Purim og påske - Purim and Passover

Shalom alle sammen

Vi er nu vel overstået to jødiske højtider, henholdsvis - Purim ( læs Esthers bog) og Påske ( læs beretningen om jødernes udgang fra egypten og instiftelsen af højtiden + Jesu sidste dage i Jerusalem). Purim er nok det der kommer tættest på fastelavn i danmark. All børn, unge, voksne ja alle er klædt ud, de har specielle sange, de giver kurve til fattige, spiser sammen. Det er også denne fest hvor det er påbudt at man skal blive så fuld man ikke kan høre forskel på - velsignet være Mordechai og forbandet være Haman. Da mange af de ortodokse ikke drikker til dagligt, så er det altid en oplevelse at se dem gå rundt helt beruset. Det var ret så hyggeligt at se alle gå rundt med forskellige kustymer. Det er vidst kutyme at piger skal være dronning Esther og drengene enten Haman eller Mordechai. Så da også nogle små prinsesser rende rundt. Derudover var der sindsygt mange mariehøns og ellers utrolig fantasifulde dragter. Så sågar en der havde klædt sig ud som en barbiedukke stadig indpakket i sin boks. Jerusalems gader var i hvertfald fyldt med udklædte mennesker, og der var en fantastisk god stemning. Tog lidt billeder

Street musicians - gade musikere

Dancing Jews

reading of the book of Esther

Dancing in the streets

Dressed up people

the multitude

Så har vi også haft Påske ligesom i resten af verden. Forskellen var blot at Jøderne havde deres version af påske - Pesach hvor de fejre udgangen fra Egypten, og de kristne Jesu lidelse, død og opstandelse.

Jeg var så heldig at jeg fik chancen for at opleve det tætteste du kan komme på en gammel testamentlig jødisk påske fejring med ofring af lam osv. Jeg tog nemlig en smut tur til Mt Gerizim hvor Samaritanerne bor. Samaritanerne fejrer stadig deres version af påskeofringen, deres Tempel er nemlig ikke i Jerusalem men på toppen af Mt Gerizim. ( Se historien med Jesus og den Samaritanske kvinde) Heidi, Toni, Paivi og Jeg all fire Voluntøre tog afsted, vi så ruinerne fra de to templer samaritanerne havde haft, vi så samaritanere i deres specielle dragt og hvordan de levede. Bjerget var dog stopfyldt af turister, samaritanere, pressefolk etc - så selve oplevelsen var lidt skuffende idet det var svært at se hvad der foregik. Men vi gav ikke op og forsøgte at komme hen til tribunen for hedningerne, der var tættest på selve ritualet med slagtning. Vi fandt et sted hvor vi kunne snige os ind, vi mtte dog gå igennem en terrasse, en losseplads eller var det en ruin?? det fandt jeg aldrig ud af, men rifterne på mine ben fortalte mig at det havde kostet lidt at få en bedre udsigt. Jeg har taget billeder så du kan opleve det samme som jeg. Hvad du ikke kan opleve, er glæden, spændingen og lugten selvfølgelig.

Jews Waiting for their Pessach basket

At Mt Gerizim

what is left from two temples and one Church

ruins

Highpriest praying

look close and you will see blood in his tempel

praying while lamb is getting slaughtered

Blessings, Slaughterings and more praying

putting the lamb on the spears

the spears

Var da også til en messiansk/skandinavisk Seder fejring. En middag med alle de jødiske ritualer, i midten en nadver fejring efter andet bæger vin. Musik, læsning af skriften, ritualer osv. Arrangeret af Knut og Jakob, det var en sjov oplevelse og jeg skal da lige love for at de rå peberrødder gav mig sved i panden

Hvad vil jeg huske fra min påske uge i Jerusalem??  Det kan blive sagt ret kort - Mennesker, religiøse ritualer og mennesker. Der var så mange mennesker i denne by, og alle skulle de ind i den gamle by for at se optog med kors, hellig ild etc. Den jødiske og kristne højtid faldt samtidig i år og det kunne godt mærkes. Trængslen i den gamle by var værre end Roskilde festival i Danmark. Men føler mig dog stadig priviligeret at jeg kunne være i samme by som Jesus under hans sidste dage, og har ihvertfaldt set meget af også katolsk karakter jeg aldrig ville have oplevet andre steder i verden.

Shalom all

We are now on the other side of two Jewish festivals, respectively - Purim (see Esther's book) and Easter (read the story of the Jews escape from Egypt + Jesus' last days in Jerusalem).

Purim is probably the closest to Halloween. All children,youth, adults, yes everyone is dressed up, they have special songs they give baskets to the poor, eat together. This is also the party where it is required that you have to get so drunk you can not hear the difference  of- blessed be Mordecai and cursed be Haman. As many of the Orthodox Jews do not drink on a daily basis, it was quite an experience to see them walking around completely drunk. It was fun to see them walk around with different customs.  I think they originally dressed up the girls as Queen Esther and the boys either as Haman or Mordechai. I did see some little princesses running around. Additionally, there was insanely many ladybugs and otherwise incredibly imaginative costumes, a big variaty.  I even saw one who had dressed up like a Barbie doll still wrapped in its box. Jerusalem's streets were certainly filled with costumed people, and there was an extremely good mood. Took some pictures - ( see Danish session)

Then we also had Easter, like the rest of the world. The only difference was that the Jews had their version of Passover - Pesach where they celebrate the escape of Egypt and the Christians Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection.

I was so lucky that I got the chance to experience the closest you can get to an old Testament Jewish Passover celebration with sacrifice of lambs, etc. I took a trip to Mt Gerizim where the Samaritans live. Samaritans celebrates their own version of Passover slaughterings, their temple is not in Jerusalem but on top of Mount Gerizim. (See the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman), Heidi, Toni, Päivi and I all four volunteers went together to the mountain, we saw the ruins of  the two temples  the Samaritans had had, we saw the Samaritans in their special attire and how they lived. The mountain however, was packed with tourists, Samaritans, reporters, etc - so the experience in itself was a bit disappointing because it was hard to see what was happening. But we did not give up and tried to get to the tribune for the Gentiles who were closest to the ritual slaughter. We found a place where we could sneak in, we had to go through a terrace, a dump or was it a ruin? I never figured it out, but the scars of on my legs told me it had cost a little to get a better view. I have taken pictures so you can experience the same thing as me. What you can not experience is the joy, excitement and then the smell of course.( see danish section)

I also Attended a messianic / Scandinavian Seder celebration. A dinner with all the Jewish rituals, in the middle a sacramental celebration after the second cup of wine. Music, reading of scripture, rituals, etc. Arranged by Knut and James, it was a fun experience and I would just say that the raw pepper roots gave me sweat on my forehead. 

What will I remember from my Easter week in Jerusalem? It can be said quite short - people, religious rituals and people. There were so many people in this city, and all had to go to the old city to see the procession of crucifixes, holy fire, etc. The Jewish and Christian holiday fell simultaneously this year and we could clearly feel it. The amount of people in the old city was worse than a big music/drinking festival. I do however feel privileged that I could be in the same city as Jesus was in, during his last days on earth, and I have certainly seen much of also Catholic rituals I would have never experienced elsewhere in the world.