Author Archives: Rivka

“It’s not possible!”

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One of the most difficult things in moving to another country is discontinuity, setting on a new course, as opposed to the comfortable and familiar old one. Especially moving to Tzfat, which is not just a different country, but a different dimension. But quite a few times we experienced here mysterious ways of previous connections becoming new again.One such episode occurred last Shabbos.We were invited for a Friday night meal to Judy – a pottery artist, who also single-handedly transformed the town since the the last 8 years she has been here, by organizing “Bas Medrash” – learning place for English-speaking women who wanted to learn Torah.She had 12 guests, from US, Canada, Australia, England, and Israel, most living in Tzfat, but also a couple of Judy’s friends who came to visit from Beit Shemesh. There was a lot of delicious food, and animated Divrei Torah. In the middle of the meal electricity went out, but nobody seemed to be concerned, commenting that ” it’s just Tzfat…” Somebody suggested to put tin foil behind the candles, and Judy did that. “Great, now we can see the tin foil” – another guest said, to everybody’s laughter. Eventually our eyes got used to darkness, slightly illuminated by the candles, and the dinner continued, with new courses of food and more interesting conversation. Eber noticed that the guest from Beit Shemesh, a man in Hasidic attire and long white beard, mentioned growing up in Montreal, so when the dinner was over and we were ready to leave – still in darkness – Eber asked him, if he heard of Old Orchard Beach (closest beach to Montreal.) The guest was surprised to hear this, and said that yes, he used to come to OOB every summer as a child and his cousin used to own the “Waves” motel. “We are cousins!” Eber said. “Your father used to own a ribbon factory in Montreal, right?” He mentioned other things about the family. The “cousin” was shocked. “That’s too much” he said – “It’s not possible! I have to go and lie down…” But then we stayed longer with “cousins” reminiscing about the family and old times…The only regret Eber had is that he could not call his mother to say: “Mom, you won’t believe this one…”

Visiting Fathers and Mothers

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After Purim, the time has been going faster and faster… Last week I was giving a dvar Torah in front of the group of women of which I am part of – a group that is learning together, more then 30 women, all English-speakers; all exceptionally learned and knowledgeable, so I was understandably a little nervous, considering I am not a native English speaker, and besides, I hate public speaking… At one point I thought of calling it off, but in the end, urged by Eber, I did it anyway, and found that it is not too bad, if the audience is very supportive and caring, as mine was. Who knows, I might yet get a new career in public speaking …. :)The subject of  my talk was Rachel Imeinu, and this week I went with the same group of women for a whole day trip to visit the grave of Rachel Imeinu in Bethlehem, and also Maarat Ha Machpela in Hevron. The trip was exceptionally well organized, complete with time for prayer, learning, and excellent speakers.Visiting Kever Rachel was as emotional as ever, and there were many people praying there as on my previous visits. But when we came to Hevron, I was surprised to see it full of people as well – from all over the world – I never saw it being that full. Besides visiting Adam, Eve, Avraham, Sarah,  Ytzhak, Rivka, Jacob and Leah, we also had a meeting with a woman who lives in Hevron for more then 30 years now, originally from the US. She came after high school and got married to a student of Hevron yeshiva. The young couple decided to raise a family in Hevron, now having a third generation there. Although in my eyes she is one of the heroes of Jewish people, she only sees herself as a simple, regular person, living where  G-d put her just like other people are in the places right for them. She loves Hevron and says she’s excited to come to Maarat HaMachpela every single time. She loughed  when somebody asked her if she has a gun, and said she made a decision long ago not to have a gun and not to be afraid, because “nobody is safe anywhere, and everybody is safe everywhere.”Now, back to Tzfat, it is all about getting ready for Pesach…

Purim and Borders

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After much anticipation Purim came and went too fast, with all its parties, costumes, and abundance of celebration and creativity, not to mention alcoholic beverages….. But it did not leave completely. There is a feeling that it’s light is still here. Today we were experienced it again. We went on a trip from Tzfat to Metula, which is a Northern-most border of Israel with Lebanon (mere half an hour drive from Tzfat.) From there we went to Golan heights through Druze villages and towns, then to Israeli border with Syria, and eventually back to Tzfat. In the process, we relived a story of Purim-like miraculous “upside-down” transformation of hopelessness and despair to joy and celebration. It made us think of a miracle of existence of the Jewish State, and battles that had been won – miracles clothed in seemingly “natural” appearance. Just as in biblical times, Jews were on the brink of destruction, this time by arab armies on the Sirian border, but in two days the situation completely reversed, from being on the edge of the grave to miraculous victory. Today we saw how the death-filled battlefield has been transformed by the Jewish people with G-d’s help to peaceful and fruitful orchards. The same miracle continues today, as it says in the end of Megilat Esther. “And these days of Purim shall never cease from Jewish people…”

Initiation to Jewish life

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During our first month in Tzfat we were invited for every Shabbos meal by many different people we met in study groups, shuls and on the street. But now, after a month and a half, we are no longer “new” and the past week we were looking forward to a quiet private Friday night meal by ourselves in our small home. It did not happen. While we went out shopping last Friday morning, we met Anna – a Russian woman who is in Eber’s Ulpan class. We started talking and asked nonchalantly what she was doing Friday night. Turned out she was doing nothing. We asked if she would like to go to a shul with us, and join us for Shabbat dinner, and she eagerly agreed! She came with Tamara, another Russian woman from Eber’s Ulpan. Both women came to Tzfat half a year ago from the Russian city of Kazan. Anna was a teacher of math and physics, and Tamara was a farmacist. They told us a shoking fact – they have never been to a shul in their entire life – and they are our age! That, despite spending last six months in Tzfat where there are several shuls on every corner! The first shul they have ever been to – was Breslov shul, with us, this past Friday night – 500 people full of excitement of greeting Shabbos, singing, dancing, screeming in prayer… Amazingly to me, both women promptly got into action, swaying, dancing, mediating with closed eyes to the powerful nigguns sung by hundreds of voices and were visibly moved by the prayer service. After the shul service was over, they came to us for Friday night dinner which also was the first Shabbos dinner in their life. During the meal, Anna and Tamara got answers to some puzzling mysteries, like why men are wearing the hanging strings (Tzitzit), and why synagogue sitting is separate for men and women. But we found something in common as well: Tamara told us she chose Tzfat because she was a dreamer – and our reply was : “We are too!”

Hebrew class in Karmiel

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We have been in Tzfat now for a a little more than a month.
Our daily routines have changed. We don’t try to attend all the available classes and events any longer, but settled on a few that we found most important. Last week we also started a new class called Cafe B’Ivrit out of town, in Karmiel, which is 40 minutes bus ride from Tzfat. The bus goes on a twisty mountain road, with unimaginable views of the hills of Northern Gallilee, lake Kineret, fertile valleys, with many Jewish and Arab towns, built on the side of these steep hills so it makes you wonder how they keep standing. Every hill seems to have a town on it, and the bus stops in many of those towns. Some of them are arab-christian, some are aran-muslim, some are Druze, and some are Jewish. The jewish towns can be religious, non-religious, and the majority language spoken can be Hebrew, Russian, English, French, Ethiopian, or the mixture of all of them… Every town seems like a planet of its own. In Tzfat, in the area we live, everybody is religious, and either Hebrew or English speaking, but when we come to Karmiel, we seldom see another religious person, and languages spoken there are Hebrew, Russian and Arabic – no one speaks English… Our Hebrew class is in Nefesh-b’Nefesh office, located on a second floor of ultra-modern glass building, and people in our group are from several towns in the North of Israel. In the class we are are allowed to speak only Hebrew, and not allowed to be embarrassed. Typically for Israel, the class is very informal, and also typically, everybody immediately becomes friendly with each other, despite very different backgrounds: a black woman from California who converted; another person from Maine (of all places), a Jew from Czechoslovakia, who escaped after being imprisoned three years in Gulag for his Jewish Faith, a woman who escaped Hungary, one American woman who moved to Karmiel because she wanted to join one of the very few conservative congregations in Israel, located in Karmiel, and us. It turns out that the Czech and the Hungarian also live in Tzfat, and would not hear of us taking a bus back, so we get the ride back with our new friends Yochanan and Katy in their car. As much as we like to see other towns in Israel – every time we get back to Tzfat – we feel that there is no other place we would rather be!

Tu B’Shvat in Tzfat

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Tu B’Shvat in Israel is not at all like we have experienced it before in the US. Here it is not just an abstract Holiday, but you are really enveloped in its joy and holiness. A few days in advance all store fronts have big ads for Tu B’Shvat fruits, everybody talks about it, and the joy of approaching holiday is palpable. On Erev Tu B’Shvat, which was Tuesday this week, every year a group of women organize a hike together in the vicinity of Tzfat, near Meron, to be close to the nature. About 12 women of all ages came to participate, mostly from Tzfat, but some came from other smaller communities in the North, all English-speakers. It was nice to be in the woods and mountains and see blossoming trees and new flowers. A few women prepared some Tu B’Shvat -related teachings, and others also shared mystical stories related to trees and nature. That experience was a great preparation for the evening of that day, on which there were many Tu B’Shvat gatherings, big and small, which we could join. We decided to go to Ascent, which is one of the Lubavitch places in Tsfat, which is two minutes walk from us. When we came to the lobby of Ascent the woman who was taking the registration told us there was no room, because they planned for 50 people, and there were already 60, but this being Israel, it turned out that out of the three women running the program, two were friends of ours, so there was no problem! We asked where it was, and we were told to go downstairs to the “cave.”  We can not really describe it, but the picture does! .In the “cave” there was a very long table covered with many many color-coded plates of various fruit, so they can be eaten in the certain order, established by Arizal in which different types of fruit correspond to different parts of a tree (roots, trunk, brunches and fruit) which also correspond to four spiritual worlds, which also correspond to four letters of the Holy Name of G-d. Seder also included four cups of wine – white, mostly white, half-white/half red, and nearly all red. There were many different types of people, from very religious to completely secular, but we felt like it was one close family. The Rabbi and Rebbetzin Tillis who led the seder gave over many mystical teachings, but many other men and women also contributed and shared thoughts and stories related to Tu B’Shvat. The seder started precisely at 8:08 time it was set for, and it was three hours of incredible mystical stories, joy and laughter, as we never experienced before while eating dry fruits! It seemed like we were there only 5 minutes. This Holiday signifies the beginning of spring in Israel, and living here, you can really feel it. Needless to say, we are happy to be here.

For Maya and Vera

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Dear Maya and Vera, Since I wrote you last week, this is what happened: last Friday morning there was snow in Tzfat! It happens very rarely here, and all kids were outside, screaming, collecting the snow, making snowballs, and sticking out their tongues to catch the snow flakes.Tonight starts the Jewish Holiday called “Tu Be Shvat” and this is the New Year of the trees. That’s when the new growth starts, even though you can not see it. It is a very joyous time in Israel, celebrating nature. This morning I went with a group of women for a hike in the mountains, and we saw new flowers and blossoming trees, and everybody was sharing stories related to trees and the nature.We saw other hikers on the trail, and I took a picture of a group of girls hiking with their teacher, which you can see under my letter.  Tonight we went to a very happy Tu Be Shvat party, where many people got together to celebrate fruit trees by blessing and eating the fruits of Israel, and telling mystical stories related to the fruit trees.I love you both very much, and miss you. Babushka

Necessities of life in Tzfat

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Our house is a very very small house… Our entire Tzimmer (rental unit) is smaller than our kitchen in Maine. We have no stove, and most of our kitchen counter space is taken by electric 2-burner hotplate. Because the storage is small, we have to do shopping every day, but luckily the stores are all within 5 minutes walk. Our favorite shopping place is Yoram’s vegetable Market. In Israel you have to be careful of Trumot and Maasrot (the laws of fruit and vegetables grown in the Land of Israel), but all of Yoram’s produce is kosher accordingly to all the laws. Like many businesses in Tzfat it is a small family-owned business, and we sometimes see his teenage children taking his place in the store helping customers. We never before had such fresh, juicy, delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, full of holiness of the Land of Israel. Yoram is always smiling and friendly, and works long hours. On Fridays we see how he sends huge shipments of produce to hotels and large families to get ready for Shabbos.
Our favorite bakery is similarly a tiny family-owned place, with the constant supply of fresh, warm, just-out-of-oven bread and pastry.For the same reason of little storage place, we also have to cook every day, but much simpler than we used to, unless we are tired and decide to go out to eat in one of many small restaurants within 10 minutes walk. Like Yoram’s market, many of them are tiny one-man operations, with simple food such as kebabs, falafel, shavarma, shakshuka and very simple way to serve food. There are a few fancier restaurants with nicer accomodations and great views. Normally in Israel the town this size would hardly have any restaurants, but Tzfat is a summer vacation place, destination for great Shabbos experience, and in a last few years – a college town, with many college students. Most of the students are arabs, who come to eat in all Jewish restaurants and it is good for Tzfat economy.We have a favorite place for buying cheese, also one-man cheese factory called “Kadosh” that has a most delicious selection of cheeses and chalvas produced right there.
Coming with only 2 suitecases each, we could not bring many books, which we need for our Torah learning and classes we are taking, so we have to buy sforim (Jewish books) here. Fortunately, there are at least half dozen book stores, all close by, which are likewise small family-owned businesses, run by one person, with his children sometimes helping out. Some of the books we buy we have in Maine, but it does not help us here, so our new library of Jewish books is growing more than our current accommodations allow…Even simple daily activities are meaningful, because they make us feel being part of life in Israel, and it is a joyous experience.
We are looking forward to having our own place here, hopefully soon. Wishing everybody Shabbat Shalom.

For Maya and Vera

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Dear Maya and Vera, Hope you are having a good winter, and went skiing and skating! I miss skiing with you this winter, but I love being in Israel! In Israel the winter is much warmer, there is no snow, but it has been raining a lot since we have been here. Rain is considered here a blessing, because there is not much rain during the rest of the year, and it is a very dry country, so the rain in the winter is very important, and there is even a prayer service for rain in synagogue in the winter. The rain helps to maintain the level of water in lakes to provide water supply for the country.
Now I want to answer the excellent questions that you both asked. Maya wanted to know what the children in Israel are like.
In the town we live, the children are very lively and friendly, and are a little on the wild side, and I heard that the schools seem sometimes like a “mad house”, but they grow up to be good people, with a sense of responsibility.Many families here have a lot of children, so older children take care of younger siblings, and help their parents. On Friday, there is no school, and we can see in some family-owned stores, how the children take place of their parents to wait on customers, while parents prepare for Shabbos. You can see on the picture below how a girl and a boy in the home goods store help us with purchases. Also the children are quite mature, because even little boys know that when they grow up to be 18 years old, they will go to the army for a few years, where they will be trained to protect their country if needed. The girls don’t need to go to the army (unless they want to), but when they grow up they do public service, also for a few years after they finish the school, helping their country in other ways, accordingly to what they like to do. Some of the things they do are helping poor people, helping in hospitals, working with old people, with disabled children, etc. So the children grow up to know they will have to take responsibilities for their families, communities and their country.
Vera also asked if blue is Israel national color. Yes, Israeli flag has blue and white colors, which are the colors of Jewish faith since the ancient times. In Judaism, blue represents the sky, and heaven above it, making one aware of higher reality of G-d and life of the soul. Blue also is the color of water of the ocean, that reflects the color of the sky and in Jewish tradition symbolizes Tora. Jews who settled in Tzfat in 15th century started to paint their homes blue as a source of inspiration. Now too, you can see a lot of color blue in Tzfat. We love you and think of you always. How your school is going? Did you go skiing or skating? What else is going on? Love, Babushka and Eber

Shabbos #4

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After three and a half weeks, we are still enjoying the status of being “new” and have many invitations for Shabbos meals. That helps making new friends, and also to go to the different shuls, as we join our hosts in the shul they daven, to be able to share part of their life. So this past Shabbos we discovered a new shul – “Chertkov” – a tiny shul that we would not even find by ourselves as it is completely hidden in a labirinth of small alleys. Because it is hidden, there are no tourists there, only locals, about 20 people, all men dressed in black bekeshe, white socks and black shtreimels, and just a few women in women’s section. Because we came with Eber’s friend Yakov, people were immediately friendly to us, welcoming us warmly, asking where we came from etc. In this shul, it was first time that we heard Breslov “Lecha Dodi” since we came to Tzfat (They don’t do Breslov Lecha Dodi in Breslov shul.) Every shul is a totally different experience, but always positive, and there is still a lot to explore and figure out what is the best for us. Besides Shabbos service, we enjoyed both Shabbos meals in a company of English speakers, from US, England, France, Canada. There were people who made Alyah 10 years ago, 4 years ago, 7 moths ago, and us, the most new. At both meals, there was delicious food, prepared with a lot of caring and love, and an animated discussion about the Torah portion, with hosts giving dvar Torah, sharing the insights from their weekly learning, and guests actively contributing to the discussion, making Torah come alive at the Shabbos table. The apartment where we had lunch together with three more couples had a magnificent view of Kineret in a distance, which provided a pefect backgound for the conversation at the table. Then the discussion moved to personal stories of Alyah, and we stayed long at that table, reluctant to part with each other.Every day in Tzfat is amazing, especially Shabbos.