Irene Lancaster's Diary

Chocolates at New Year

An organ concert of Bach, Elgar, Mahler and Widor will be held tonight at St. George's Anglican Cathedral, Jerusalem.

I've just received a reminder.

I would have like to have gone, particularly for the Elgar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Elgar

But will be rehearsing for our own concert at the Haifa Technion tonight at the same time.

Question is: if chocolates were handed out for the New Year at last Tuesday's Technion rehearsal, what excuse will they have tonight, I wonder?

http://www.demarquette.com/

'Anglicans choose Jerusalem for key June conference'

More on the Church of England Gobal Anglican Future Conference to be held in Jerusalem this June, before the Lambeth Conference, which is held in London.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1198517248310

The article cites Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, whose condemnation of the Church of England Synod vote to divest from companies in Israel may well have been one of the factors which has led to this decision to meet here before the London Lambeth Conference.

I remember Lord Carey, in February 2006, ringing me out of the blue and asking me to join his Foundation for Reconciliation in the Middle East, as well as (more difficult this) persuade the Chief Rabbi of the UK to speak out against the divestment call.

Recently the Chief Rabbi of the UK has written some sensible and overdue articles on the perilous situation of the Jewish community in the UK, as a result of the antisemitism which has been caused by decisions of various organs and institutions to demonize and/or boycott Israel. However, he has confined himself to the Jewish press.

I now look forward to a major article on this subject in the mainstream popular British media, as well as in his normal BBC Radio 4 Thought for the Day slot.

Meanwhile, it appears from the Jerusalem Post article that the Church of England clergy meeting here in Israel have publicly recognized that the threat to the Christian communities in the West Bank and Gaza come from Muslim extremism.

Many look forward to the so-called 'liberal' wing of the Church (represented by Lambeth and others) also publicly accepting this fact and condemning the situation for what it is. Anything else can only be called appeasement.

The 'liberal' wing of the Church of England may be interested in the words of the former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, David Rosen, who, in a recent letter to the Irish Times, stated that the present security barrier (who some liberals have likened to Buchenwald Concentration Camp) actually represents a

land relinquishment - something which I personally believe will be to the

ultimate benefit of both Israelis and Palestinians as it psychologically

prepares the way for the separation desired, ironically, by the majority of

both peoples, but prevented by violent extremists whom the Palestinian

leadership has been unable or unwilling to control.

Rabbi Rosen is one of the Israeli members of the Anglican-Jewish Commission, which I reported on here in an article entitled:

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=43222

It appears from the Jerusalem Post article that members of the Global Anglican Future Conference meeting here in June seem to have a better understanding of the Hebrew Bible than some, and no doubt also understand why half the world's Jewish population has now made its home in Israel.

Not 'land grab' at all then, but rightful inheritance, a bit like the Tibetans really.

My coat of many colours

One of the perks of doing voluntary educational work for the charity Hadassah-Israel, is that you get first choice of the nearly-new clothes that they sell at their spring bazaar.

Which is why I've now acquired, for the princely sum of 10 NIS, or just over 1 pound sterling, a fabulous mohair multi-coloured cardy-coat, with a blue lining.

As its says in a back copy of the Jerusalem Post:

Bundle up. When it's dark outside and your bedroom floor feels like the arctic, it's time to start adding the layers - in style... For the sweaters themselves, think the bigger the better, so they will swallow you whole and make you feel like you're still tucked under your covers in bed, a thought that can help any woman get up and get dressed, even when it's 6.am and 10 degrees C outside.

Actually, it's more like 5 degrees inside. You cover up to come in, not to go out. I was reminded of this over Shabbat, as I visited a friend's on Friday night, who had ordered in a catered Indian meal from Haifa's only Indian caterer. The mile walk was reasonably warm, if windy.

Then on Saturday, a kiddush was held in honour of my friend who has moved to Jerusalem after 35 years of living in Haifa. In her superb address, one of her friends talked about the role of women in this week's Bible portion, in which Moses is helped by 5 females, against the orders of Pharoah. One of these women is Pharoah's own daughter. In the Bible she isn't named, but is known in midrash as 'daughter of God'.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=17074

My friend had been one of the founders of the shul and had introduced the practice of having a weekly kiddush and offering hospitality. So that it wasn't just a place of prayer.

I went there in the coat, which was the object of much speculation and aroused great interest in the next Hadassah bazaar. All proceeds go to help women and children at risk, and also stem cell research at Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem.

Then, in the evening I attended an engagement party and heard another magnificent speech by a woman, the mother of the bride to be.

In this she said that there are two versions of the creation story. One of them is for kids, in which everything turns out OK, works according to pattern, and nothing ever goes wrong. The second is, like life itself, messy, unpredictable and confusing. That's the one for adults. An example of this - she said - is bringing up children.

If only Richard Dawkins had been there, as well as the creationists, for they are both wrong:

http://religionandatheism.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/richard-dawkins-vs-alister-mcgrath-debate/

Only problem was that I was dressed for Siberia and her flat was hot.

But let's just get back to the coat of many colours. Its story is the story of Joseph and his brothers - a tale of fear, jealousy, intrigue and betrayal. But it all comes out right in the end. After the mess comes recognition and repentance, love and harmony  - till the next time, at least.

This is a modern midrash on the whole story:

http://harrypottertorah.blogspot.com/2007/08/divine-hallows.html

And although I've had quite a few offers to buy the cardy/coat at a profit, I wouldn't dream of it. Because for me, the blue lining may really become a silver lining:

http://webpages.charter.net/mortickles/Songs/silver.htm

8 wishes for 2008

Just been sent this by a friend. Don't you just love it!

All fighting over a Jewish baby!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071227/wl_mideast_afp/mideastreligionunrestbethlehem

Meanwhile, one of my favourite blogs, Archbishop Cranmer (who has won so many awards, he probably doesn't know what to do with them) has asked five people to 'meme' their eight wishes for 2008. And, believe it or not, I am one of the 8.

So these are my 8 wishes for 2008

1) That I will be able to see more of my husband who is Europe’s first professor of Transpersonal Psychology, based at Liverpool John Moores University, and as such can’t come to Israel as often as I would like.

2) That Islam will revert to its intellectual greatness of the 9th to 12th centuries (especially in Spain and Persia) and start interpreting the Qu’ran metaphorically, as they used to, as well as develop a theology of diaspora, as others have learned to do.

3) That censorship and self-censorship will cease in the UK, so that Christmas is celebrated and Britain becomes proud once more of its Christian heritage, and that the country’s Muslim minority recognizes how lucky it is to live there.

4) That people bear in mind that there are only 12 million Jews in the world, 6 million of whom live in Israel, and that we aren’t a threat to anyone.

5) That people realize that 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust. That the survivors picked themselves up, brushed themselves off and determined to make a better life for themselves and their children, many of them in Israel.

6) That many of us wish the Palestinians well and hope that next time around they vote for an entity that doesn’t want to wipe us off the face of the earth.

7) That people come to visit Haifa, one of the world’s great success stories of harmonious living between creeds, religions, ethnic groups, nationalities and colours

8) That the Orthodox Jewish communities of the world make a point of opening up to their neighbours and not wait for others to fight their battles for them.

And these are Archbishop Cranmer's 8 wishes:

http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2007/12/eight-for-2008.html

And these are the 8 wishes of Ms Snuffleupagus, also cited by Cranmer:

http://tomisswithlove.blogspot.com/2007/12/eight-for-2008.html

Now, she sounds like a really serious teacher! Hope for Britain, yet.

Benzazir Bhutto wanted to normalize relations with Israel

Benazir Bhutto wanted to normalize relations between Pakistan and Israel:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1198517231264&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Benazir Bhutto is murdered in suicide bombing, whilst Christians in Gaza are treated as dhimmis

And while the Irish Times and others attack Israel in order to appease militant Islam, this is actually what goes on in the real Muslim world - perpetrated by people who espouse the 'religion of peace'.

---

Islamism has won in Pakistan...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=504732&in_page_id=1811&ct=5

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7161590.stm

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article624126.ece

Whilst this is the reality for Christians at Christmas in Gaza:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/019332.php

http://www.smac.org.au/blogs/vicar/2007/12/christmas-in-gaza-silence-of-bells.html

Irish Times gives a 'willfully false interpretation' of the facts on the ground in the Holy Land

This is a letter just sent by the former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Rabbi David Rosen to the Irish Times. Please note that in their biased and one-sided account of events in the Holy Land, they gave what Rabbi Rosen has called 'a willfully false interpretation'.

But Rabbi Rosen doesn't just leave it there. What he also does is to point out just how wrong-headed the article was at the outset, by providing the all-important historical context. He therefore transforms what was a hate diatribe from the Irish Times into a reasoned and nuanced explanation of the facts on the ground as they really are.

His is a piece In the best rabbinical tradition, and one of which Jesus would surely have approved!

"Dear Editor,

In your Opinion - Editorial of 24th of December 2007 referring to the

RTÉ program on the situation in the Holy Land, you associate me with the

claim that Israel's security barrier is a "land grab". I said nothing of the

sort. In fact in my opinion not only is that a willfully false

interpretation, it is not born out by the historic facts.

Those who remember the events during the second Intifada, will recall the

enormous Israeli public pressure to build such a barrier to protect them

against the carnage in Israel's cities wreaked by murderous Palestinian

suicide bombers. The proposal for this move in the Israeli Parliament was

actually made by the opposition Labour Party. The then Prime Minister Ariel

Sharon and his right wing government strongly resisted this call. Why ?

Precisely because they understood that any kind of demarcation line of the

western periphery of the West Bank would in effect lay down the line of an

eventual border between Israel and a Palestinian state and they did not want

to encourage  any such premature action , especially as there were and still

are those ( granted a minority - but a vociferous one) who believe that

control of the West Bank is essential for Israel's regional security.

It was only when the public pressure became too much to bear, that the then

government of Israel went ahead with building a security barrier. Thus if

anything, it would be more correct to describe the barrier as a land

relinquishment - something which I personally believe will be to the

ultimate benefit of both Israelis and Palestinians as it psychologically

prepares the way for the separation desired ironically by the majority of

both peoples, but prevented by violent extremists which the Palestinian

leadership has been unable or unwilling to control.

This is not to say that everything about the security barrier is acceptable

to me. I did say to Roisin Duffy and Felicity Heathcote that many of us are

unhappy with the route the wall takes specifically in Jerusalem and I

applauded the Israeli Supreme Court for its decisions changing the route of

the security barrier elsewhere to take the needs of Palestinian farmers into

consideration. Similar such petitions (mostly from Israeli organizations

(sic !) are still before the Courts.

Nevertheless the statistics are categorical - the wall has proved its

security value beyond doubt and Israel's first duty is to protect the lives

of its citizens.

Yours Sincerely,

David Rosen,

former Chief Rabbi of Ireland"

A Boxing Day tale of the clash of opposites and the production of joy

Yesterday, we carried on with the course on Judaism and the Meaning of Life. We discussed the meaning of Teshuva, or repentance, and the Jewish idea that Teshuva is so important that it actually preceded the creation of the world. Why is Teshuva so important? Because it provides us with the opportunity to transcend the strict order of things. It predates the creation of the world, because all creation has has parameters and is therefore limiting. True repentance goes beyond all the limits.

This is expressed in the midrash, Leviticus Rabbah, in the following way:

If a person repents, it is as if they had gone up to Jerusalem, built the Temple and the altar and offered on it all the sacrifices ordained in the Torah

What an amazing way of dealing with loss of one's home, religious symbolism and raison d'etre, which had been the experience of the Jews of Israel shortly before that piece was written. Which is why they allude to it. A lesson in that for other religions and peoples maybe, especially today.

Then there is the idea that God has built a 'door' between worlds. The question is how to operate that door. The mechanism involves study of (i.e., 'wrestling with') the Torah, prayer and Teshuva (which also means 'return' as well as repentance) by means of the hidden door to the higher world.

The one who is wise penetrates the ways of our world, realizes that wrongdoing brings about consequences that eventually rebound on the perpetrator, and finds that only through Teshuva can the cycle be broken.

With this in mind, the festival of Simchat Torah, which ends and also begins the yearly cycle is relevant. During this festival the first and last letters of the Torah, bet and lamed, are joined together and reversed to read the word lev - heart.

Like the heart, the Torah is a living organism which depends on renewal. Its end really is its beginning. Simchat Torah is also a time of great rejoicing - as its name implies: 'the Joy of the Wrestling with the Text'.

Some don't understand this at all. They separate religion and the rest of their lives. One of the most famous to object to Simchat Torah was the diarist, Samuel Pepys, who visited one of the first authorized synagogues after Cromwell allowed the Jews back to England. This was in the reign of Charles II, of course, as Pepys is most famous for his accounts of the Great Plague and the Great Fire, which took place during that King's reign. This is what Pepys had to say about Judaism's joyful festival:

But Lord, to see the disorder, laughing, sporting, and no attention, but confusion in all their service, more like Brutes than people knowing the true God, would make a man forswear ever seeing them more; and indeed, I never did see so much, or could have imagined there had been any religion in the whole world so absurdly performed as this.

You will see from accessing Pepy's Diary at random here

http://www.pepysdiary.com/

the entry for Christmas Day 1664, in which the great diarist attends the service at Church after giving his wife a black eye, and then on Boxing Day excuses her absence from visiting friends as being the result of her 'sickness'. No repentance there at all, it seems!

But, In its better moments, nevertheless, Christianity, Pepys' own religion, understands that joy is the key. The Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem spoke about joy at the St. George's Cathedral Christmas Concert for Peace last Saturday:

http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/12/christmas-conce.html

And then there's always this carol, written by the great Isaac Watts (who lived around the same time as Pepys), based on the Psalms of David, which he would have known in Hebrew:

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/o/joyworld.htm

Which brings me on to Latin at the University of Haifa. Having learned that canere means 'to sing', a whole welter of possibilities opens up. Apart from the obvious canary, the epitome of the singing bird, we have cantata as well as chant and the intriguing enchant.

What is the link between song and enchantment? No wonder that strictly Orthodox Jews have banned men from listening to female voices.

However, banning is not the answer. And here in Israel, the injunction seems to be overlooked. I don't know how we could possibly sing Borodin and Ramirez without male input. I used to belong to an all-female choir in Manchester, and always felt something was missing. Not just the sounds, but also the sense of completeness. It's the difference between prissy and pure. For purety you need wholeness and you can't obtain wholeness without embracing the entirety of life and the total clash of opposites.

And this, ultimately, is the teaching of Simchat Torah, Teshuva and the Torah itself.

Global Anglican Conference to be held in Israel and surrounding areas: June

I've been sent this bit of news about a trip that some other Bishops and clergy intend to make to Israel and surrounds in June next year.

There will be an article about this proposed visit in Friday's Jerusalem Post, so I shall have great pleasure in linking to it then.

Just to remind readers that the Bishop of Rochester has consistently warned against appeasement of Islam in Britain. He is also a Hebrew scholar and enjoys very good relations with the Jewish community of Rochester and especially with my father-in-law, Gabriel:

GLOBAL ANGLICAN FUTURE CONFERENCE IN HOLY LAND
ANNOUNCED BY ORTHODOX PRIMATES

Orthodox  Primates with other leading bishops from across the globe are to invite fellow Bishops, senior clergy and laity from every province of the Anglican Communion to a unique eight-day event, to be known as the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) 2008.

The event, which was agreed at a meeting of Primates in Nairobi last week, will be in the form of a pilgrimage back to the roots of the Church’s faith.  The Holy Land is the planned venue.  From 15-22 June 2008, Anglicans from both the Evangelical and Anglo-catholic wings of the church will make pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where Christ was born, ministered, died, rose again,  ascended into heaven, sent his Holy Spirit, and where the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out,  to strengthen them for what they believe will be difficult days ahead.

At the meeting were  Archbishops Peter Akinola (Nigeria), Henry Orombi (Uganda), Emmanuel Kolini (Rwanda), Benjamin Nzimbi (Kenya), Donald Mtetemela (Tanzania),  Peter Jensen (Sydney),  Nicholas Okoh (Nigeria); Bishop Don Harvey (Canada),  Bishop Bill Atwood (Kenya) representing Archbishop Greg Venables  (Southern Cone) ,  Bishop  Bob Duncan (Anglican Communion Network), Bishop
Martyn Minns (Convocation of Anglicans in North America ), Canon Dr Vinay Samuel  (India and England) and Canon Dr Chris Sugden (England). Bishops Michael Nazir-Ali (Rochester, England), Bishop Wallace Benn (Lewes, England) were consulted by telephone.   These leaders represent over 30 million of the 55 million active Anglicans in the world.

Southern Cone Primate Gregory Venables said: “While there are many calls for shared mission, it clearly must rise from common shared faith. Our pastoral responsibility to the people that we lead is now to provide the opportunity to come together around the central and unchanging tenets of the central and unchanging historic Anglican faith.  Rather than being subject to the continued chaos and compromise that have dramatically impeded Anglican mission, GAFCON will seek to clarify God’s call at this time and build a network of cooperation for Global mission.”

The gathering set in motion a Global Anglican Future Conference: A Gospel of Power and Transformation. The vision, according to Archbishop Nzimbi is to inform and inspire invited leaders  "to seek transformation in our own lives and help impact communities and societies through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”.   Bishops and their wives, clergy and laity, including the next generation of young leaders will attend GAFCON.  The GAFCON website is www.gafcon.org.

Canon Chris Sugden added: "While this conference is not a specific challenge to the Lambeth Conference, it will provide opportunities for fellowship and care for those who have decided not to attend Lambeth. There was no other place to meet at this critical time for the future of the Church than in the Holy Land .”
Ends.

For further details:
Paul Eddy (UK Press Officer) 44-(0) 7958 905716; Bishop Lawrence Dena (Kenya)  254-721-99-0236 and 254-202-714755; Russell Powell (Australia) 61-(0) 411-692499, 612 9265 1507; Ven. AkinTunde Popoola (Nigeria) 234-802-3420161; Peter Frank (USA) 1-724-777-3246;  Canon Dr Chris Sugden (UK) 44 (0) 1865 883388.

Editor’s Notes:

Frequently asked Questions

1. Who is sponsoring the Conference?
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) is being called by those who took part in the Nairobi Consultation:

Archbishops Peter Akinola (Nigeria), Henry Orombi (Uganda), Emmanuel Kolini (Rwanda), Benjamin Nzimbi (Kenya), Donald Mtetemela (Tanzania), Archbishop Peter Jensen (Sydney) Archbishop Nicholas Okoh (Nigeria). Bishop Don Harvey (Canada) and Bishop Bill Atwood (Kenya) who also represented Archbishop Greg Venables (Southern Cone).  Bishop Bob Duncan (Anglican Communion Network and Common Cause USA.), Bishop Martyn Minns (Convocation of Anglicans in North America), Canon Dr Vinay Samuel (India and England), Canon Dr Chris Sugden (England)
Bishop Michael Nazir Ali (Rochester, England)  and Bishop Wallace Benn (Lewes, England) were consulted and also form part of the Leadership Team.

These bishops and their colleagues represent over 30 million Anglicans out of the 55 million active Anglicans. ( Nigeria 18m , Uganda 8m Kenya 2.5m Rwanda 1 m Tanzania 1.3 m  plus Southern Cone, US, Sydney, England).   The notional total of the Communion is 77m. The active membership is nearer 55 m, since of the 26m notional members in CofE 3.7m attend at Christmas Services)

2. Whom do you expect to come?
We will be inviting bishops and their wives, senior clergy, church planters, and lay people including the next generation of young leaders. We aim to make it a Global Anglican Conference with its eye on the future and future leadership.

3.       Is this a Global South Initiative?
Not quite.  Many of the Primates at the Nairobi Consultation are in the Global South, but it also included Anglican leaders from parts of the world beyond the geographic Global South.

4. Why a pilgrimage?
We are looking to the future of the Global Anglican Communion, which is itself a pilgrimage.

Those who want to hold on to the Biblical and Historical faith need to come together to renew their faith and develop a fresh vision for our common mission. The way we have chosen to do this is to undertake a pilgrimage to a land whose heritage we all share, the land where Jesus Christ was born, ministered, died, rose again, ascended into heaven and sent his Holy Spirit, and where the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out. We believe this will strengthen us for the difficult days ahead.

The conference will outline the mission imperatives for the next 25 years for orthodox Anglicans. It is important therefore to reconnect with our roots in the biblical story.

5. Is not Israel/Palestine a controversial venue?
Israel/Palestine has been a place of conflict for decades.  That should not keep us from making pilgrimage to a land that is our common heritage. We want to bring fellowship and bear testimony to the Christian communities in Israel/Palestine. Those of us from Africa are no strangers to the pressure that Christian communities are put under from other religious groups and communities.

6. Why call it in June?
The pilgrimage is to strengthen bishops at a crucial time in the life of the Anglican Communion. Many bishops will not be able to accept the invitation to the Lambeth Conference as their consciences will not allow it. Some will attend both gatherings. The purpose of the consultation is to strengthen them all spiritually. 

7. Is it not really an alternative to the Lambeth Conference?
No.

It is not at the same time or in the same region as the Lambeth Conference. So there will be some who will attend both conferences and thus be able to consult with the Archbishop of Canterbury and others there.

As Archbishop Gregory Venables has said: “While there are many calls for shared mission, it clearly must rise from common shared faith. Our pastoral responsibility to the people we lead is now to provide the opportunity to come together around the central and unchanging tenets of the central and unchanging historic Anglican faith.  Rather than being subject to the continued chaos and compromise that have dramatically impeded Anglican mission, GAFCON will seek to clarify God’s call at this time and build a network of cooperation for Global mission.” 

GAFCON is a call to vision and action for mission based firmly on the “faith once delivered to the saints” and revealed in Scripture, to reform the church and transform persons, communities and societies through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  African Bishops had this focus at their Lagos 2004 conference.  The Episcopal church’s agenda has recently overshadowed it.  We now need to develop this gospel agenda for all like-minded in the communion.

It is to outline the mission imperatives for the next 25 years and how to begin to respond to them.

It is a pilgrimage to the places of the Biblical story to renew our faith and commitment. It is to envision the Global Anglican Future. 

The Lambeth Conference has a different agenda.

8. Is this all over a gay bishop?
No.

GAFCON is about churches being grouped by what they have in common. We're for growth, we're for being passionate about the truth. We want to look to the future. That's what the conference is about - Global Anglican Future.

9. Aren't you splitting the church?
No. Communion depends on having something in common. Churches in the Global South are growing. They're passionate about the truth and their faith. We are building on this strength.

As the Anglican Communion develops, some of the old bonds are loosening, and some new bonds are being formed. That's a good thing. These bonds involve churches which are growing, and which have something distinctive to say to the world.  GAFCON is enthusiastic about mission. Its focus is the future.

The magic of Christmas in Israel

The beach was lovely this morning, as I went through my friend's manuscript and learned quite a lot more about Haifa from it. Apparently the city is known as Little Odessa, which doesn't surprise me at all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessa

The home help is from one of the warmer parts of the former Soviet Union and was cold in the appartment. It must be about 10-15 degrees warmer outside than in at present. She asked for next Tuesday off because of New Year. This isn't because she'll be celebrating it, but because her children will be learning about secular New Year as part of their lessons about ABROAD and will be enacting gift-giving and other typical occurrences of January 1st (let's hope that the drink doesn't get too out of hand). A bit like children in Britain learn about Divali, I suppose.

Then, this evening, we heard the soloists practising the wonderful Ramirez Nativity Cycle - and walked in as they were embarking on my favourite bit, entitled 'Pilgrimage', which is all about the dangerous journey of Mary and Joseph, but sounds more like a very romantic love song to me - South American style!

http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.557542

And after our own choral rehearsal of Borodin in impossible Russian (luckily the girl next to me explained some of the words), out came two huge boxes of chocolates, in honour of the holiday period. The chocolates were Russian and the conductor checked with an expert that they were kosher, before also producing some chocolate Father Christmases, which he assured us were actually Russian babushkas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmptWExyKEw

In the much-needed break, I asked a religious member of the choir what he felt about singing a Nativity Cycle in a public performance. He said that as it was in Spanish he didn't understand it, but that he didn't feel 100% right about it. I also asked about the celebration of Christmas and he said that some of the choir were Christians and that doughnuts had been consumed at Chanukah two weeks earlier (when I couldn't attend, as I'd lost my voice).

The guy also pointed out that in diaspora what defines being Jewish is keeping apart from other religious groups, whereas here being Jewish means being Israeli, which often leads to the religious aspect becomes diluted. He also said that he was concerned with the Bahai Temple and Gardens being so aesthetically pleasing. He had watched volunteers slaving away there, he said, and practically worshipping the fruit of their endeavours.

I'm sure there's more to the Bahai Faith than that, but all I know is that although our choir is mainly secular in character and I'm sure the music is chosen purely for its great sound and singability, the result is pure magic. And for me, the chocolates were the icing on the cake!

Meanwhile, if you are keen on a bit of a joke, read this article from today's Guardian (where else) by a disgruntled Muslim:

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=28400_UK_Muslim_Leader-_Christianity_is_Regressive_Blair_Should_Be_a_Muslim&only

I'm still waiting to hear if Tony and Cherie (from my home town of Liverpool) will be attending our gorgeous concert, by the way. Will keep you posted.