Author: byishimo

The Days Following Passover

Judaism has sometimes been referred to as a schizophrenic religion – it jumps from one extreme to another so quickly that it’s hard to keep track of what is being celebrated, remembered, memorialized, commemorated, observed, marked or honored from one day to the next.

Nowhere in the Jewish calendar is this more apparent than in the weeks following Passover. Passover itself is a culmination of weeks of pressured cleaning and cooking, preparing for the seven-day festival (eight days outside of Israel) when households must be rid of all the food, crumbs, dishes and utensils from the rest of the year, and clean “Pesach utensils” and new Kosher-for-Passover food must be stocked. When the holiday finally begins, sighs of relief can be audibly heard throughout the city as residents begin a week of celebration and relaxation. And an ideal way to spend vacation time is in a Safed Passover holiday home.

The second day of Passover begins the 7-week “sephira” or counting, when Jews count the 50 days between Passover and Shavuot, between the historical Exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt to the day when they stood at Mt. Sinai and received the Torah. This period has several days of commemoration, some of which have a very special significance for the people of Tzfat.

Days of Remembrance

The first is “Yom HaShoah”, Holocaust Memorial Day. Coming one week after the end of Passover, the days leading up to Yom HaShoah are somber, as Tzfat residents who survived the Holocaust speak in schools and public forums about their experiences. On Yom HaShoah, a siren sounds at 10 a.m., which is a signal throughout the country for people to stand for 2 moments of silence of respect. Many people make an effort to come to the main street of the town, Rehov Yerusalayim, in order to stand together with other Jews at this time. When the siren goes off, everyone stops where they are, though oftentimes, one can see some of the younger people moving over to stand next to the survivors.

The scene repeats itself a week later on Memorial Day, when the country commemorates the soldiers who have given their lives during Israel’s wars and struggles for survival.

First the city commemorates Tzfat Liberation Day, when the miracle of Tzfat’s liberation during the War of Independence is remembered. Elderly men and women, veterans of the battles for Tzfat, make their way up to Tzfat from throughout Israel for the commemoration, and they are honored in an evening ceremony at the town’s central auditorium. The names of the slain soldiers and civilians are read and memorialized, and the evening ends with the Defenders of Tzfat 1948 standing throughout the auditorium, singing their anthem.

On Memorial Day itself the main activity takes place in the military cemetery. Streams of people start moving to the cemetery from the morning hours, and at 11:00a.m., the central memorial ceremony begins – standing together in the small cemetery which borders and overlooks Tzfat’s ancient cemetery are hundreds of Tzfat citizens, friends and relatives of the soldiers and civilians who died in Israel’s wars. The crowd represents every facet of Israeli society…..Ultra Orthodox stand next to secular, Sepharadim (North African Jews) hug Ashkanazim (Eastern-European Jews) and the chants of prayers of remembrance are heard in a dozen accents, dialects and traditions as all Tzfat stands together in honor of these young men and women.

Beginnings of the Jewish Nation

After the Exodus from Egypt, the Children of Israel walked towards Mt. Sinai where, 50 days after they fled Egypt, they received the Torah from God.

Remembering this period, Jews today count “the Omer” — 50 days from the beginning of the Passover holiday until they reach the Shavuot holiday, the holiday when Jews commemorate receiving the Five Books of Moses, the Torah.

The 7 week Omer period is a somber time, when religious Jews traditionally refrain from hearing live music or attending performances, holding large celebrations (including weddings) or even getting haircuts. Each day, during morning prayers, Jews “Count the Omer”, saying “this is the third week and the 2nd day (the 23rd day) of the Omer”, etc.

Feast of the Pentecost

As the fiftieth day approaches, preparations for Shavuot, also known as the Feast of the Pentecost,  begin in earnest. Since Shavuot has few requirements, it’s an easy and fun holiday to prepare for…..it’s traditional to eat dairy foods on Shavuot (since the Children of Israel are said to have refrained from eating meat until they received the Torah and its laws of kashruth) so during the week preceding Shavuot the dairy counters of the Tzfat supermarkets are crowded, and the workers often find themselves dispensing cooking advice with the cheeses (“try this one, it makes a great quiche”).

One Shavuot tradition which is observed throughout the world today has its roots in Tzfat – that of staying up throughout Shavuot night to study Torah. The ARI, the great Kabbalist R’ Isaac Luria, began that tradition when he lived in Tzfat in the 16th century, and today it is practiced by Jewish communities worldwide. In Tzfat, children remain with their parents, usually the fathers, for much of the night, wandering home alone when they are ready to go to sleep. The streets are full of people on Shavuot night, moving from synagogue to synagogue, class to class, and no one thinks twice about an 8-year-old who is walking home alone.

One Shavuot law states that everyone is required to hear the Ten Commandments read aloud. Groups of young men walk through Tzfat on Shavuot day, calling to residents who may not have been in a synagogue yet that day, inviting them to come outside and hear the portion read. On streets and lanes throughout the town, little groups gather on street corners and in local parks to hear the readers chant the Ten Commandments. Oftentimes, the readers are called into the homes of people who are confined to their apartments, and they go in joyfully, pleased to help someone fulfill the law of hearing the Ten Commandments read.

Children also look forward to Shavuot for another reason…..Shavuot is the unofficially opening of summer.  Throughout the town, children bring their water balloons and water guns to the local parks and public squares as Shavuot water fights break out. Most adults know that this is the time of day to stay inside, but after their nights of learning, they are prepared to hand the streets over to the children, who gleefully enjoy ushering in the summer with their water wars.

Passover in Safed

Pesach is a holiday that celebrates freedom. Want to feel truly liberated? Freed from the scrubbing and cleaning and turning over your house so it is Pesach certified? A Passover vacation rental will do just that.

For Passover 2016, treat yourself like royalty. In a Passover house rental, the scrubbing has already been done and the cupboards and rooms are all cleaned of chametz. If you wish to use the dishes, Pesach meat and milk dishes, cutlery, utensils and pots and pans are provided so you can cook with ease in the state-of-the-art kosher for Pesach kitchen.

If a Passover villa appeals to you, check out Villa Tiferet in the heart of the Artists’ Quarter of Tsfat. Combine a spiritually uplifting stay in Tsfat and private family time in a large, deluxe home. And during chol hamoed, enjoy the beauty of Israel’s north right at your doorstep.

Preparing for Passover

One April, not many years ago, a group of Christian tourists from the Netherlands were walking through the lanes of Tzfat’s Old City. In addition to the regular tourist sites….the galleries, synagogues and shops, the visitors watched in amazement as the local residents scurried around, preparing for Passover.

Buckets of water seemed to be washed out of every house that they passed. Entire families had set up tables and chairs outside their front doors so as to not bring breadcrumbs into their Passover-ready homes. Children raced through the streets with wagons of pots and pans to be taken to a synagogue – the utensils would be rendered kosher for Passover by immersing them in a vat of boiling water.

At some point on their tour, the group’s leader, a minister, stopped a local resident. “If you would be so kind” the minister asked him “we are aware that you are preparing for your Passover holiday. But we are curious about what we are seeing here today. Can you explain?”

The resident proceeded to give the group a short rundown of the holiday and the preparations necessary for religious Jews to celebrate it properly. He explained how Jews clean out their entire house to make sure that no bread crumbs are left in the house. He described how Jews replace their eating utensils with Passover dishes, pots and pans which are unboxed just for this one week holiday. He told them that religious Jews scrub their kitchens, pick through corners with toothpicks, and take a blowtorch to their stovetops in order to render everything kosher for Passover. And he described how Jews completely replenish their pantries and food stocks so as to insure that no “chametz” or non-Passover food is eaten during the holiday.

When the 10-minute explanation had finished, the group’s members thanked the resident for helping them to understand the holiday more fully. But as the resident walked away, he was heard to mutter, “they must think that we’re crazy. We are ABSOLUTELY crazy.”

Passover in Tzfat

One of the things that makes Passover so special in Tzfat is that, with very few exceptions, the entire population of the town is doing exactly the same thing. Everyone, no matter where they fall on the spectrum of religious observance, is cleaning and changing over their kitchens to a kosher-for-Passover one. While some areas of the country have strongly secular populations which are not interested in the traditions and laws of Passover, the number of such people in Tzfat can probably be counted in the double digits, if that.

Aside from the certainty that most people have of being able to eat in their neighbors’ houses during Passover, this almost-universal adherence to the laws of Passover in Tzfat has other benefits, which the shoppers, mainly women, can attest to.

Since shopping for Passover involves buying absolutely everything for the holiday afresh, the shopping expedition for Passover is generally a 2-3 hours affair for the average household. As people wait in line with their purchases, women begin to swap recipes. Thus, one can, in a few minutes, collect a wide variety of recipes for Passover – last year, one housewife related that her shopping trip netted her recipes for Moroccan fish, Tunisian stew, Persian cookies, Polish Passover pancakes, and Russian Passover “bagels”. This year, she claims, she’s going to ask for invitations to all of these homes to taste the various dishes.

In the year 438 B.C.E, a new king ascended the throne of ancient Persia. It was an occurrence which elicited little notice in those days, and even when viewed today, is of little historical importance.

Yet that event triggered a chain of events which is remembered today throughout the Jewish world in a day of rollicking laughter, fun, and crazy behavior that encompasses Jews everywhere.

After the expulsion of Jews to Babylonia, the Jews came under Persian rule when the Babylonian empire fell to Persia. Many Jews moved to Persia and lived comfortably. When a new king brought in his anti-Semitic minister, the lives of all the Jews were threatened, but through a series of coincidences, happenstances and plain old miracles, the plans of the minister were thwarted, and ever since, the day that marks this victory, Purim, has signaled Jewish revelry and merriment.

Residents of Tzfat, of course, celebrate like their brethren, though Tzfat’s celebrations always seem to have a special flavor.

Making Merry

The “official” opening of Purim is Rosh Hodesh Adar, the first day of the month of Adar, when Purim falls. Already on that day, 15 days before the actual holiday, the city starts its preparations. Whereas a series of bells generally note the beginnings and recesses at the schools, during this period, the school loudspeakers blare Purim music. Storekeepers can often be found tending to their shops wearing false noses and funny hats. And even in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, stink bombs find their way into apartment hallways and false “doggie doo” is strategically placed on the street to startle the generally unflappable matrons as they scurry on their way to the supermarket or other errands in the neighborhood.

On the last school day before Purim vacation, children come to their kindergartens and schools dressed in costume. Many adults who otherwise would have no reason to be on the street at 8:00a.m. insure that they are out at that time, for the procession of excited youngsters walking to school as cowboys, princesses, witches and every other dress-up imaginable is a highlight of the year. For the Ethiopian children who live in Tzfat’s two Ethiopian Absorption Centers, this is a new experience – the Ethiopian Jewish community was separated from the mainstream Jewish world before the Babylonian exile, so the Purim tradition is not theirs. They quickly become excited participants though, as the children don their costumes and join the colorful trek to school while their parents, as amazed as their children, join in this one new step towards becoming Israelis.

On the actual holiday of Purim, the Ethiopians are invited to several synagogues throughout the city, where their children, now well-versed in the new customs, dash around in their costumes with the Israeli-born children. The Ethiopian adults, dressed in traditional white robes with babies on their mothers’ backs, sit with the congregation as all listen to the “Megilla”, the reading of the Purim Story. In many of the Hassidic synagogues, the children, and even some adults are dressed as secular Israelis with tattoos, spiked hair and blue jeans, while in other synagogues, secular and more modern religious people dress up in Hassidic garb with white socks, sidelocks, and black hats.

Yet as they dash through the street throughout the following day, all wish each other a “Purim Samayach” (happy Purim) and often stop to share a few Purim cookies, and, for the adults, some drinks. The Purim tradition of getting drunk makes that holiday a celebration of unity, for everyone enjoys getting drunk together.

The Next Holiday

Yom Kippur is, as is generally know, the most somber and solemn day of the Jewish calendar. Coming closely after the Jewish New Year when Jews pray for forgiveness for their sins and reflect on their intent to better themselves for the coming year, Yom Kippur is believed to be the culmination of this period of penitence, and accordingly, Jews fast and pray on this day.

It therefore comes as something of a shock to see the morning after Yom Kippur, mere hours after the fast day ended, people rushing through the streets preparing for the next holiday. This time, everyone is in a joyous mood, trading good wishes for the next holiday, Succot.

Succot is also known as the Feast of the Booths, or, in Christian tradition, the Feast of the Tabernacles. It commemorates the small flimsy structures  that the Children of Israel were forced to live in while wandering through the desert on their 40-year trek from Egypt to Israel. During this week-long festival, Jews build “succas“, or small temporary structures, next to their houses, and eat and sleep in them.

Preparations for Succot

Immediately following Yom Kippur, the people of Tzfat begin to pull out their succas, which have been stored away for the past year. Wooden walls, plastic sheets, and often a patchwork of both make up these booths, and people rush back and forth from neighbor’ to neighbors’, borrowing nails, twine, and hammers as they try to figure out a plan that will allow their succa to stay standing for a week.

Jewish law states that the succas are to have roofs that one can see the stars through, and here, Tzfat residents begin to get creative. Aside from the branches of the trees which city workers prune during this week, City Hall can count on local citizens to helping with the municipality gardening, since the nights preceding the holiday find local residents wandering the streets with saws and trimmers, ready to snip any stray branch that they see. The trees in the woods surrounding Tzfat are also trimmed in this way, insuring that the local fire hazard will minimize a bit in the coming spring.

In the meantime, succas begin to sprout throughout the town. Some people have porches or private areas next to their houses where they construct their succas, but many people in apartment buildings build their succas on the sidewalks next to their building, and some, even on the buildings’ roofs. There are some neighborhoods where one cannot walk along the sidewalk for the week of Succot, but no one minds, since the holiday, even for those who don’t build a succa, is universally enjoyed. Neighbors with succas invite in their friends who don’t have succas, and a typical Succot night in Tzfat is one where one can walk along the street and hear dozens of songs and conversations in the structures which are lined up one next to the other, and, of course, smell endless dishes of piping hot stews, soups, and other tasty dishes.

It’s likely that this is exactly what the scene was like in the evenings 3300 years ago as the Children of Israel made their way from Egypt to Israel.

Who Lived in Tzfat?

Visitors to Tzfat are often mesmerized by the city. The cobblestones, the stone houses and synagogues, the narrow alleyways – all contribute to an atmosphere of history, of Jewish traditions and communities, and of mysticism. A question which is frequently thrown out by people who are in the midst of this enchantment is “how much does a house here cost?”

There are probably few questions which have more answers. Within what would account for an American neighborhood “block”, one can find properties that range in price from $50,00 – $500,000. Some have gardens, and some not. Some are 25 square meters, some are 250 square meters. Some are completely updated and modern, others have plumbing and electricity that dates back to WWI. Some have no plumbing or electricity at all!

The most frustrating aspect about buying a house in the Jewish Quarter of Tzfat, however, is the question of ownership. Tzfat is one of the few areas in Israel where Jews have owned property for centuries. Ownership of these properties has passed from generation to generation, from parents to children, for, in some cases, hundreds of years. Today, one can find properties that have dozens, and sometimes hundreds of owners.

Finding the owners of these properties is an exercise in patience and stubbornness. Stories abound of buyers who pursued the descendents of the original owners for years until they were able to buy at least a majority of the property. This would not give them full title to the property, but they would be able to claim the property. One well-known Tzfat story goes back to the 1980s, when a potential buyer heard that there was a family wedding scheduled where many of the descendents of the original owner would be present. He arrived at the wedding with the papers and a checkbook in hand, toasted the couple, and made the rounds of the guests, obtaining their signatures on the sale.

Tracing Families

Tracing families in Tzfat is tricky. There are some records available, mostly lists of children enrolled in schools, residents of the Old Age home, synagogue donors, etc. One of the most enterprising projects is that of the Tzfat Fund, which uses the services of a well-known local guide to map out the cemetery. Chaim Sidor comes to Tzfat on frequent visits and spends his time in the cemetery, trying to read the old gravestones, some of which date back hundreds of years. Many of these stones are unreadable, but enough are legible so that slowly, Chaim is building up a database (available on the web) of people who lived in Tzfat. Since Jewish gravestones traditionally list the names of the deceased’s parents, many family connections have been discovered in this manner.

The other method of tracing family in Tzfat is through old stories. This happens frequently … someone shows up and starts asking about the something-or-other family. There are still enough old-timers in Tzfat that one can be assured that, if enough time is spent, and enough people are asked, the family will be remembered. Unfortunately for many researchers, however, the family skeletons are also remembered, and too often, stories that should have remained buried come to life. Genealogy is a tricky science, especially in Tzfat.

While Safed is a fascinating place, rich in Jewish history, it also has many interesting neighboring areas. One such area is Meron, an ancient city that is today best known for its Lag Ba’Omer celebration. Learning more about Meron helps to shed light on the history of Safed and its surrounding area.

Meron Facts

Meron is an ancient city that was mentioned in the records of Egyptian kings who invaded the area more than 3,000 years ago. One amazing discovery made by archeologists in Meron was the founding of a synagogue that dates back 1,700 years. Meron’s other historical claim to fame is the belief by Jewish historians that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai hid in a cave in Peki’in, a nearby area, and wrote the Zohar there.

Meron Fame

Meron is most famous for the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. He was a first century rabbi who contributed a great deal to the Mishna and is often quoted in the Talmud. People also assume that he wrote the Zohar, a book about mystical thought in Judaism. Other figures also buried in Meron are Hillel, Shammai and Rabbi Elozor ben Shimon.

Lag Ba’Omer in Meron

Lag Ba’Omer is a holiday that represents the 33^rd day of the counting of the Omer. The Omer is counted from Pesach until Savuot. Lag Ba’Omer is understood as a celebration for a number of different reasons. The Talmud says that during the time of Rabbi Akiva, 24,000 students of his died from a plague. Lag Ba’Omer is thought to be the day the plague ended. After all of these students died, Rabbi Akiva went on to teach just five students. One of them was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Lag Ba’Omer is also thought to be the anniversary of the death of Rabbi bar Yochai. Therefore, Meron is the center of a mass pilgrimage on Lag Ba’Omer by Jews who are coming to bar Yochai’s tomb. Both Safed and Meron see thousands and thousands of Jews who come each year to visit the tombs on this special holiday.

Meron Modern History

During the Second Lebanon War in 2006 Meron, unfortunately, made the news quite a bit. On July 14, 2006 a katyusha rocket fired from Lebanon exploded in Meron. Two people, Yehudid Itzkovich and her seven year old grandson Omer Pesachov, were killed and four others were injured. Meron was also hit by rockets on July 15, but no one sustained injuries.

History of Ethiopian Jews

Thousands of years ago, a portion of the Jews of the Land of Israel were separated from the mainstream Jewish community and somehow made their way to Ethiopia. Some say that they were sent by King Solomon to the Queen of Sheba’s land after she visited Solomon in Israel. Others believe that they fled Israel during the upheavals following the destruction of the First Temple. Other theories abound as well.

What is known is that these Jews, Beta Israel, maintained their connections to the Torah and customs of their heritage, and although they weren’t aware of Rabbinic Laws, their dedication to their religion carried them through more than two millennium.

Ethiopian Jews yearned to return to Israel, and in 1983 and 1984, thousands of Ethiopian Jews reached Israel by trekking through Ethiopia to Sudan, where Israelis waited to bring them to Israel by boat. Tzfat was one of the first cities to set up absorption centers for these new Israelis, and the municipality, schools, and social services in Tzfat have always gone above and beyond what’s “necessary” to assist their absorption into Israeli Society.

Again in 1991, a large wave of immigrants arrived when Israel airlifted 14,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel in a lightning, one-night operation. Tzfat continued its tradition, begun in 1984, of hosting large numbers of these immigrants during their absorption phase.

Since then, Israel has continued to bring new immigrants in small groups, and many come to Tzfat. The city has two absorption centers, and the infrastructure in Tzfat is recognized as being extremely hospitable.

Why Tzfat?

There are several reasons for this. First of all, Tzfat in general is known as the “Berkeley of the Middle East” – a place where eccentrics gather, but also, as a place which is accepting and open to all.

Secondly, Magbit Brittania, the Jewish Federation of the UK, is involved in assisting the immigrants, specifically with a yearly Bar and Bat Mitzva celebration for the Ethiopian youngsters reaching that age. The children are invited to participate in special activities which teach them about Judaism and then, at the culmination of the year, they travel to Jerusalem with their parents to celebrate at the Western Wall. The activities take place with local teachers and counselors; a rabbi and his wife travel to Tzfat frequently to add educational content and spiritual support, and the children are treated to new clothes and the ritual items necessary for a proper Bar and Bat Mitzva.

Finally, however, the new immigrants find caring and helpful support from the local population. Led by Dr. Yehoshua Sivan, the Committee for Ethiopian Jews in Safed raises money to try to help the immigrants with some of the basics that the government does not provide. Dental care, eyeglasses, school expenses, winter clothing…..these are just some of the “extras” that Dr. Sivan tries to help with through his organization. “72% of all Ethiopian Israelis live below the poverty line” the Committee’s annual newsletter reminds donors. “65% of Ethiopian families don’t have a breadwinner”. Each small donation adds up to the Committee’s ability to help the new immigrants get through their first few years in Israel and look forward to a new future as Israelis.

Tzfat is, indeed, a special place for Israel’s newest population of immigrants.

To assist Dr. Sivan in his work, contact him at ysivan@hotmail.com

Safed’s history, like that of most of Israel, is paved in the blood of its people. Throughout history, the Jewish people have had to fight to keep their land and to keep their safety. One incident, in 1974, hit the town of Safed very deeply.

Ma’alot, 1974

Ma’alot is located in the Western Galilee, 20 kilometers eat of Nahariya and about an hour’s drive from Haifa. It was founded in the 1950s by North African Jews who came to Israel as refugees from hostile Arab nations where they were no longer safe.

May 15, 1974

On this day, which was Israel’s Independence Day, a group of 11^th grade students from Safed were on a field trip in the Golan. They intended to hike for the day, enjoy the country and its birthday, and then return to Safed the next day. That night the children slept in a school in Ma’alot. During the night, three Arab terrorists who were dressed as IDF soldiers attacked the school. They killed the guard and some of the children. While some of the children escaped through a second story window, approximately 102 children from Safed were held hostage.

Who Were These Terrorists?

The next morning, the terrorists were identified as part of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or the DFLP. They had come from Lebanon and targeted the children in this school. The DFLP was a Marxists-Leninist, pro-Soviet group that had split from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in 1969. They demanded that Arab terrorists be released from Israeli prison or they would start to kill the children from Safed. They set their deadline for 6:00 pm on the same day.

Emergency Meetings

The Knesset convened an emergency session. Israel had always forbidden negotiating with terrorists, but this was a very hard stand to take with over one hundred children held hostage. They forced an exception and by 3:00 pm they had reached a decision to negotiate. The DFLP declared, however, that there was no time for negotiating – only for giving into their demands.

Golani Help

At 5:45 pm a Golani unit stormed the building. All of the terrorists were killed during the raid, but only after they took the lives of 21 of the children. The total number of killed was 26 – including several people who were murdered the night before as the terrorists made their way to the school. In Beirut, there were demonstrations honoring the fallen “martyrs” of the cause by Nayef Hawatmeh, the DFLP leader and his followers.

Tragedy for Safed

This incident certainly marked a tragedy for the people of Safed, some of whom lost their children. It is a part of Israeli history, and Safed history in particular, that shows the difficulties that the Jewish people in Israel face at all times.