Although finding myself in Upper Egypt is still a mystery for me, I have no doubt that these 6 weeks in the lovely village called Berba are a gift from God. Drawing and painting has always given me a lot of joy and peace, so I found the opportunity of sharing this experience with children very promising. – Read the rest
We were three in Berba: Gosia, Sr. Darlene and I. Each one did something different from the other. Gosia did art work. I made masks and later did hats and caps for the children. What I learned was how to transform my work into a ministry. Sr. Darlene did bible study and helped and encouraged us. – Read the rest
On June 30, Wafaa, Gosia (a Polish volunteer) and I went to Berba for 6 weeks of apostolic activities in the village. Gosia’s presence was a real gift for us and for the village. Each of us had our particular focus: Gosia did art projects with the children in the Children’s Summer Club in the garden and for the catechetical sessions; Wafaa used some of the sewing skills she has learned in her work of the last 2 years in Alexandria and Cairo and also took part in the catechetical sessions; part of my role was to organize Gosia’s activities (materials needed, schedules, groups, helpers, etc.). – Read the rest
The Kol Nidrei (all the vows), which opens the day of Kippur in the evening, has an obscure origin. It asks God to annul the oaths that people could do from this Yom Kippur until the next one. It has been thought that it comes from the times of the Maranas, the Jews of Spain (15th century) who were forced to receive Baptism, or die or be exiled. – Read the rest
The pilgrimage festivals are concentrated on seeing, the feasts of Rosh Hashanah and Kippur on listening. In fact there was and there is still much to see, to feel, to touch, on the occasion of each one of those festivals, Pesah, Shavuot and above all Sukkot. – Read the rest
