'The harvest of righteousness shall be sown in peace

by those who make peace.' (Letter of St James)

Friends of The Little Sisters of Joy

an ecumenical foundation

of

Prayer, Peace and Reconciliation

Newsletter no 9

Christmas 2007

‘Adam lay y-bounden
Bounden in a bond;
Four thousand winter
Thought he not too long;
And all was for an apple,
An apple that he took,
As clerkes finden written
In theire book.
Ne had the apple taken been,
The apple taken been,
Ne hadde never Our Lady
A been heaven’s queen.
Blessed be the time
That apple taken was!
Therefore we may singen
‘Deo Gracias!’

My dear Friends

I awoke at 6am wondering where to find the inspiration for this Newsletter. Turning on the radio, I heard the above ancient anonymous carol being sung by the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir, conducted by John Rutter! It contains the whole theology of Christmas and the incarnation of Christ, through the Virgin Mary. It succinctly links the Old and New Testaments, in stating that it was through Adam’s choice of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and so contravening God’s will, that Christ came to save us.

From an historical point of view, clearly stated in the genealogy at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, the Messiah is rooted in his Jewish heritage, as is Joseph, his ‘foster’ father. The story of the birth of Christ is both particular and universal at the same time.

It has to be from this standpoint that the business of Jewish-Christian reconciliation begins. For too long the theology has tended to be black and white; in reality, and with the experience and hindsight of my own life, lived first as an Orthodox Jew and in the last 18 years as a Jewish Christian, it is much more nuanced.

With the great Feasts of Light of Chanukah, the Winter Solstice and Christmas converging, we must ask ourselves what are the underlying human factors that we share, which can lead us to Peace. We are all on a journey of linear time, pierced at any moment by eternal time, endless and boundless. We can only ever see eternity in the moment, however we express it, by LOVE. At this momentous time of Christmas, when all human history converges on one tiny point, the birth of Christ, we are at the intersection of the past, the present and the future. It is a good time to assess our own lives, before leaping into the unknown of the New Year.

In 1989 I was in Amsterdam, to bring in the New year with my friend Chava. She was playing the piano, her mother was in the room and her grandmother was upstairs. Outside in the street they began to light bonfires. I was thinking of a very close friend and, as we went outside, I could feel the year actually ‘turn.’ There was a haze from the fires in the distance and we could have been anywhere…

2007 has been a year of great journeys for me. (Documented on the Blog.) Toronto last March, Hungary in August, Paris and Provence in September and Paris again this month. It has also been a time of personal healing and the realisation that, like the farmer tending his crops and waiting for the Spring and Autumn rains, we must be patient. Patient for reconciliation.

A new life beckons. While I am waiting to make the final leap, I have arranged to give another Concert for Peace and Reconciliation, on February 16th 2008 in the Lee Hall in Wolfson College. Praying as I sing, with the audience singing with me, we will be asking for the healing of the world. Come and join us!

In the deep Joy of the Lord is your stronghold!

Shalom, and Shalom again now and in 2008

Sister Gila sistergila@hotmail.com

After Paris-before Newsletter

My dear Friends

All being well, I will publish the Newsletter from the Arbury local library on Monday morning, Christmas eve. Just to let you know that Paris was absolutely wonderful. Bitterly cold, they call it over there 'un rude hiver'. There is no exact translation in English, we could say 'a crude, bitter, cruel winter.' Nonetheless, one Parisien lady said it was good for them, as it had been a long time since it had been so cold, and to me it was actually purifying, like the snow which didn't come, because it was too cold.

Alexia was in good form, a bit tired as she is having to work long days in her new enterpirse. But we spent the evenings together and all weekend. Her parents joined us as we walked along the shops in Bercy-a rather unusual and posh neighbourhood of interesting shops. As we walked, I noticed tram lines on the ground. Jean-Francois explained that the place was formerly a stockyard for wine, and his brother had worked there in the beginning. Quite a change to what it was now!

Alexia and I visited the Musee du Cluny - we were both staggered by the Tapestries of The Lady and the Unicorn, woven in the 14th Century.Incredibly beautiful and moving, there are 5 of them in a sequence. Alexia even more than me felt they were a unity. I saw parallels to the Song of Songs, and of course in the Christian tradition the Unicorn is associated with Christ. Eventually I told Alexia that I had to go-it was just too overpowering. So then I took her on a tour of the other mediaeval art, new to her, which I was able to explain a little.

The Musee de Cluny is virtually on the Boulevard San Michel. This is where much of the busking of my wild youth took place. As sson as we entered a cafe near the Sorbonne, I immediately remembered it from what was nearly 40 years ago! Now all of my memories are good and I am planning yet another trip-this time in May to 'pick the muguet'-the lily of the valley associated with Mary. Most French people probably don't know that but they take 1st May as a national holiday anyway!

So-I have found 'un petit coin' a little corner, en route to Toronto, where I feel happy and loved.

In advance, JOY peace and blessings for Christmas and New Year, Newsletter coming soon.

Love and shalom
Sister Gila

Between my birthday and Paris

My dear Friends

Yesterday was my 56th birthday, although people say I don't look a day over 30! I spent it quietly, in my favourite watering-hole, where the waiter brought me a specail bowl of tomato soup with herbs, basil and cream and bought me a soft drink. Then he said it wasn't a proper birthday without a cake, and two brownies, ice cream, cherries and a candle appeared from nowhere on my table!

It was a thoughtful day too, with Mass in the morning and a reading from Isaiah to herald the Messiah and containing the words most people recognise from the Oratorio, The Messiah by Handel: 'He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, and he shall gather the lambs in His arms.'In my former days of classical professional singing, I sang it many times with Benigna at the piano.

Hopefully by my next birthday I will be in Toronto, surrounded by Canadian geese. Meanwhile I am on my travels again, back to Paris to see Alexia again and stay in the little hotel in the middle of everything. I long to see the famous tapestries of The Lady and the Unicorn in the Musee de Cluny, wander round the Rue du Seine and the art galleries, and drink lots of coffee and a few brandies. Alexia will be at her work during the day, but in the evenings and at the weekend we will spend time together and catch up on the events that have happened in both our lives since we last saw each other in September.

In my job, there is always the unexpected, so there may be some threads of Peace and Reconciliation to follow up-actually the last 10 days have been particularly stressful so I hope I can do things gently and take any surprises in my stride.

Watching and waiting - these are the key words of Advent, in the countdown to the birth of Jesus, particular and cosmic at the same time. The birth of Jesus can actually take place at any time and anywhere in a person's life, Love stretching down a Divine Hand. May it happen to you and your loved ones in abundance.

Every blessing at this momentous time
Shalom from
Sister Gila

Music, music and more music

My dear Friends

After a well-deserved rest, I stepped out into the town of Cambridge again today. I had a feeling I should go to Ken Stevens, the well known music shop next door to one of the religious bookshops and down a kind of open alley where I busked some time ago. Didn't make much money then but a nice lady stood and listened right through to one of my Peace songs.

Wasn't quite prepared for what happened when iIwent through the door. Started singin 'Summertime' to find out if there was a 'middle' bit, then they gave me a guitar and I was away! The salesman, very nice guy, listened, then a man who said he was called Alan clapped and said he would come to the Concert for Peace and reconciliation I am holding on Feb 16th. alan was such a nice man and obviously was moved by my rendering of Summertime that I said I would dedicate it to him on the night.

The young guy behind the counter liked it too, and for sure I will sing it. Kinda expresses a yearning, bluesey, and introduces the theme of reconciliation between blackfolks and white folks.

I am on a roll. Moved away from there, and an hour later found myself in the market square. A group of Methodist students were singing carols, so I joined in and added my voice.

Am trying to keep some energy for the Carol concert in St Edmunds tonight, so will slow down and take easy-I hope to get quite good at it!

Have a good, take-it-easy weekend!
Love and shalom
Sister Gila

Reflections

Here in Cambridge the weather has been quite strange. Saturday was bitterly cold, almost like a Canadian winter. If it doesn't sound too arrogant, sometimes I feel God is arranging this weather to prepare me for the future! But Canada is a dry cold, and my skin felt more healthy when I was there last March.

My inner clock is speeding up for the eventual day when I arrive there for good. Little events are taking place, which are bringing me nearer, although it's also clear that I must live day by day and do what I can here while I am waiting.But my life seems to be coming together, and I feel one of the lucky ones. I go to see Alexia again in Paris from the 13th to 19th December, two days after my 56th birthday.

Age is a strange thing. At nearly 56 I feel better than ever, more alive and more fulfilled than in any other decade. Yes, I must say this is due to my faith, also being loved and taking care of myself, resting, eating what I like when I can, and being lucky enough not to have a fixed routine at the moment. Once I get to Toronto I will go back to 'normal' working for the first time in 10 years, getting a part-time job to pay the rent on the bachelor apartment I have in mind in the centre of the city. In the meantime, every day brings new surprises, and I guess that keeps you young!

On 16th february 2008 I am giving another Concert for Peace and Reconciliation, this time in a slightly different venue from the College Chapels where I have performed in the past. This one will be in the Lee Hall in Wolfson College. It is a beautiful hall, given by a Chinese benefactor, and situated in an English/Chinese garden. My repertoire will be the same mixed bag; Hebrew music, including Synagogue music, songs of the 60's and traditional folk.

The concert will be dedicated to the memory of Professor Risa Domb, who died just after my last concert last year. Risa was a close friend and my modern Hebrew teacher at Cambridge University. She was also one of the first supporters of The Little Sisters of Joy.

A friend will display some of her late husband's art on cards;Alec Pearson was a well-known artist and tapestry weaver, whose birthday was close to the date of my concert. I hope it will be an enjoyable event, as well as raising awareness for The Little Sisters of Joy.

Much to be done! I'm on a roll!
Shalom and blessing,
Sister Gila

Winter and Advent

My dear Friends

Here are some lines from a beautiful poem by George Herbert, the 17th Cenutry poet and Anglican priest:

'Who would have thought my heart would have recovered greenness?
It had gone quiet underground, like a mother root, full blown.'

This always reminds me of the coming of winter, and particularly Advent. Unknown to me at the time, when I was born into my Jewish family, my birthday would be in Advent! On 11th December, it usually falls in Chanukah too. So I was born in a particularly light-filled time.

The coming of Christ, buried in Mary's womb, is exciting and mysterious. We have to imagine what it was like all those years ago in Bethlehem, the shepherds in the fields to whom the Message was first made known. All the really cateclysmic events in life start in a hidden, humble way. I have time, in the warm solitude, to ponder these events and, as the years go by, to be more and more in awe of them. And intimate with them at the same time. Maybe I will share my thoughts with you as the weeks leading up to Christmas go by.

Until then, stay warm! Cambridge is bitterly cold and I have been spending my Shabbat mainly in bed with the heating on!

Shabbat Shalom!
Sister Gila

All Saints Day

Today, 1st november, is the Feast of All Saints. We honour those who have gone before us , those righteous ones who have made a special contribution to our humanity and who have been 'officially' remembered for it. It is a special liturgical day in the Church, but those we honour are from every religion, for many have died for their faith. One famous Rabbi was Rabbi Akibah, who was burned at the stake by the Romans.

There are also those men and women who have never known who God is, but who have done heroic deeds, or 'fed the hungry and clothed the naked' as Jesus said in the Gospel. And those who are especially dear are the countless hidden Saints, some of whom we may live next door to.

It always seems to me that on this day the very cosmos comes to greet us: here in Cambridge it has been a fantastic day, hot, blue sky, unusual for this time of year. But is it? If we can believe that those men and women we commemorate today are really 'looking down on us' it is perhaps not so surprising that today the universe is glowing with light.

Nine years ago, on all Saints, I was in Rome. Unknown to me, my Project was about to begin. I like to think I had the blessing of all the Saints who have found the heavenly Jerusalem to help me and The Little Sisters of Joy and the whole of humanity on their homeward journey too.

Happy Feast!
Sister Gila

Return from Paris

My dear Friends

I have been home from France exactly a month, and I still have a deep impression in my heart. For some years now I have been praying the psalms in French, as well as in Hebrew, and this, combined with a few lines every day of a novel, keeps my French alive. I was brought up to believe that you best learn a language, including a spoken one, by reading first-of course it is not a real substitute for talking to people, but it does give you an insight into the culture.

And there is the food! Been buying French cheeeses, jam and I brought some wonderful peppermint tea with pepper (actually tastes much lighter than the stuff over here) from Provence to make what the French call a Tissane. I didn't watch the rugby match recently, but I found someone else who supported France!

So I have become a real Francophile (devotee of everything French). To carry on this process and in order to visit Alexia and her family again, I found the cheapest rate on the new Eurostar from St Pancras (just a hop from Kings Cross where the Cambridge train gets in) and am going from December 13th to the 19th. One of my favourite times of the year, it was the time in 1989 I first went to Amsterdam and celebrated my first Christmas there as a new Christian in the Church.

Je vous embrasse (big hugs)
Sister Gila

Sacre Coeur

My dear Friends

In all my years of visiting Paris, I had never seen Sacre Coeur until this last visit. In my mind I had built up an image of it which was touristy, noisy and full of steps! Well the last was certainly ture, but, claiming a sore foot-from all the pilgrimaging!-I persuaded Alexia to come with me on the 'cable car' which still leaves quite a few steps to climb, so you feel you are doing the real thing.

At the foot was a carousel, at the top a breathtaking view over Paris. We sat on the steps and pondered and watched the tourists and non-tourists having a good time on the lawn below, picknicking and listening to the harpist, who was officially busking above. You could see all of Paris except for the Eiffel tower-to see it you had to go round a corner and peer quite closely into the sky. It was a fine day, no clouds and you could almost feel you were in heaven.

Inside, no cameras were allowed, which made a huge difference to Notre Dame. Prayer was going on all the time, and we found great solace in sitting in one of the Lady Chapels, where Our Mother poured out her grace on us, which very comforting. Unlike in Notre Dame there was a tribute to Cardinal Lustiger, who died recently. I had the privilege of meeting him, when The Little Sisters of Joy had just begun, in Jan 1999, and he was the Archbishop of Paris and a Jewish convert like me. It was a poignant meeting and I was delighted to see that the notice in Sacre Coeur read:'Notre Cardinal est mort'- our Cardinal is dead, making it very personal.

Afterwards we wandered down to Montmartre, the artist quarter and had a meal in a restaurant with red and white checked tablecloths. Then we had a tea in 'The Rose House,' a lovely cafe, which had been a meeting place for artists in former times. There we met a couple of charming English ladies from Manchester, who seemed to love Paris as much as I do.

It was very hard to leave Paris, and France, the next day. Fortunately I have found a cheap ticket on the Eurostar, and I am going back to Paris for 6 days on 13th December.

A bientot!
Sister Gila xxxx

In the JOY of the Lord is your stronghold

My dear Friends

The title of this piece is taken from the book of Nehemiah, in the Old Testament, Chapter 8, verse 10. It is a fitting motto for The Little Sisters of Joy, at whose heart is Jewish-Christian reconciliation. In this passage the Torah has been reconstituted by Ezra, the scribe and Nehemiah, who began the rebuilding of the !st Temple after its destruction in 587BC and the exile of the Jewish people into Babylon. They were not to return for 400 years, and many beautiful and haunting Psalms are said to date from this timne, lamenting their exile:

'By the waters of Babylon, there we sat and wept. We were asked to sing a Song of Zion by our captors-how can we do this in an alien land?'

'If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be cut off!'

Today is also the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating the journey through the desert to the Promised Land. It is a time when the Jewish people remember they were homeless and nomadic. The same theme is picked up in the New Testament in the book of Hebrews:

'There is no abiding city in this life.'

Strangely enough I find this quite comforting. We are all on a journey to our common Promised Land, where there will be no fighting, where we will be in our right relation to each other in a world of harmony and love.In a period of great unsettlement for me personally, I am beginning, with some difficutly, to see the wisdom of this teaching about the inconstancy of our lives here on earth. To use a French phrase: 'Plus ca change, plus ca reste...the more things change, the more they they stay the same.'

JOY!
Happy Feast!
Sister Gila

Continuation

My dear Friends


I am beginning to unwind from the last 2 journeys. In Pomeyrol I was able to share a little of my mission and ask them to pray for me. The prayer of everyone is the 'petrol' which keeps me going on my journeys. but the inner journey is the most important, and I felt the grace of being close to God and hopefully doing His will.

On the second evening, I was invited to an ecumenical prayer meeting in the old Protestant church of Arles, an extraordinary building with columns which dates back to the French Revolution. This meeting occurred on Kol Nidrei, the eve of Yom Kippur, the most solemn day in the Jewish religion, when people fast and pray, asking for Atonement for themselves and for the world.We sang in Hebrew, hinay ma tov uma naim, behold how good and pleasant a tribe of brothers living together. This is the psalm I always invite people at the end of my concerts for Peace and Reconciliation to sing with me.

At the end of this meeting with Christians of different denominations, I was able to describe what Yom Kippur means to the Jewish people, and point out that all of us present were praying in solidarity with them.

Arles is a beautiful town-I only saw it in the dark and would like to revisit it. I felt something very good happened that night, the fruits of which will hopefully ripple out in the future.

Shabbat Shalom
Sister Gila
(to be continued.)

Paris and St Etienne-du-Gres

My dear Friends

It 's 9 pm and I am exhausted, having only returned from my trip in the early evening. But it has been truly amazing, rich in experiences, all them of happy, I am delighted to say! It was a wonderful idea to take my guitar: I met a group of retired American ladies on the Eurostar, who asked me to play, and as the train set off, I already had my foot on the seat to balance the guitar and I was playing and singing! It was an incredible feeling of freedom and lightness and the trip continued that way.

We spent a lovely musical evening at Alexia's house, with her parents and neighbours, reminiscing with 'old' modern French songs by Jacques Brele and others. My bedroom overlooked the church in Villecresnes, and Alexia and I had a walk by the river close to the woods, which are abundant in that part of the world, about 30 minutes drive from Paris.

Going back to St Etienne-du-Gre in Provence, near Tarascon, was very moving for me. It was there, with the Sisters of Pomeyrol, that the grace happened in 1998 for The Little Sisters of Joy to be born. Retracing my steps, I remembered almost every detail of the landscape, quite a unique one, a kind of golden light everywhere, with cypress trees - Les Cypres.

The first night in the community I was quite cold in the middle of the night. In the morning I didn't want to get sick, so I took myself off to the bar in the village and had a coffee and a stiff brandy - this story went round the village, as I discovered when I went to the mass in the Catholic Church the following Sunday Sunday!

So much more to tell, but its getting late and I need to sleep so will finish tomorrow.
Sleep well, dormez bien
Sister Gila

Return from Hungary

My dear Friends

Coming home is always hard and I am only beginning to readjust. But in less than 10 days time I go on another trip. This time to Paris and the South of France. Alexia has invited me to visit her home in Villescresnes, on the outskirts of the city, and I do so with joy. I will also travel to the South, to a village in Provence called St-Etienne-du-Gres, which means St Stephen of the Sandstone. I stayed there with the Sisters of Pomeyrol nearly 9 years ago and this is where The Little Sisters of Joy started. I have always wanted to return...

I will make a retreat there, spending the few days praying and living very quietly, reflecting on all that happened in Hungary. And it will be very special, as it will be Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in the Jewish calendar, following on from Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It is the custom to fast, and I remember being very struck by the beauty and holiness on that day in my childhood, the Synagogue full, the music deeply moving, the men dressed in white.

The Jewish New Year (13 &14 Sep) is one of the main liturgical events in my life, even now, perhaps more so than ever. A time of new beginnings, soul-searching, apples and honey and penitential prayers. A time of renewal and reconciliation.

Please think of me as you come to the end of your summer-which I hope has been filled with many good things.

Happy New Year!
Sister Gila

Hungary

My dear Friends

I have now been here for over a week, and every day gets more and more fascinating. Today I discovered a little more about the Jewish community who used to live in my friend's town in the foothils, thirty minutes drive from Budapest. I visted the former Synagogue, with Hebrew writing still visible at the entrance, and the space where the ark was present with the Torah scrolls. I said a prayer in Hebrew.- Later, going to the local museum, I discovered that they were still holding services in 1964.

A couple of days ago, we visited Budapest for the day. Up high in a cafe overlooking the Danube, I danced to the gipsy music. The Hebraic melodies reminded me of my mother...I bought a hand made cloth and we went to the fountain, beside the national Museum, where we had an interesting conversation about Peace and Reconciliation with a friendly American couple. The museum was beautiful, the style of hungarian art dark but beautiful, representing many historical scenes from the past.

Unfortunately I don't have a digital camera, only an old fashioned one, so I can't produce any pictures...I hope my descriptions are graphic enough for you to use your imagination...

The goulas soup in the local restaurant today was something special'

One thing leads to another, and on 18th September I will make a trip to Paris to see Alexia. Meanwhile Tunde and I continue our holiday in her home town until I return next tuesday.

Be well and have a good weekend
Sister Gila

Shabbat shalom

My dear Friends

Once again, Shabbat Shalom! It is hard to believe that the Shabbat has come round again. It as about 6am, I am in my friend's flat having a holiday cum retreat while she is away.The sunrise is gorgeous, the window next to me overlooks the recreation ground and there are streaks of gold highlighting an otherwise pale blue sky. The heatwave promises to continue...

I said goodbye to the Israelis yesterday. They are returning to Israel on Sunday. I went to the shop and bought a special challah (braided loaf) for them so that they could bring in the Shabbat somewhere behind the Round church in Cambridge. I said to my special friend that I hope I would see them again one day in the Land...Meanwhile I pray that they are kept safe, along with everyone else in that troubled place.

So, for me, a time of the 4 R's - Rest, recreation , relaxation and renewal. I will go to mass and then chill out with a little reading and in the silence try to listen to 'the voice of eternity', where all our striving will cease and there will be an everlasting Shabbat.

Sister Gila

Hava nagila - let's rejoice!

My dear Friends

Something really beautiful happened yesterday.

On Thursday afternoon I was sure I heard some young people speaking in Hebrew. And yes! they were a group of students from all over Israel who are in Cambridge with their madricha (group leader). Somehow we got talking about the shabbat, the Sabbath celebration which always falls on a Friday evening. I suggested that I could buy the wine and the challah, the special braided bread, and would they like me to bring my guitar?

Yesterday at 5pm we all gathered for the celebration and we were able to use the green space with the silver brich trees where they have the local craft market - it is right on Trinity Street, opposite St John's. I had laid out the bread, covered with a Shabbat cloth, the wine and the candlesticks(in the end we forgot the candles but it was still broad daylight). One of the young men put a handkerchief on his head (as is the custom to cover your head) and recited the blessing over the wine. We drank. Then a young girl recited the blessing over the bread. It was a privilege to tear it off (with salt on it, it represents a welcome in many countries) and hand it round in chunks. We sang in the Shabbat bride with lecah dodi, likrat kala, come my Beloved, to meet the bride, let us welcome the face of the Sabbath...

By this time there was a wonderful atmosphere, and the cameras were clicking. Then it was time to sing again! I took up my guitar and we sang rousingly hinay ma tov uma naim (Psalm 133), Jerusalem of Gold, and many more. I gave them a rendering of Tsur Mishelo, one of the most beautiful Shabbat table hymns.

I had already told them I was a Christian. They had many questions but we were one, in the ushering in of the Sabbath. There, under the trees, in the open air, it could have been Jerusalem....

Shabbat Shalom
Sister Gila

community and foundation for Peace

My dear Friends

Here is a little more information about The Little Sisters of Joy. Founded by myself, with the help of a Friend, Maryvonne, in the South of France and Cambridge, England in 1998-1999, it started life as a women's religious community within the Church. The aim has always been Prayer, Peace and Reconciliation. and praise- as Maryvonne once said!

On the 1st December 2004, it took a new turn and, under the same name of The Little Sisters of Joy, has become also a foundation for Peace and Reconciliation. It embraces 600 Friends from, at the moment, 22 countries, most of whom I have just talked to 'along the way' in the last 8 years. They include Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and just about everyone from every religion and culture. Among those I treasure are the people who support us in Friendship with no formal beliefs, but with a strong desire for peace, for goodness springs from the divine source into the heart of every person. Others also support us in prayer.

The original vision remains, and soon I will on my way to set up a religious community for Peace and Reconciliation in Toronto. This is where God is calling me. One person will join me shortly after, and together we will eat and pray together, working alongside our fellow Canadians in the wider community, trying to live by the Rule of Life and Constitutions that I have written over the last years. The Archbisop of Toronto, His Grace Thomas Collins, whom I had the privilege of meeting last March, has said that he is happy for us to come and see how it develops.

I hope to get some Classical Hebrew students ; hopefully it should not be too difficult, as our community will be based in The Annexe, in the heart of the city and the university neighbourhood. And I am sure that I WILL SING ON THE STREET!

The question I am most often asked is:'When are you going?' At the moment only the One who created us knows the answer! This is a real test of my patience, but it will surely all be the more worthwhile when I get there. It may be Christmas, maybe next year,there is an appointed hour.

In the meantime I enjoy the hot summer in Cambridge, and rest up for my trip to Tunde in Hungary on 22nd August.

Love and Shalom
Sister Gila xx

community

My dear Friends

A milestone has been achieved: I have just completed my final exams in London, for the distance learning degree in Theology I have been pursuing for the last 6 years. It has been a formative experience in my life and training, and we have covered many topics: History, Christian anthropology, Revelation, Scripture, Moral theology and the Eucharist, to name but a few.

The Institute where I have been learning is called Maryvale. Literally the 'Vale of Mary' Cardinal John Henry Newman took this name for the house in Birmingham where he lived with his religious community, shortly after becoming a Catholic from the Anglican tradition. The house sits in a valley and Newman was rather attached to the virigin Mary! We have had the privilege of praying and studying (also a Rabbinic tradition) in the original chapel, at the top of which, at the end of a winding staircase, is the tiny chapel to the Sacred Heart.

But for me it has to be 'hands-on theology.' I mean that after every module, there was always some way in which I could apply my knowledge-people always have questions and they are seeking after truth. I have learned a lot about conflict in the course of the study and it has also deepened and enriched my faith. Humanly it could be difficult-many years ago I had a 'wild youth' and perhaps, as a result, I have a more comprehensive understanding of human nature than most. So I have had my battles, but I have come through.

God be praised! Here's to the next stage!
Love and Shalom
Sister Gila

My name is Sister Gila and you are my global family

My name is Sister Gila and right now I am living in 2 landscapes, Britain and Canada.