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
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Friday, 3 December 2010
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
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
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
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
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
Thursday, 18 November 2010
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
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
Saturday, 6 November 2010
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
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
Thursday, 28 October 2010
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
'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
Thursday, 21 October 2010
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
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
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