Thursday and Friday

WEDNESDAY,  10.07.13

Trip out from very early  thisue morning to Jerusalem visited lots of sites (Temple Mount, West Wall, Via Dolorosa, etc.) with an excellent  guide, Alan.  Thankfully we went to the Jaffa Gate in a minibus but there was still a lot of walking but with much help from friends it was successfully accomplished and then the minibus took us home again.  Pictures will have to follow as I am writing this downstairs and my
camera is upstairs.  Beautiful views and so much history!    Still can't believe I'm here.

Much study again later in the day.

THURSDAY, 11.07.13

Classroom day today. preceded by another of Maureena's worship sessions which so set me up for the day. We had a free period after lunch so I walked with Kristen, Ann and Shelley to the end of the road where it joins to the main shopping street.   Had a wander in the sun, and got very hot then back for Hebrew.

Plans are in place for a visit to the Synagogue tomorrow, a Shabbat supper, and then Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the Galilee.   A variety of worship is planned by the Liturgy Committee.  Kirsten and I are doing an ecumenical renew of Baptismal Vows on the short on Sunday evening at 6.30 - really looking forward to that.  Celia has planned worship on the bus for Saturday morning and I've arranged for everyone to have a copy of John O'Donoghue's poem For the Traveller which my Prayer Guide gave to me last week.

More soon.
FRIDAY, 12.07.13

Today was the day!   Eve of Sabbath so after a long day's study we were off to the Synagogue.  Maureena
talked us through it all before we went inside.   It was quite a large synagogue with probably 150+ attending some of whom were visitors like ourselves.   Rabbi Levi, who will be coming to talk to us during the course, has such a lovely presence and a warm personality,  exuding love and welcome.   We were able to join in quite a lot, some of our Hebrew scholars more than the rest of us, but I managed to cope with most things by using the alliterations.

Then it was back to St Charles for a Shabbat meal.  Tonight we had a very special speaker, Eileen Schuller, who is one of the world's leading authorities on the Dead Sea scrolls and has written a whole collection of books on the subject as well as one Penguin book.   She has been in Jerusalem for some time but is returning to the States at the end of the month.   To have her with us was a real bonus.

Now I'm off to pack my overnight bag for three days at the Galilee - how can this possibly be happening to me?   We leave at 8 am and have quite a heavy schedule so I may not update for a day or two but hope to have some great photos and stories when I do.

Watch out for the next exciting post!