More from Tsfat, the mystical city.

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.

Gettin' mystical in Tsfat

I am amazed that I have any more "wow"''s left in me but I think Tsfat rates a wow so far. Somehow I think travel fatigue and some naysayers along the way had prepared us for being really bored and alienated here. But it's been a very refreshing change. First of all the mountain air is clear and dry and (in the mornings and evenings) cool. Second, Tsfat is a place where the Jewish tourist really has a job to do. (Beyond just spending money.) You feel wanted and welcomed here. They've been expecting you.


We painted hamsas at a lovely paint-your-own pottery place --Art Lishma. The kids got to play a little soccer with some local kids. And we've had two meal invitations.

Tsfat

We arrived in Tzfat today, got situated in our house and left. We have the rental car until tomorrow so we decided to head for the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). We had to bribe the kids to get them back in the car. They really just wanted to stay put for a while, but we knew that we would have enough staying put in Tsfat. Anyhow they really loved swimming in the Kinneret. Sarah and I loved it a little less. The lake was, well - lakey. Gooey mud and pointy rocks. But it was beautiful watching the sun go down and the colors of the sky change against the background of the Golan. The place we went swimming was also pretty cool in its own way. Very mellow. Only a handful of families. Mixed Arab and Jewish. It had a kind of working class, multi-cultural vibe and was very far from Tel Aviv. Tomorrow I (ET) got back to Tiberias to return the rental car and take a bus back to Tsefat. Pictures to follow.

Full of Nazareth

It's really late but I am still up digesting a great dinner we had at Tishreen in Nazareth's Old City. Gadi, the manager of Fauzi Azar arranged for his sweet littlest sister to babysit for us. Even though she had already been through a crazy morning shift with them, Alda agreed to come back and reported that they were "angels". In all other ways she appeared perfectly sane and truthful. This morning she watched them while we took a walking tour with Annika. We really enjoyed the coffee roasting shop where we tasted "wedding coffee", which if I understood correctly, is brewed for 3 days. It was really strong and I would need a word beyond bitter to describe the flavor. It may be why I am still awake. I also spent a lot of time and actually went back to a spice shop where we purchased freeke (yes, pronounced "freaky") which is roasted green wheat. I also bought freeke spice so when we are in our house in Tsfat we will try to make something similar to the real thing we had at Tishreen. I'll report back on that.

Old Camp Swig Friends

So as I was shopping with Kiva for party favors in the shuk for his B-Day party, I bumped into our friend Osnat from Camp Swig who we hadn't seen in 14 years. Still I recognized her immediately behind her small table of hand made Jewelry at Nachalat Bin Yamin. Delighted to see each other we made plans to get together. Here you see Freda who was also at Camp Swig with us.

Here is Osnat.






















Like so many thoughtful Israelis, they brought Bamba a peanut butter puff snack that our kids always appreciate. This by the way is Banana Beach just North of the Dophinarium.

Heading to Nazareth

We hit the road today in our little Subaru hatch back. Our car was kind of small and as you could see there wasn't much room for luggage. But sometimes a suitcase can make brothers closer. Driving in TLV was a little wild. In minutes I was honked at and Israeli drivers lived up to their reputation as some of the world craziest. In truth however this was just a warm up for the drivers in Nazareth where almost no rules seemed to apply. I had no choice but to drive over street median, down impossibly narrow and steep streets and finally up a stone staircase to our parking space.

Sarah promised photos of Fauzi L. Azar Inn. Here you see the kids playing after the long drive.

The walls are incredibly high.

This is the common room just outside our room. For more about this great guest house visit the link below http://www.fauziazarinn.com/

In Nazareth

We left Tel Aviv today with regret to leave our friends Kevin, Danielle, and Zev and Ruthie. Even though we spent time with them everyday for the last 3 weeks, it went by quickly and we drove away with sadness. We will miss having playmates and babysitters and drinking buddies. But wow and OMG, Nazareth is cool. We are staying at Fauzi Azar, a 200 year old stone courtyard house with skyhigh ceilings painted with wonderful cracked murals. Yes, I'll put up pictures soon. And we wandered through the mostly closed up souk to the Basillica of the Annunciation. Let me tell you, the Christians know how to throw together a worship space. The building is beautiful and fascinating and NOT OLD! I mean of course it's old; its built on centurys' old destroyed churches, but this one is from 1969 and there are amazing mosaics from all over the world. We had a great but expensive dinner of humus with goat meat. And tonight we will be drinking water with nana (mint).