Hebrew epiphanies

Sorry I haven't written any "proper" blog entries (if there is such a thing) lately. I promise, I've got my what-I-learned from Heather thing swirling in my head, and a few thoughts about "big, important, political" issues that maybe I'll write about later.

But for now, in the 1/2 hour before Shabbat, I just want to share with you the following epiphanies I've had:

1- The Hebrew word for "Christians"- notzrim - comes from Natzeret- "Nazareth."

Whoa! Deep!

And, moving on,

2- the word magen (shield), as in "magen David" comes from the same root as hagana (defense).

Oh, also, I've been enjoying all the "we can't help but notice that it's Christmas" posts on J-blogs in America. Guess what tomorrow is in my corner of Jerusalem? A very special day! It's . . . Shabbat! Yeah, just Shabbat!

I actually saw a house yesterday in the German Colony, where there is a small and not-very-visible Christian community among all the Modern Orthodox Jews, and it had twinkling Christmas lights (thankfully, just white ones, not the horribly tacky twinkling colored ones). But the lights weren't so visible from the street because there are tall bushes blocking the view. So it was, like, a surreptitious nod to Christmas. I feel a little sorry for those people. Their big day will come and go, and no one around them cares.

But, I'm not thinking so much about that. What I'm mostly thinking is "na na na na na na, I live in Israel!" :-P

As RenReb would say: Ahem.

So, happy not-our-holiday-season to all my American J-friends, and merry Christmas to my Christian readers, and Shabbat shalom to one and all!