Recived this email from the University today.
Also we're housing people due to archeological digs up north that have been cancelled.
Despite an attempted suicide bombing in downtown Jerusalem yesterday (that was thankully stopped due to the high security level) we seem to be in the eye of the storm.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has announced that it will temporarily accommodate 140 foreign students attending academic programs at the University of Haifa, which closed operations on July 16 following continued Hezbollah rocket attacks on Haifa and elsewhere in northern Israel.

About 250 students, many from the United States, were attending a summer Hebrew language intensive at the University of Haifa. The students arrived in Jerusalem on Sunday evening, and will participate in educational programs there until the University of Haifa determines to resume or relocate its classes.

The Rothberg International School of The Hebrew University, which also has a summer program in session, is posting regular online updates for parents of attending overseas students.  Click here for the latest information.

things have gotten worse...


from jpost.com
And this doesn't include the attacks in Haifa that have killed 8 people!

Well, it looks and sounds and feels like a war.
I'm again amazed at how it's being reported.
8 Israeli soldiers were killed yesterday and 2 more kidnapped (that means we're up to 3 now). Today one woman was killed and 12 people injured when a rocket hit in the center of a city called Nahariya. This is not some border military town. It's a beautiful coastal city that is so clean it looks brand new all the time and you have to drive a ways to get to the border.
So, yes Israel is attacking sites in Lebanon. After all this, wouldn't you?
in Nahariya
News Updates

OK so I'm officially in the second week of the summer school madness. In which they cram a full semester's worth of work into 4 weeks, 6 days a week, 4 hours a day. Plus that little thing they call homework i.e. add another 2-5 hours a day.

So, if I disappear you'll understand why.

In fact the only reason this is getting written is due to a bit of insomnia.
Woo hoo! Just what I needed!

(ignore me, I just needed to vent)
:)

Now not only is the 19 year old still being held captive and those responsible want ALL female and minor Palestinian prisoners FREED before they will even give INFORMATION about him but an 18 year old teenager (not a soldier) was taken an murdered this past week as well. They shot him in the head! No one did anything til a day or so ago because the report wasn't even believed at first.

This is within Israeli borders! I finally have friends who were pro-disengagement (from Gaza) fiinally changing their minds and seeing that this did no good what-so-ever. It's not enough that they shell the Israeli town of Sderot daily but now they're crossing the borders physically to murder and take hostages.

Where is the outrage? .
Article: Eliyahu Asheri, 18, shot dead soon after his abduction
Thousands attend Asheri's funeral

Two Israeli army soliders were killed early this (Sunday) morning in an attack inside Israel. It's being said that the attackers dug a tunnel in from Gaza.
When they retreated after having two or three of their own killed in the attack they took as hostage another one of the soldiers.
He's 19!
Haartez article with picture

Needless to say things are not quiet in Israel today. Though this occured down closer to the Egyptian border the ripple affects were felt and heard here in Jerusalem, from the constant news coverage on tv, to the roar of helicopters overhead and increased security all around.
Please be praying for Gilad Shalit for little to none is know about his condition or what is being done to him, please pray for the families of the other two soldiers who were killed, and please pray for the prince of peace to rule and reign in Israel.

Tonight I attended the wedding of a friend here in Israel. Shelley, the South African/Israeli married Dan, the Chicagoan. It was an amazing ceremony, which had to start late due to the traffic jams for the Pink Floyd concert that was also tonight. The event took place at a Biblical Garden/Nature Reserve between Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv. The highlights included a processional by all the guests from the point of entry, where yummy appetizers and drinks were served, to the site of the ceremony. Now this wasn’t just some boring processional, no! There was a troupe of drummers leading the way! It was so amazing and all along the walk were signs with scriptures about love and marriage.

The ceremony itself was also very beautiful and personalized. It took a bit longer since most parts were spoken in both Hebrew and English and combined many Jewish and Christian elements. Shelley also had written a song for Dan and sang it for him. It was beautiful and I have no idea how she held herself together emotionally to get through it but she did a lovely job. Afterwards there was an amazing dinner set up under the trees and large dance floor with a DJ and a return appearance by the drummers. All in all a great evening and the start of what I believe will be a very strong and happy marriage.

This morning (Friday) I went with my Canaanite Literature and the Bible class to the Israel Museum. It was one of the many times I’ve been, for class and otherwise. We focused, of course, on the Canaanite sections from the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1200 BC). There’s a special section on the Canaanite storm god Baal (decried) in the Bible. Also, there are some excellent examples of the literature/documents of the city of Ugarit (present day coast of Syria). Their literature was all written in an alphabetic language though with cuneiform characters on clay tablets and one can tell what type of document it is based on the size and shape of the tablet.

Anyway, it was fascinating and then went wandered over to the art where the museum has acquired a Rembrandt. Amazing. It’s of St. Peter kneeling in prayer with the ‘keys to the kingdom’ lying beside him. The light in it is beautiful and I love the little detail that his sleeves are pushed up just a little and the contrast between his hands which are darkly tanned and lined and his wrists, pale and smooth. Fascinating.

 

Just under three weeks now till the Spring Semester final exam.
These last few weeks have flown by like few I've known. A great deal is going on, in and outside of school.

I've started reading for my final seminar paper for my class on "Canaanite Literature and the Bible" and I'm almost through with my reading assignment and essay for the Modern Hebrew semester project.

The summer Biblical Hebrew class that I spoke of a few months ago is turning into a tutorial rather than a class which should turn out even better since the class hours will be much less and the instruction more personalized.

There's a lot left to be done here but I'm really looking forward to going home.

..though it is beautiful here and the jasmine is blooming just outside my window.
Life is good.

Yesterday afternoon I babysat for some friends here in town. Their little girl is 6 years old and such a sweetie. I had to pick her up from school and then take her to her swimming lesson later in the afternoon. While we were waiting for the bus to go back to her house after the lesson two young boys came riding up the street....not on a bicycle or a skateboard but on a donkey! In the middle of the city!