Category: Modern History

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.

It was May 1948 and the Israeli War of Independence raged on. As the battles were being fought in the town of Safed, the Arab residents of the city decided to run, abandoning their homes and possessions. Times were hard and feelings ran high against the Arabs.

As the Arabs made their escape, many of the Jewish residents of Safed raided and plundered the abandoned homes of the wealthy Arab residents of the town, taking whatever they could find as booty. The raids continue even as the Jewish Sabbath arrived. The Palmach was forced to take action, going so far as to shoot into the air to disperse the looters.

Rabbi Avraham Zeida Heller, an important figure in the town, responded with strong condemnation and shock at the sight of what his congregants were doing. He issued a public statement on the 16th May 1948 co-signed by his colleague Rav Weingott. The statement spoke out against profaning the Sabbath but its main message was to prohibit the raids and call for the preservation of, “the sanctity of the Jewish morality,” even against the enemy in wartime. Today, the handwritten statement is on display at the Beit HaMeiri Museum in Safed and this is its text:

Embarrassing Impressions

“Dearly Beloved Brothers!

With the release of our holy city and with our hearts filled with gratitude and praise to the Lord, Blessed be He, for the redemption of our souls, we are filled with grief and pain in not rising up at this great hour for the sake of avoiding serious errors and embarrassing impressions made and revealed during our time. This hour is an hour of serious crisis.

Our Torah is a Torah of life which permits us to work on the Sabbath for the war effort, for those jobs which involve the saving of a life and therefore we announced earlier that one is permitted to continue in this type of work on the Sabbath. Unfortunately, there are people who think that the leash extends (Heaven Forfend) and they break the Sabbath in public for their own enjoyment and comfort, without any linkage to the war effort. One sin begets another.

During Joshua’s capture of the Land, there was found only one man who failed to overcome his greedy inclinations but in this case there were dozens of people who could not control their inclinations and had no consideration of the sanctity of the Sabbath—they went out to plunder and maraud right in the middle of the Sabbath. How this pains and grieves.

Jewish Morality

The fact is that our dear sons, who know how to fight with bravery and give of themselves for the people and for the land, do not know how to control their inclinations and keep the sanctity of the Sabbath and the Jewish morality. We are not the people of whom it is said, ‘By your sword you shall live. (Genesis 27:4),’ and we do not live for marauding and taking booty.

Dear Brothers! We knew how to stand bravely and with honor during our trial, as we were surrounded by enemy forces. We shall also know how to stand during the trial of liberty! We shall remember the commandments of our holy Torah, ‘Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy. (Leviticus 11:44)’

We shall make holy and rise above and purify ourselves to be deserving of this great hour, that greater and better than us did not merit. We shall know not only how to die in sanctity but also how to live in sanctity. We shall keep the sanctity of the Sabbath and of Jewish morality and then we shall certainly merit the witnessing of God’s salvation and with the help of the Rock of Israel and our Redeemer we shall exterminate our enemies and settle our land.

Rabbi A.Z. Heller, Rabbi E. Weingott.”

It was the eve of Passover, 1948, in the little town of Safed. This year, Passover fell on the Sabbath, giving the air a special flavor of being both a Sabbath and a holiday. But times were tense, since besides being a Sabbath and a holiday, it was also wartime, Israel’s War of Independence, to be exact.

Local Palmach troops were busying themselves barricading the city in expectation of the town becoming a warfront. Rabbi Avraham Zeida Heller, a spiritual leader for the town of Safed, along with his colleague Rabbi Ephraim Weingott, realized that the existence of the town and the survival of the townspeople depended upon the barricade’s completion, and so waived the Halachic (Jewish legal) responsibility to avoid working on the Sabbath and the holiday. Heller and Weingott issued a legal decision to this effect.

Mental Turmoil

In his book, The Battle Over Safed: Legend and Reality, Rabbi Heller described his mental turmoil after Palmach staff members asked his permission to work on the Sabbath. “The nature of this request caught me off-guard; my mind was torn over the points of the debate. I never had to stand on a decision made so quickly on a matter of such serious import. The severe halachic responsibility of a Jewish rabbi to instruct Jews to make their Shabbat and holiday profane and go to work…”

Rav Heller found the decision difficult: did this type of work, intended to save lives, constitute an action worthy of superseding the laws of the Sabbath? After he weighed the potential serious security consequences of the situation should the barricades not be completed, he concluded that, “this work is not only allowed on the Sabbath but is a commandment and a duty. Even I myself must help and participate at this time.”

On Friday, April 23, 1948, a day before Pesach, the rabbi made known his decision in a public announcement. Rabbi Heller convinced his colleague, Rabbi Weingott to affix his signature to the decision. Here follows the text of the legal decision:

Legal Decision

“Bless God. From the holy city of Safed, may it be rebuilt and reestablished, on the eve of Passover, in the year of 5708.

Notice: It has come to our attention that some of the barricade work within our city is needed to defend the lives of the public. Therefore we inform the public: It is permitted and it is even a commandment and a duty to continue the barricade work, as described above, tomorrow on the Holy Sabbath and Passover that are about to arrive, by God, may He be blessed, by the mercy of his cherubs may we be saved from all our enemies and may He lead us from darkness to light and from slavery to redemption speedily in our days, Amen.”

Alongside Them

Heller went above and beyond even this deed and led the religious residents of Safed to the barricades where he worked alongside them. His actions gave them strength and faith, cheering the fighters and weary residents.

The Heller/Weingott decision and Heller’s activism as a leader had great impact on the town’s success against the Syrian, Lebanese, and Iraqi forces. By dint of his legal decision, a special relationship grew between him and the Palmach who gave him the Semel HaKomemiyut, the Medal of Freedom From Tyranny.

The capture of Safed was very important in the War of Independence. This was because Safed, with its high elevation and its northern location, was, and is, a very strategic site. It is also, of course, a religiously significant location and one that the Jewish people wanted to secure for themselves. The operation to capture Safed was known as Operation Yiftach and was a very important undertaking during the 1948 Israel War of Independence.

Operation Yiftach

On April 15, when the British officially withdrew from Safed and many other locations, the Palmach infiltrated the city to prepare for this battle. They helped to bolster the defense of the city and to help the Jews who were besieged in the Jewish quarter. When the British withdrew, the Arabs were able to secure the upper hand and to take control of the strategic points around the city. These sites included the police fortress on Mount Cana’an, an ancient fortress in the town, and the Shalva House.

Strategy by the Palmach

On April 28, 1948, the Haganah made a number of strategic moves in and around Safed. They took over the Rosh Pinah police fortress and a nearby army camp that the British had occupied. They also took over the villages of Birya and Ein Zeitun to the North of Safed. This allowed them to create a corridor leading to the Jewish quarter in Safed and to move supplies in to the starving people in the quarter. Then, on May 3, a second Palmach unit entered Safed.

Failure and then Success

On May 6, the first Jewish attack on the city ended in failure when the Arabs brought in reinforcements. On May 10^th, however, the battle ended with the Jews capturing key positions in Safed. Although the Jews assured the Arabs in the city that they would not be hurt, most of the 10,000 Arab residents of Safed fled to neighboring towns and villages. This then paved the way for Jewish forces to take control of all of Safed and the surrounding areas.

The Yiftach Operation

Seen in retrospect, the Yiftach Operation was a tremendous success. It achieved all of its stated objectives and it liberated the Upper and Eastern Galilee areas for the Jews. To this day, when you visit Safed, you’ll see remnants from the battle in 1948. Some of the older buildings still have the bullet marks that they suffered during this battle, and some of the military equipment has been left as a reminder of the fighting that took place in this historic and religiously significant city.

Overwhelming Odds

One of the most inspiring stories of Israel’s War of Independence is the tale of the Liberation of Tzfat.

Tzfat was seen as a military goal by both the Jews and the Arabs because of its location – on a high mountaintop with a stunning view of the entire north, and it was a location that neither side could afford to loose. In addition, for the Jewish forces, the conquest of Tzfat was considered an important psychological boost for Israel. It was an ancient Jewish city, one of the four holy cities of Judaism, and the center of Torah study in the North.

There were a number of factors that made the capture of Tzfat seem to be an unrealistic goal for the Jews. For one thing, the Jewish forces were outnumbered by more than 10 – 1. The Arab forces, buoyed by troops from Syria and Iraq, were heavily armed, while the Jewish troops were reduced to counting every bullet that they shot. Most importantly, the occupying British army was handing over the strategic high points of the city to the Arabs as they left.

There were approximately 4000 Jewish civilians living in Tzfat in 1948. Most of them were elderly or young children, and many were Orthodox Torah scholars, unfamiliar to the basic elements of self-defense. The Jewish soldiers had to contend with the question of how to defend these people while fighting the Arab forces. When the pre-State Haganah, the Jewish Defense Force, sent 35 soldiers in to bolster the few hundred Jewish soldiers who were defending Tzfat, their first job was to organize the Jewish community’s civilian affairs, rationing food, setting up communications, and trying to secure as many civilians in safe quarters as possible.

The Davidka

The battles raged for months, until the spring of 1948, several days before Israel was declared a State. In late April, an artillery piece, nicknamed “The Davidka” was delivered to the Jews. They shot it off several times, but the mortars did little damage…..the main effect was the tremendous noise. However, the weather changed, and, unusually for that time of year, it began to rain. The rumor quickly spread through the Arab community that the Jews had acquired the atom bomb, and the entire Arab community left that night. With their exit, morale deteriorated among the Arab troops, and the Haganah was able to secure the city.

Several years later, a local tour guide, curious as to how the rumor of the atom bomb had spread, asked some of Tzfat’s old-timers to recount the story. Several of them told him the same story.

Seems that before the Arab riots of 1929, when the Jews and Arabs used to shop together in the common marketplace, the women became friendly, and although they hadn’t had contact since the riots, they remembered each other. When the hostilities broke out in the winter of 1948, they got into the habit of coming to the “no-man’s land” in the evenings, when there would be a lull in the shooting, and yelling at each other. The Jewish women would yell at the Arab women in Arabic, and the Arab women would yell at the Jewish women in Yiddish.

The evening after the Davidka was shot, one of the Arab women asked “vos is dus?” to which one of the Jewish women, sarcastically, replied “we have the atom bomb”. With that, the rumor spread, and what had once seemed to be impossible became a reality – the battle for Tzfat was won.