The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2023

Please submit your favor- ite, recent photograph to be considered for Local Lens. Images must be high resolution (at least 300 dpi at 8” x 10”, or 1 MB or larger) and must not be in print elsewhere. Include a short description of the scene/ event, as well as your name, brief biodata, and the type of camera used. Send to locallens@afsa.org . 102 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL LOCAL LENS BY MICHAEL LONGHAUSER n JERUSALEM, ISRAEL F or more than 1,000 years, the Holy Fire ceremony has taken place in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the day preceding Orthodox Easter. It is said that within Jesus’ tomb a miraculous blue light is emitted, which ignites two candles carried in by the Greek patriarch of the city. That flame is then used to light numerous can- dles held by clergy and pilgrims within the church. They quickly pass on the Holy Fire to those awaiting outside the massive wooden doors, lighting candles across Jerusalem. Special flights await in Tel Aviv to transport the flames on to church and state leaders in Greece, Russia, Lebanon, Cyprus, and other Orthodox countries. n Michael Longhauser joined the Foreign Service as a general services officer in 2007. While serving at U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem in 2016, he took this photo using a Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 24-70 f2.8 lens. He recently retired from the Foreign Service.