Where the Woods meet the Water

My dear Friends

Where the Woods meet the Water is the sequel to the first part of my autobiography, The Moving Swan, which was published in 2006. The title is the meaning of Toronto in one of the native Canadian languages. Toronto is a place which means a great deal to me-it was there that I made the final decision to come into the Catholic Church from the Jewish religion in which I had been brought up and which is lovingly described in The Moving Swan.

Where the Woods meet the Water is to be launched in Lucy Cavendish College in the University of Cambridge, where I studied Hebrew and a little Arabic from 1988 to 1992. The launch will take place on Sunday 19th October this year. The new book describes, in diary form, the unfolding of The Little Sisters of Joy, a Foundation for Prayer, Peace and Reconciliation, which I founded with the help of a friend on 7th March 1999 in Cambridge, UK.

Over the last 15 years my Associates and I have been building Bridges of Peace between Jews and Christians, Jews and Arabs, Muslims and Christians and Catholics, the Orthodox and Protestants. With the love of God at its heart, the Foundation recognises music and the other arts as very much part of that healing process. Over the last 11 years, I have given a series of Concerts for Peace and Reconciliation, sometimes with my fellow musicians, in College Chapels and other venues in Cambridge. As you know, I sing with my guitar songs of the 60's, Jewish music and traditional folk.

Where the Woods meet the Water also depicts my journeys through Europe and Canada, as I try to spread the message of Peace while meeting many diverse and interesting people. My three visits to Poland between 2001 and 2004 were particularly memorable. The book ends in 2009.

The book will be available from 20th October 2014 from Heffers Bookshop, Trinity Street, Cambridge, UK or by contacting me directly at

margogila61@gmail.com

The cost of the book is £10

The Moving Swan is available now from Amazon and other internet sites and Where the Woods meet the Water should be available on the internet sometime after the launch-unfortunately I can't say when.

Happy reading if you are interested!
Shalom from Gila

 

Book Launch

The beauty of Ramsgate in Kent

My dear Friends

Finally, after a long year of hard work, including getting my new little memoir ready, I went on a holiday.

You don't have to go far to enjoy yourself and get away and when I was I was a child my parents took me to the Synagogue in Ramsgate, which I never forgot. A great Italian gentleman, Sir Moses Montefiore, came to England in 1831 and settle din Ramsgate, on the South coast-famous for fish and smugglers! Sir Moses built an estate in the Italian style, with lovely grounds and an Italian greenhouse-my friend and I sat there surrounded by vines and concave Italian glass, on a hot summer's day. We could imagine the carriage with Queen Victoria coming up the driveway to visit her friend Sir Moses.

My guide, a local counsellor and very knowledgeable about his part of the world then drove me to Pegwell Bay, where St Augustine landed in about the 7th century to bring Christianity to the 'Angles' as the English were then known and to leave his mark over Kent and especially Canterbury, which I visited in 2011. Beside the bay is a huge cross, sculpted with beautiful figures, to mark where Augustine landed. When we arrived a local gentleman was leaning against it having his sandwiches.

Onto Sandwich and the home of the famous Earl and lunch in a very ancient pub, which reflects the history of the whole town. Unfortunately the market was just packing up for the day, but the adjacent Guildhall was impressive and so were the little shops. The Church of England has preserved two magnificent mediaeval churches and standing inside nearly took my breath away. Every where the gardens were full of flowers.

You know how much I just love talking to people;I met many locals especially in Ramsgate, where I discovered a small café perched on something known as the Kent Steps. Walking down every day from the guesthouse to the town was a joy, as I had to pass the sea-on this particular holiday I didn't go down to the sands, but contented myself with watching sea change colour at different times of day.I ate wonderful meals-salmon to ide for in a small and simple restaurant owned by Turkish Cypriots. Near the gardens overlooking the sea there was even a Tai restaurant recently opened and run by a young couple from Tailand.

In Broadstairs, where Charles Dickens lived, I had one or two interesting and unusual experiences, and returned from my holiday with the strong feeling that one day I would return.

Shalom, Peace and blessing
Gila

Silver birch trees

My dear Friends

Silver birch trees have been a theme in my life ever since 1999, when we planted a silver birch tree in my landlady's garden in Cambridge, to commemorate the birth of The Little Sisters of Joy. When I moved over the river in 2003, I planted a birch the following year in my garden. .Sadly I had to remove it last year, as it grew too big for its surroundings, but I feel the spirit of the tree is still there.

The Native Canadians revere the silver birch and used the bark to make their canoes.And the Canadians sing of 'the land of the beaver and the birch.'  Strangely enough, there is an avenue of birches alongside the Criminology Faculty in the University of Toronto, and the the University here in Cambridge, England have planted an avenue of birches beside the Criminology Faculty here.

They stand near the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern studies, where I did my degree in Hebrew (taking some classes in Arabic as well) and from time to time I go and sit there, taking shelter in the shade of these beautiful trees. It is easy to dream of Peace here and for me these mysterious trees, also revered in Russia, where my grandparents came from, are a symbol of Peace.

'I will hear what God has to say-a voice that speaks of Peace. Peace for His people and His friends and for those who turn to Him in their hearts.' Psalm 85

All we can do at the moment, with the terrible events going on in the world, is stand back and pray, or think of Peace.

Shalom, Salaam
Gila  

Crossing the bridge

Very dear Friends

You have heard me speak of the Regent Hotel many times. This morning I left home and was going to have a scrambled egg across the street from the hotel, which is near the big Church, but I decided to go to my favourite place for their nice breakfast after all.

And how glad I was that I did! I spotted what I thought were two Americans(the lady was speaking with a transatlantic accent) and then she turned to me and said they were Canadians! So I crossed the short distance and threw my arms round her in a bear hug-being from Canada she didn't mind at all.

Not only were they from Canada, but they were from London Ontario, near Cambridge Ontario-the first place I went to in eastern Canada and just before I discovered Toronto itself. We had a long talk, her daughter arrived-she is a teacher of religion near Cambridge-and the parents said they would come to the book launch in Toronto next September and bring a friend who is a Catholic Priest!

As my new book is about the continuation of my journey in the Church and my attempts to found a religious community this is a wonderful thing. But I am happy that the book also contains small cameos of some of my closest friends, some still walking with me and some elsewhere now.

It is a great privilege to produce a book. And to have control every step of the way. I have worked closely with Victoire Press in Bar hill, near Cambridge and Tony, the Director and Bobbie in the studio who has worked on all the flow of the text, the cover and the photos have been absolutely amazing, yielding to my every whim! the cover will eventually go on my website.

www.ourchurch.com/member/s/sistersofjoy

I am trying to take some rest before the presses finally roll and we have beautiful weather here in Cambridge. Tomorrow I am off to Ely for some real recreation and to go to a service of the hymns of Sue Gilmaurray, who sang with me last November in Robinson college.

Until the next time
Shabbat shalom
Gila

Lucy Cavendish College

My dear Friends

In 1992 I had the privilege of graduating in Hebrew from the University of Cambridge. It took me four years and was hard work but worth it in the end.

Cambridge is a collegiate system and the college which had accepted me was Lucy Cavendish, a small college fro mature women students which had been founded only thirty years previously. This choice of college was to prove a bonus and a blessing for many reasons.

I was thirty seven when I started studying again-Lucy takes women from age 21 until you are in your nineties! So I felt completely supported and surrounded by like-minded women from all different backgrounds. My fellow students were studying law, Chinese, Japanese and many other subjects.

I was blessed with two Directors of Studies-the late Carmen Blacker, whose subject was Japanese and Michael Loewe, a scholar in Chinese from a distinguished Jewish background.

It is the sense of community which is exceptional in Lucy Cavendish. Going to lunch is a very pleasant experience and you can meet all kinds of people. I still go there after all these years, and occasionally go to formal hall and take a guest.

Dr Renfrew was appointed as my personal tutor in the early days and she is still a friend and a mentor. Lucy is the kind of place where you make friends for life.

On the date of the publication of my new book Where the Woods meet the Water , the continuation of my life story and covering the years between 1999 and 2009, I am giving a little launch. What better place than Lucy Cavendish? I will sing and speak in the old dining hall to a gathering of friends.

The place will remind me of many happy memories and hopefully inspire me. I am happily working towards this day, in a few months time.

Talk to you soon, have a great summer
Shalom from Gila

The Sabbath

My dear Friends

Lovely to talk to you again. Today in my childhood I would have celebrated the Sabbath-a day in the Jewish calendar of complete rest. We were taken as children to the synagogue, where we prayed and sang and as a child , very small ,my father would tuck in me in to his box, where only the men were, to be beside him in the liturgy which I loved.

My father was asked to participate a lot and sing the portion of the prophets which followed the reading of the Law or Torah.

After the lovely service, we went home and a nice lunch-usually chicken soup, and rested for the rest of the day. My mother and I were rather unusual. in that we listened to the radio in different rooms and compared notes.

It is a day for listening to the voice of the Creator in a special way and to be together as a family, so round the table for afternoon tea we had friends and visitors.