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
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
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
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
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
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
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
Thursday, 9 September 2010
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
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
Thursday, 2 September 2010
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
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
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