To the left is a picture of the home we have been staying in here in Tsfat. Below is a photo of the family before Shabbat in the courtyard. 
Even though we are all a little bit travel weary and ready for home, we have really been enjoying Tsfat. The community here is extremely welcoming, especially because we come with introductions from the family who is renting to us. Earlier in the week Akiva and Sam got invited to participate in a Kitana - a kind of home based summer camp program. Though we couldn't just drop them off it was really good for them to get to play with other kids who all spoke English. We got really wonderful Shabbat invitations and had a very warm Shabbat.Yesterday morning I invited the kids to join me in going the Ari's Mikveh - ritual bath. I spent a long time talking with Sam about what a "spiritual bath" meant. He wanted to know if might be a good remedy to the minor destruction he and his brother inflicted earlier in the week by biting into yoga blocks that were stored in their room. The water, in this ancient mikveh which is said to have been used by the Ari, a great 15th century Kabbalist who introduced the custom of Kabbalat Shabbat, comes from an underground spring and is quite cold. Sam only went in up to his belly. Kiva went all the way. They both really liked it and want to go back.
Last night we walked through the streets of Tsfat for services. Every other block is a synagogue filled with worshipers. Often the singing and prayer spills out into the various alley ways. I spent some time dancing in the street with Sam on my shoulders, outside a famous Charlbach minyan. At one point he said, "Aba I am really glad we came here. Its fantastic." He said this loud enough for some of the black hats near by to overhear and smile at me. Then he whispered in my ear so only I could hear, "I was being sarcastic." Oy the sense of humor.
We had a late night Shabbat dinner with Daniel and Hellen Flatauer. Our kids had spent a fair amount of time in Daniel's studio watching him throw pots. They were great hosts, with toys and books for the kids and fascinating stories about their lives and what brought them tot Tsfat. You should check out Daniel's work www.haaripottery.bolgspot.com It was a real treat.
We had lunch today at Joy and Evan's, who had a full Shabbas table and two kids a little younger than ours. It turned out Joy and I know each other from UCSC when she had dreadlocks and went by the name Cheyenne. They moved here two years ago.
Finally after a little rest at home we went to Seuda Shlishi at David and Miriam Friedman's. We had also visited David's studio http://www.kosmic-kabbalah.com/ earlier in the week and bought some of his really amazing Kabbalah inspired art work. I also got to sit in on a Kabbalah class he offers once a week which was a real treat. Again it couldn't really have been better to have such a warm and interesting welcome. For me at least it was one of the nicest and most traditional Shabbatot I have had in a long time.
The combination of art, Jewish spirituality and just the over all vibe of the city is really quite attractive. Also more than in Tel Aviv you can feel a different pace of life here. While I imagine the community here might sometimes seem quite small, it also feels quite genuine. I am tempted to say it is a city I could live in.
This week the kids will get a pottery class, Sarah will check out a yoga class, we have a short tour planned, more art and Kabbalah and 3 nights of Klezmerfest, the biggest Tsfat party of the year.
