Christmas in the Jerusalem kehilla

This year, the Jerusalem kehilla celebrated Christmas in a family atmosphere. In many countries there is the custom on Christmas eve that the family gathers for a festive meal. And what if you have no family close by or your family does not have any idea what Christmas is? Whatever the case may be, the Jerusalem kehilla constitutes a large spiritual family. Thus, according to an initiative of Michal, for some of the members of the kehilla, the Christmas celebration began with a common meal at the House of Saints Simeon and Anne. On some occasions the spiritual family is more significant than the family of flesh and blood...

After a simple and joyful Christmas mass, followed by a delightful buffet which included hot chocolate (welcome during these days of bitter cold in Jerusalem), some of the more courageous even made their way to Bethlehem. Others, who were well rested, made their way there the following day. At the checkpoint, the minibus with a driver vested in Franciscan habit with a Santa Claus hat on his head raised no suspicions. Without the Santa Claus hat, Father Apolinary celebrated a mass in Hebrew in the grotto, at the place of the manger. These days one does not hear much Hebrew in Palestinian Bethlehem, all the more moving to hear songs and prayers in Hebrew in the ancient city of David, at the very place where the newborn king of the Jews came into the world in order to reunite all peoples in his body and to reconcile all enemies in his blood.

In the evening of the same day of Christmas, the entire community came together again at the House of Saints Simeon and Anne. After the mass, the celebration took place with the Christmas tree, the presents, music and many good things to eat. The babies present were a great success: at Christmas everyone wants a baby in his or her arms.

At the center of the program was a music spectacle, produced and directed by Michal, Danielle and Marianne. The Gospel scenes, the voyage of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, the apparition of the angels to the shepherds, the adoration of the shepherds and then the Magi were accompanied by traditional Christmas songs, translated for the occasion into Hebrew. Danielle and Marianne played the piano or music was played from a computer. In the major roles there were: Danielle as Mary, Oscar OFM as Joseph, the new born was a doll and the donkey a broomstick. However, real angels sang, the shepherds (for whom the Franciscan robes served well) were real and the Magi, wearing exotic robes were guided by a dancing star. An unforeseen innovation was provided by little Natasha throwing gold dust everywhere. Some even played two roles. After the scene with the shepherds, Father Rafiq, having become a Franciscan for the occasion, donned a crown for the following scene - the adoration of the Magi. Someone commented: What a career! from a shepherd straight to king! In fact, the audience was an active participant in the spectacle, especially in the songs. The measure of success is the goodwill of the spectators. When one of the angels, at a very solemn moment, was taken by a fit of laughter, the entire audience joined in the laughter. When one announces great joy, then let us all rejoice. At the end, around the crèche, the actors and the spectators sang together the Christmas carols in many languages. And then there was another surprise, Father Josaphat, who spent three months in the community of Jerusalem, sang Ukrainian Christmas carols in a duet with his own voice that played from a CD in the computer and then Alina responded with a beautiful Ukrainian song.

Finally, the time came for the presents. Before the feast, according to the tradition in the Jerusalem community, each one had deposited anonymously presents under the Christmas tree. At this point, in a joyful musical balagan (chaos), the presents were quickly passed from hand to hand. When the music stopped, each one received the present that was in his or her hands at that moment. Complete coincidence? Or was it providence... that depends on how one looks at things. And the best present is not necessarily the biggest. In a little packet that I received I found something that I had been planning to buy but had not had the chance to go to the store. It was not only the fact that by providence this packet landed in my hands that touched my heart, but also that someone had thought to put something of this kind under the tree when it is not a part of the standard Christmas catalogue of gifts. However, the spirit of love that knows the hearts and the needs of each one has different ideas than those we are used to. Thank you Lord for this spiritual family of the kehilla where the spirit blows where it will and where in the complexity of human nature, Christ is among us - he is and he will be!