent most of the night weeping. I felt that all the seminal moments in my life were coming together and fusing into one question from God: 'Will you go back to Toronto?' I slept again for a little while and at 8am went into my living romm where from the window I could see the first frost.

Later that day and all through the coming week, I felt that god was asking me to set up a Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation, based on the Friends I had gthered. I felt the presence of mary very strongly, while I was 'giving birth' to this Foundation.

At the turn of the year I decided to look into emigration to Canada. I decided I might as well go the whole way. At the same time I decided to make a trip to toronto. I stayed with the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blodd on Madison Avenue, a central location near the University, which I also explored. The Sisters' house was very nurturing and I made my daily excursions from there quite happily, enjoying the delights of this lovely city. I went to the local Churches and the Cathedral for Mass.

I made 2 subsequent visits to Toronto and on one occasion met the new Archbishop. tom Collins, who issued a welcome for me to bring a community over there. He listened to the last page of my Constitutions and said: 'They are beautiful, Gila, especially the part about hospitality.' I even found a building which I thought would be suitablee for a Motherhouse for The Little Sisters of Joy-the location was near to the place I was staying in, with Gary, a Jewish man and his wife EMiko.

On my 3rd visit I went to stay with my cousins near Calgary but on my return my illness reared its ugly head again and I landed in the psychiatric hospital, where I decided I could no longer emigrate after all. Sinsce then things have gone quiet and I patiently await God's will for the next step.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

My religious journey (Part 2)

At the end of the week things calmed down and I came into a kind of haven. But the road to baptism was not easy-it took until Easter 1989 until I was received into the Catholic Church.It was a glorious night at the Easter Vigil and I was baptised and confirmed and recieved Holy Communion in the peace which passeth all understanding.

In June 1989 I went back to Israel for the first time in 21 years. It was a momentous time. I made a retreat on the Mountain of Beatitudes with Sr Noboko of the Little Sisters of Jesus.

I also visted Neve Shalom/Wahaat al Salaam/ Oasis of Peace, a community of Jews and Palestinians living together in the Ayalon Valley. Each child learns Hebrew and Arabic in the School for Peace. The community was founded by Fr Bruno Hussar, a Catholic priest from an Egyptian Jewish background. HIs autobiography is called 'When the cloud lifts.' One day it lifted and God spoke and asked him to found a community of Jews and Palestinians living together. A tall order, but he started. At first only a few hippies came to help him and he said to the Lord: 'If you dont send a family of Jews and Palestinians within a week, I'm quitting!'But they came. Fr Bruno led me down to the Dumiyah, a building with a white shaped dome whose name means deep silence. As I stood inside facing Fr Bruno, I felt I had come home.

Later that year I met more of The Little Sisters of Jesus and felt it was my destiny to become one of them. But they finally rejected me in 1998. A month later I went to the Sisters of Pomeyrol in Provence. In the House of Silence I felt I received a call to found a new religious community of women. On my return to Paris I met Cardinal Lustiger and took a vow of celibacy before hime. Then I met Maryvonne le Goanvic and we officially founded The Little Sisters of Joy on the 7 March 1999 in the upper room of 22 Newton Road Cambridge. We hope to start the community in Israel, but Maryvonne told me the following year that she could not continue as she could not live the vow of poverty. I continued to live a normal consecrated life and returned to Israel for 3 months that spring. It was a marvellous time and I felt a reconciliation of opposites within my deepest being.

(To be continued)

Shalom from
Sister Gila

My religious journey (Part 1)

My dear Friends

I was born in London in 1951 into an Orthodox Jewish family. My father took me to the Synagogue at a very early age and I loved it. I also loved the Sabbath and the Festivals. I went to a Jewish primary school until at age 11 we moved to Glasgow. I went to Glasgow Universtity and stayed in a bed sit and one night had a dream about Christ. My friend took me to an evangelical Christian who almost converted me but I was rebelling against my family and it just wasn't the right moment.

In 1979 I had a massive nervous breakdown and when I was better I took singing lessons which brought me back to God. IN 1982 I moved to Cambridge to study music at the Technical College and at the same time returned to the Reform Jewish Synagogue, where I began to take servises and my faith deepened. I also married the pianist David Christophersen. In 1987 I wern to St Beuno's retreat Centre, North Wales, on a retreat of deepsilence. One day I rested above what I discovered to be the chapel and suddenly my heart leapt and I was flooded with joy.'Oh dear its Him again,' I said to my self and went to the prior to decide what to do.'This is a consloation and we leave it at that,' he said. But all the rest of the week I got to the heart of myself in prayer and discovered my true self.

Six months passed on my return to CAmbridge. I felt the need to go away again and was going to take a friend to Cromer but no-one could come with me. So I went alone. On my way home I was praying at the beach for my mother and suddenly St Beuno's was encapsulated in my mind and I was in that dimension that is pure God. Driving home I looked for a Church and found a little Saxon one on the right hand side. Going into the graveyard I knelt down and said 'Ok, I'll do anything you ask' and in the still small voice it was the Lord. IN that moment my life changed forever. All that week it was as if I was taken to heaven and back, different Catholic women popped in and out and I disovered they were Mother Julian of Norwich and Edith Stein who were helping me into this new life. Edith Stein was a GErma Jewess and philosopher who became a Carmelite nun and perished in the Holocaust.

In the middle of the wee I was at work and my colleague ased me if I had discovered the blue field of flowers behind the Institute.Going with her, Gerard Manley Hopkins' poem Heaven Haven flooded into my mind:

I have desir'd to go
where springs not fail
where flies no sharp and sided hail
and a few lilies blow.
And I have desir'd to be
where no storms come,
where the wind is in the havens dumb
and out of the swing of the sea.

And so I received a religious vocation.
(To be contd)

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Deanery talk

My dear Friends

I was due to give a talk on my religious journery to a group of Anglicans this week. Unfortunately adverse circumstances have made it not possible, but I will publish the text of what I was going to say on the Blog later this week.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

The Carmelites

My dear Friends

I have not been feeling too well lately, but thought it would do me good to go and see my friends in the Hertfordshire countryside. so last Thursday evening I hired a little car and set off on Friday morning.

Where is Ware? You may well ask. Ware is equidistant from Cambridge and London, on the A10 road.It is a very pleasant drive and I bowled along in my little new red car. One hour later I was on the hill and facing the monastery of my dear Carmelite Sisters.

Carmel takes its origins from Elijah and Mount Carmel in Israel. Many years ago a group of hermits gathered round the mountain and much later the Carmelite order was established, being reformed in the time of St Teresa of Avila. Carmel is an enclosed Order and the main activity of the nuns is to pray for the world, of which they have a good understanding. I attended Mass, at which there was a priest who gave some good preaching on our vocation in life. Then I went to talk to my friend, one of the Sisters, who entered in 1951, the year of my birth-I regard her as a mother figure. After we had chatted happily for some time I had lunch, then took a walk, afterwards returning to chat to my friend again.

The monastery is on a hill, with some delightful countryside round it, and one or two farms. so I enjoyed my day out and sped home in the little red car.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

The movies

My dear Friends
Despite the sunny weather (although there's a bitterly cold wind today) I have been getting some recreation by going to the movies. There's a very good cinema in Cambridge called The Arts Picturehouse, which shows some modern, if esoteric films. Shutter Island was a grim movie about an asylum on the island, which a police lieutenant goes to investigate and ends up as a patient in the institution.

Nightwatching was a much more gentle film about Rembrandt and his making of his famous painting The Night Watch, the original of which I have seen in the Ryks Museum in Amsterdam.

A Father and his children was about a filmaker whose operation goes bust; he commits suicide as a result and his family are left to pick up the pieces from his business. I am Love is a haunting Italian movie about a dynasty which has its tragedies, but the film is made with a great deal of sensitivity and creativity.

But I drew the line at Dogtooth, a really peculiar Greek film about a family (incestuous amongst other things) which doesn't leave their family home.

I generally go to all those movies with my friend James, who enjoys them as much as I do.

Happy watching
Shalom from
Sister Gila

An Orthodox weekend

My dear Friends

On Friday afternoon I jumped on a train and went up to Derby. My destination was a village 16 miles away called Hopton, where we were goiong to have a day's programme with members of the Orthodox Church. I travelled up with Fr Max Lavriotes, an Orthodox priest and good friend.

Our hostess, Vaila, met us at the station and drove us to her wonderful cottage in the Derbyshire countryside. Everywhere was in blossom and it was lovely to see the sheep in the fields. Vaila had another friend staying with her and around 9pm we all had a congenial dinner with wine. Her cottage is large and rambling and pretty old, full of Vaila's lovely things, with an old fashioned kitchen with an Aga cooker, on which she cooked some delicious vegetables to accompany our meal. I had an early night and woke to birdsong in the morning.

I took a walk along the reservoir and caught some of the lovely Derbyshire countryside. Around 11 the rest of the guests turned up for a talk by Fr Max on the unity of the church. He made the point about our common meeting point being our humanity rather than as individuals and members of different Churches, pointing out the part in the Creed where it says that Christ came 'for us men and our salvation.'

A lovely lunch followed and there were some really nice people there, some who had come from as far away as Scunthorpe. Soup, bread quiche and salad, wine if you wanted and great discussions. After lunch we returned to the lovely little drawing room where a gentleman gave a talk about St Catherine's monastery on Mount Sinai. Apparently some good roads have now been built up to it and the result is hordes of tourists with their buses, all attempting to climb Mount Sinai! The speaker discussed the icons in the monastery and showed us an example of one of Christ which was particularly beautiful.

After tea I relaxed and Vaila drove me to the train around 6pm-it had been a very interesting and enjoyable time.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Beauty spots

My dear Friends

What with Spring upon us, I thought I would describe some of the beauty spots in Cambridge. If you want an indoor one, there is the magnificent Kings College Chapel, with its high vaulted ceiling, highly decorated and started in the reign of Henry VIII. (to only be finished some 400 years or so later).

Diagonally across from Kings is Clare College, with its beautiful walkway to the river, through the old university courtyards.The river really opens out at this point, and on the other side of the bridge is a walk through a daffodil-studded path until you eventually get to the University library.

If you want something a little more secluded, try the garden of Little St Mary's Church in Little St Mary's Lane, on the other side of the river, near the Graduate Centre. Old trees shelter you and you are quite secluded from busy Cambridge.

The backs of the Colleges on Queens Road are quite magnificent; especially Kings Chapel seen from the back-an elderly friend of mine said it is more beautiful than the front and another friend burst into tears at the sight of it, she said it was so beautiful.

These are just a few of the delights of Cambridge, more later.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

New beginnings

My dear Friends

What with Spring here at last and everything beginning to bud, we can surely say it is a time of new beginnings. New beginnings can happen at any time of year, but its particularly appropriate at this time. So wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I wish you well.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Lag baomer

My dear Friends

On the second night of Passover, Jews begin 'counting the Omer,' the calendar which lasts from Passover to the Feast of Shavuot, the Jewish Pentecost. The calendar lasts for 49 days. The 33rd day is called Lag Baomer, lag having the numerical Hebrew value of 33. It is a highly significant day in the calendar as up till then it has been a penitential time and it is only on Lag Baomr that weddings and other celebrations are allowed.

High up in the Galilee, on Mount Meron, a bonfire is lit and from here bonfires are lit all over Israel to celebrate the Feast Day.Mount Meron, near Safed, is the traditional home of the Chasidim, and the seat of Jewish mysticism for over 1,000 years. I visited Safed in 1989 and was deeply struck by a special something in the air and the ancient Synagogues where people were searching for the deeper meaning of life.

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zachai, one of the famous Rabbis, apparently died on Lag Baomer and he said he wanted his death to be a celebration, not a case for sadness.

So towards this holy Feast
Shalom from
Sister Gila

Eastertide

My dear friends
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! I hope you had a good Easter, leading into Eastertide. The next 40 days are the time Jesus appeared to his disciples in Galilee, which is beautiful in the Spring. This time corresponds to the 40 days between the Jewish passover and the Feast of shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, when the Torah was given on Mount Sinai. So we closely parallel the Jewish tradition, in our lead up to Pentecost.

The coming of the Holy spirit at Pentecost is the culmination of the Resurrection and the Ascension and brings to an end this very Holy season which started with Lent.The disciples are enjoined to spread the Gospel to all nations and to the ends of the earth. We are able to walk the full road with Jesus in all the signposts of his life. I wish you a good journey!

Shalom from
Sister gila

Passover meal

My dear Friends

Just to tell you that the Passover meal, the Seder, took place at Sawston Parish Church last night. It coincided with the first night of the Passover for the Jewish people, so quite a grace.There were about 45 people present and I sat with Fr Dick, a priest from the large Catholic Church in Cambridge, and together we conducted the Seder.

It began with the lighting of the festival candles and there followed a reading of the account of the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. There were also the 4 questions that normally the children ask and I sing a lovely melody in Hebrew to start this off. 'Why is this night different from all other nights?' Because on this night we eat bitter herbs(to commemorate the bitterness our people experienced in Egypt) Because on this night we recline like free men. And so on.

We drank the 4 cups of wine of liberation and salvation and ate the unleavened bread, the Mazzoh, after having an explanation of the ritual foods eaten in the Passover and which are on the Passover plate: a roast shankbone to commemorate the lamb our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt the night before they fled, a roast egg also to commemorate the sacrifice, the bitter herbs and the salt water which reminds us of the tears the Israelites shed.

Then there was another beautiful melody on a passage which relates how many are our enemies but we have overcome:the Holy One, Blessed be He, has saved us from their hands.

After a shared meal, we sang Hallel psalms (as Jesus would have done in the Last Supper) and I accompanied the gathering on my guitar.We then opened the door for Elijah, the herald of the Messiah and the Passover was almost concluded. But we finished with a round of Shalom Chaverim, Shalom Chaverim, lehitraot shalom. Peace my friends, until we meet again, peace my friends.

It was a moving occasion and an opportunity for Christians to participate in their Jewish heritage and to enter into the mystical experience of being slaves in Egypt and being liberated. Several Churches were represented: the Free church, the Anglicans and the Catholics, so it was truly an ecumenical Seder.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Annunciation

My dear Friends

Today, 25 March, is the Feast of the Annunciation. What is it? It commemorates the meeting of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, to announce the Good News that she was to bear a child and would call him Jesus, the Saviour. Obviously Mary was a little incredulous and wondering how this would come about, never having been with a man, but the angel explains all.

He describes how the Trinity will bring this about, with the Power of the Most High resting upon upon her and overshadowing her and the presence of the Holy spirit creating this child in her. O wondrous event! Mary is to be the Second Eve, through whom salvation is to come into the world.

This is the day, 21 years ago, that I was baptised into the Catholic Church. It took place in Newmarket, during the course of the Easter Vigil, the service on the Saturday night which precedes Easter Sunday. A bonfire is lit outside the church to commemorate the creation and candles are lit inside the Church for the people to hold during the first reading. There are 9 readings, from Genesis and Exodus and the parting of the Red Sea to and Isaiah and finally the Gospel on the Resurrection, the light coming into the world.

I was also given the sacrament of confirmation and the sacrament of the Eucharist, in which I felt the 'peace which passeth all understanding.' It was a wonderful night and rounded off by a performance of folk music by two people from the village in which I was staying.

Here's to the next 21 years!
Shalom from
Sister Gila

Cancellation

My dear Friends

Unfortunately the musical event at Starbucks had to be cancelled. Starbucks claimed the venue was now not available. But it has been good fun, practising with my friend and I have gained some new reperotire. Till the next time!

Spring has hit Cambridge in a big way and the daffodils are all out. It's a joy to walk in the street with the fresh breeze. I am typing this in the local library of Arbury Court, a place where the locals all meet and hang out. There's a chip shop, vegetable shop, supermarket and chemists and one or two benches under trees where we can sit. The guy in this library was very helpful about putting the Newsletter on the Bog with the pictures, so I am grateful for that.Often I dive into town in the mornings so forget about this handy space.

More next time!
Shalom from
Sister Gila

Music at Starbucks

My dear Friends
Saturday March 27th is the date I am planning to sing in Starbucks. the performance will take place in Starbucks in Market Street from 6.30pm. It will be great to get another chance to do this and a friend has offered to come and sing with me, so I won't be alone.

We plan to do Blowing in the wind, Mr Tambourine Man and others together. I will sing most of it and my friend will play her guitar along. I am hoping that these and other songs will resonate with the audience-the whole thing should be quite informal as the people will be popping in and out during the course of the evening.

Then I plan to sing my Hebrew melodies-many and various. There is a beautiful setting of Psalm 23 and Psalm 126, sung as the grace after meals on the Sabbath, so it takes me right back to my childhood. Then there is Jerusalem of gold, composed during the 6 day war in Israel Palestine and now very famous as the kind of theme tune of Jerusalem. Also there is Eli, eli , my God, my God,a song about the transcendence of God which was composed by a lady called Hannah Senesh.She was a Hungarian woman who became a fighter pilot in World War II and who lost her life at the hands of the Nazis.

My friend will sing solo too, from her repertoire of busking, so let's hope for a good night!

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Buenas dias

My dear Friends

Last year I met Mercedes, a Spanish lady from Santiago de Compostella and she invited me there. this is supposed to be a very beautiful place and is famous for being a pilgrim route, following in the footsteps of St James. Near the mountains, you start the journey in Veselay (excuse spelling ) in France, some hundreds of kilometres away.

Mercedes gave me a few Spanish lessons and I thought I must continue,so every week on Monday nights I have been trekking to Hills Road sixth form College for an adult education evening class.We started off with twelve enthusiasts and are down to six, but the group is very varied. Gemma is going to South America for five months, which is very exciting. I think I am the only one in the group who has never been to Spain.

Learning a new language is always a challenge-I am lucky to already know French, German and Hebrew-but Spanish has its own delights.I am not passionate about the language but find it very interesting and want to continue. So when I am struggling between the derecha (right)and the izquierda (left)(or is it the other way round?) think of me!

Shalom from

Sister Gila

Spring

My dear Friends

You would be forgiven for thinking that Spring had come to Cambridge today, the sun is shining and the sky is blue. So I have just taken a trip to the Botanical Gardens with a very old friend, Sister Jane Phelan from the local convent of the Congregation of Jesus here in the south of Cambridge.

The gardens almost border the convent, anyway they are just a few yards away.What a joy! The aconites, peoonies and snowdrops are all out and there was a wonderful smell in the air from some flowering shrub as we went in. We made our way round the stream and pond and sat down under some enormous trees-Jane said one was a Cedar of Lebanon, another a fir. then we meandered round the shrubs to go to the cafe where we had a fine lunch of jacket potatoes, beans and cheeses.

After more chat and we had eaten our fill we entered the 'Dry Garden' also colourful in its way and sat in what was then some pretty warm sunshine, admiring the plants in their different reds and greens. Outside the garden was a water area with a display of plants from the Fens, this flat landscape in East Anglia which was drained to make Ely Cathedral amongst other things.

Are you experiencing any signs of Spring where you are?
I hope so
Shalom from
Sister Gila

Passover meal

My dear Friends

When I was a child I looked forward very much to the Jewish Passover, with the first two nights of the Seder meal. This meal is full of symbols and rituals and commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from their slavery in Egypt. It is called the Exodus.I believe it is still valuable today, both from the historical point of view and from the idea of liberating all peoples from bondage.

The evening takes place in the form of a meal,with all the ritual foods on the table as well. There are 4 cups of wine to celebrate the notion of slavery to redemption and the unleavend bread, which the Jews ate on their way out from Egypt as they were in a hurry and had no time for the bread to rise. Bitter herbs in the form of onion or parsley are also served in the course of the meal. Something called charoset signifies the bricks and mortar the Jews used when they were forced to build houses for the Pharoah.

All of this takes us back to ancient times, but because the ritual is in a way out of time and space it is very relevant for today. We enter mystically into the Seder meal until we ourselves have experienced a sort of liberation from bondage. Enhancing the liturgy are beautiful melodies which pierce the proceedings and again give a universal feel.

Are we justified in recreating these ancient times? Of course for the Jews it is a commandment, to observe the Passover until the end of time. Here in Cambridge we enact the Passover on the Monday of Holy Week,entering into the mystery of it all, and it is a wonderful way of getting Christians to understand their Jewish roots. I believe this participation is an essential way of promoting dialogue and understanding, and not only between Christians and Jews. Even in a mystical way, it is not until we experience something of slavery that we understand true freedom.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Ash Wednesday and Lent

My dear Friends

Today, following on from Shrove Tuesday (when you are 'shriven' or make a confession), is Ash Wednesday. Today is the solemn heralding of the beginning of Lent, when we are asked to come back to the Lord 'fasting and weeping' for the Lord is full of forgiveness.(Joel)). During the liturgy we have the imposition of ashes on our forehead to signify either that we 'repent and believe the Gospel' or that 'from dust you came and to dust you go.'

Lent comes from the German word for spring and it is a time when we look to break out of the dark days of winter and go forth to spring and Easter. It is a reflective time, when we examine our lives and reflect on our human condition. Ash Wednesday is traditionally a fast day in the Church.

We can look at Lent in another way, as a journey through the desert like our ancestors on our way to the Promised Land. Often we find oases in Lent to keep us going on our spiritual journey.It is a time of reconciliation, of man with God and of man with man, a time of healing.

Let us go forth on our journey in love and joy!
Shalom from
Sister Gila

The lurgie

My dear Friends

I have been suffering from the 'lurgie'-bad cold and a chesty cough. This has not been enhanced by the fact I am a smoker, about 12 a day at the present count. I started smoking when I was quite young, in my wild youth when I was 16, in France on Gauloise cigarettes, which some of you may know are quite strong.

I have had long periods without smoking: for instance when I took singing lessons in 1980 I didn't have a cigarette for 12 years, then started again when I had a nervous breakdown in 1991..

The fact that I am a singer and about to do another concert doesn't seem to deter me, I shove my head in the sand and think it will all go away! But the situation is getting quite serious and I am at risk of damaging my health.

I hesitated about publicising all this on the blog, but hope you will realise I am just human and maybe make some encouraging comments.

Shalom from
Sister Gila