Beit Gemal

Shabbat today so Mike's neighbour drove me to a nearby Synagogue. Its the sabbath so no work, you don't take notes and you don't take photos.

She whispers to me a rough translation and that's why I know the sermon (12mins) was about how Moses and Jeremiah are remarkably similar. Not sure what you're supposed to take home from that but two days ago was the remembrance of the Fall of Jerusalem (70ad) so we read something depressing from Jeremiah which says God's not given up on you, even if life is tough.

Everything is sung unaccompanied, people arrive as and when and great each other and chat away if you're walking by. A baby is blessed and the family are danced around and now its their job to see to the catering afterwards (no tea or coffee (the kettle could involve work) but some wine or juice and cake. Total service time = 2hrs.

You won't find Beit Jamal (as its also spelt) in your guide books. Maybe Rabbi Gamaliel (see Acts) lived here and the story is that he allowed the body of St Stephen (1st Christian Martyr) to be buried here and maybe Nicodemus was also buried here.

They've hidden the Church round the back, past the basketball court, past the rear carpark. The artwork is fabulous.

There's a Nunnery here too. A Nun explains how she was working for an NGO in Asia until 3years ago and just didn't feel whole, but God has called her here and its a mystery but a good one.

Watching football in the evening in a hall full of Germans. This time, I'm owed a bag of M&Ms.