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  • Areyeh Ben Binyamin

    If you are looking for gardening advice together with a sprinkling of spiritual wisdom, look no further than Areyeh Ben Bi

    Areyeh Ben Binyamin

    nyamin who worked for many years in the garden nursery on Aliyah Bet Street.

    Early History

    Areyeh was brought up in a very “never again” Zionistic family in Boston. As a young child he would play in the woods

    pretending to fight for “Am Yisrael“. Later he fought for real in Vietnam, and then went to college on the G.I. bill.

    Kibbutz Life

    Coming to Israel in 1971 he joined kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek, the kibbutz which stopped the Syrians in their tracks d

    uring the War of Independence. He loved kibbutz life and worked training dogs for the Israeli army. His wife didn’t like being a kibbutznik and they divorced, and Areyeh ended up returning to the States where he worked for 20 years.

    Spiritual Beliefs

    About 20 years ago he had a revelation and became aware of God’s presence in the world. He is well versed in the Bible and can quote chapter and verse. He is a strong believer in the imminent coming of the Messiah which he is convinced is much closer than we think and will happen in his lifetime. He believes that “Hashem (God) brought me back to Israel and to Safed”. As proof, he says he came wi

    th very little money and no job prospects and knowing nobody and yet a short time later he had found an apartment and a job in the nursery.

    The Nursery

    He started gardening when he was a child, continued wherever he was living. He worked in Tzfat’s nursery for many years and knew most of his customers by name. People would come from far and wide for the benefit of his wisdom and experience, appreciating that he knew what he is talking about and tells the truth, even if it meant that he might not make a sale.

    He was also happy to share his spiritual views, political opinions, and knowledge of history with any of his customers who had the time to listen. He would say “the reason Hashem said “Shema Yisrael” is because we need to learn to listen”.

    The 2006 Lebanon War

    During the recent war in 2006, Areyeh refused to leave, even though he did not have many customers. He said “they are not running me off my land and from my country”. He came in every day to water the plants and believes he was “watched over” citing the time when five minutes after he closed up, a katuysha landed at the back of the nursery, injuring a woman waiting at the nearby bus stop.

    The Plants

    The nursery continues to thrive, though Aryeh, who retired, is missed. The nursary has everything from small bedding plants to fruit trees, and the current staff will be very happy to advise you on what plants to buy. They will even refuse to sell you something that they don’t think will be suitable for your garden or balcony.

    Aryeh is single and still lives near the nursery with his three dogs and two cats.

    Garden Nursery, Aliyah Bet Street. Tel no. 04 692 0155

    Opening hours:

    Summer Sunday to Friday 8.30am -2.00pm  Afternoons: 4.00pm -7pm except Tuesdays and Fridays

    Winter Sunday to Friday 8.30.pm – 5.pm, closed Tuesday & Friday afternoons.

  • Mimi Semuha

    Mimi Semuha, originally from America, has lived and worked in Israel since 1961. She moved to Safed  from

    Mimi Semuha

    Rishon LeZion, and has recently retired from her work with autistic children. Being the doing type, in the early 80’s she set up what became the National O

    rganization for Teachers in Autistic Education. This enabled teachers of autistic children to get together and compare notes, exchange i

    deas and help to improve what was available to these children. With her retirement, Mimi looked for something meaningful to do in addition to her private work as a consultant in autism.

    Something Needs To Be Done

    Walking her dog around Safed every day, Mimi saw that there were a lot of things that could be improved. Coming from America, she is much more environmentally aware than some of the old timers in Safed who have a somewhat more fatalistic “what can you do?” attitude about life. Mimi decided that “something needs to be done” to counteract the acceptance of the street litter and the general lack of pride in the city by many of its inhabitants.

    Peninat HaGalil (Pearl Of The Galilee) Organization

    She decided to set up the Peninat HaGalil organization to help improve and beautify the town, protect its green spaces, and campaign on the environmental issues affecting Safed residents. With a mailing list of over 500, the organization was very active during the recent local elections, holding a public meeting at the Yigal Allon Center to address the issues involved. She believes that this meeting, and the organization as a whole, was influential in helping to elect the most promising of the mayoral candidates, Ilan Shochet, who said he would help to develop and beautify the city.

    The Swimming Pool Issue

    The organization is campaigning on a variety of issues including probably the most important issue that affects a majority of Safed residents. This is the possible loss of the local public swimming pool which is under threat from the developers.

    The Emek Hatchelet is the only public open-air swimming pool in Safed and is set in a beautiful nature reserve. It is the only green place in Safed where whole families can go and spend the day in nature without having to leave the city. Summer day camps al

    so take the children there to enjoy the pool and play under the trees.

    Under a previous mayor, the land was sold to help pay off some municipal debts and a high density housing complex has been proposed on the site. Lawyers believe that there is a good case to save the Emek, as there are some questions regarding the legality of the sale. They can also argue the need to protect this vital city resource and its nature reserve on environmental grounds. Peninat HaGalil has taken on this issue and is fighting the case in the courts with the help of the Adam Teva V’din, a national organization which fights to save natural resources.

    Other Issues

    As well as campaigning for the Emek, collecting hundreds of signatures on petitions, getting written objections to the building proposals and generating publicity, Peninat HaGalil sends observers to the municipal council meetings. They were also instrumental in getting a new municipal environmental committee set up, on which they have representation. They send photos and information on environmental issues on what needs to be done to the local paper and report on improvements as they happen.

    Contact

    Mimi has moved from Tzfat to be closer to her children but other members of her organization, Peninat HaGalil, continue to advocate for increased ecological awareness. Mimi can be contacted at miriams800@yahoo.com

  • Six Self-Guided Walking Tours of Tzfat

    One of the biggest complaints among people who are involved in tourism in Tzfat is the fact that few tourists spend the

    Six Self-Guided Walking Tours of Tzfattime needed to really explore and understand the city.

    Exploring Tzfat

    Tzfat is one of Judaism’s four Holy Cities, rich in history and heritage, and central to understanding how Judaism developed to what it is today. People throughout the world are fascinated by Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, but even those who make their way to the City of Kabbalah don’t get the chance to properly understand what Kabbalah really is.

    If this is the situation today, 30 years ago, it was much worse. Tzfat’s thriving Artist Quarter received its fair share of visitors, but guides who understood the place of Tzfat in Jewish history and could and would explain it to the visitors whom they were guiding were few and far between.

    Yisrael and Phyllis Shalem arrived in Tzfat in 1980. Both were American immigrants who had completed their Israeli army service and subsequent university studies in Jerusalem, and were drawn to Tzfat. Yisrael worked for a time with Jewish Agency summer programs. His high school teaching job frustrated him — he saw that he was spending too much time on discipline and too little time instilling love of Torah and the Land of Israel in his students. He preferred the informal education of his summer program youth group work.

    A Way to Help Visitors

    Yisrael began to guide groups in Tzfat, and as time progressed, became more and more convinced that, with the proper infrastructure, many more visitors would be able to appreciate Tzfat and its rich history and traditions. He and Phyllis wrote a basic tour bo

    ok of Tzfat, Six Self-Guided Walking Tours of Tzfat, which has, through time, become the most used Tzfat guide for both tour guides and tourists who want to have a more complete and fulfilling Tzfat experience than the simple “in-and-out of two synagogues and shopping” which unfortunately characterizes many visits.

    Yisrael also produced a short 10-minute movie, Tzfat, the Mystical City, which can be viewed today at the Tourist Information Center of Tzfat. Whereas the book concentrates on Tzfat’s sites, the movie gives an overview of Tzfat’s history from the Spanish Expulsion period onward. Many visitors who otherwise would not understand why Tzfat occupies such an important place in the history of Judaism gain a thorough understanding through the movie.

    Yisrael and his partner, Haim Sidor (who, in addition to his guiding, is well-known today in Tzfat for his work in mapping out Tzfat’s cemetery) ran afoul of the Ministry of Tourism for their lack of a guiding license, which is required by law in Israel. The two guides insisted that the Ministry representatives come on one of their tours, and by the end, the Ministry officials continued to insist t

    hat Yisrael and Haim become licensed…..but asked that THEY organize the course (and teach in it!) which would grant them, and other guides of the area, their licenses.

    Yisrael and Phyllis collaborated together, and later with the travel writer Aviva Bar Am, on other Land of Israel guide books, notably on the Golan Heights, Tiberias Region and the Negev. As a book about Jerusalem was being written, Yisrael passed away after battling cancer for 3 years.

    Yisrael and Phyllis’s guide is still the premier Tzfat guide for visitors who want to get a further understanding of the town and its history. It can be purchased by writing to the Shalem’s son, Medad. Medad can be contacted at medad4@gmail.com. Medad has completed courses in Land of Israel studies and his love of the Land is a testimony to his remarkable father.

    To purchase Six Self-Guided Walking Tours of Tzfat, please email medad4@gmail.com

  • Home Away From Home

    The dream of many Jewish couples is to retire to Israel. If they live in a cold climate, they imagine living in a place w

    Home Away From Homehere there is often sunshine and warmth. They think about having a simpler life, spending time on the beach, or working in the garden.

    For some people, choosing the city in which to make a new home is easy. Those who yearn for the sea will choose the coast. Those for whom the idea of Israel has an intrinsic link to Jerusalem cannot imagine living anywhere else. Then there are the golf addict

    s who gravitate to Caesarea with its famed golf course.

    Admire, Aspire, Acquire

    But for Hava Har Even, the decision to move to Safed was decided by a click of her computer mouse. Hava and her husb

    and Shimon knew what they were looking for, but didn’t know where it might be found until Hava, by chance, clicked on a link that led her to a computer-generated depiction of a house, poised at the edge of a precipitous “wadi” or gully. As Hava explains, this was a case of, “Admire, aspire, acquire.”

    What was it about the image on the screen that so caught Hava’s imagination in 2005? Hava and Shimon had already sat and made a list of their priorities for what they sought in a post-retirement home. A villa in Neve Oranim, in the city of Safed fit all their specifications to a T.

    Hava, who was nearing retirement from her job as a legal secretary for a North London firm, along with Shimon, already retired, dreamed of buying an affordable home. This ruled out the kind of luxurious living accommodations found in Israeli cities like Savyon and Raanana. Safed would also afford the couple a life in the countryside with a garden, something they might not have had in a larger city. The Har Evens knew too, that in Safed, more religious, traditional Jews like themselves could feel at home, but would also live in peaceful harmo

    ny alongside secular Jewish families.

    Indefinable Quality

    To Hava, that villa on her computer screen “seemed to sit balanced between heaven and earth,” summing up the special, indefinable quality of Safed that so appealed to her, the, “creative, artistic, slightly hippie atmosphere,” and so, Hava had her answer: Safed, “the city in the sky.”

    But there is more to the story of Hava Har Even. Once the couple was ensconced in their new digs, they began to explore the area using the local bus lines. Hava was struck by the similarity of Safed to the English landscape so familiar to her. The “magic factor” that made the city a sound psychological fit for Hava was in its topography of hills overlooking a sea.

    To Hava, this felt almost like, “a seaside town on the moors or downs overlooking the English Channel near Brighton in East Sussex, England,” where she’d been raised as an infant, wandering with her mother among, “the cornfields and poppies of the South Downs.” As Hava put it, “I needed to get away from the city and seeing the landscape of my beginnings I felt spiritually at home.”

     

  • One Man, Many Hearts

    Without Fanfare

    One Man, Many Hearts

     

    One of the hidden treasures of the city of Safed is a plain-spoken, humble Chassid who calls himself simply, Reb Moshe. Witho

    ut any fanfare, Reb Moshe embarked on a project to film all of the many Jewish holy sites, including famous graves, in Safed and i

    n all of northern Israel. In these 350 video clips, Reb Moshe is seen and heard telling stories and giving practical advice. Many of the clips have exceeded their status becoming actual short films, with not a few having received a professional edit.

    Reb Moshe calls his project, “I Love Torah,” and his clips appear on many venues, including:  http://www.youtube.com/user/ilovetorah and www.torahvideo.com . A search at www.google.com brings up even more of Reb Moshe’s voluminous film work. In all, the films have received over one million views and there are hundreds of comments registered on the youtube site. People want to see the films because they intend to travel to the area and need sound advice on how to get there and what to see. The films and clips are so affecting that many viewers decide to immigrate to Israel after viewing them.

    The presence of this unusual fellow is felt elsewhere as well. At www.myspace.com/ilovetorah, Reb Moshe has attracted over 12,000 myspace members. People want to befriend Reb Moshe because he teaches from Safed, a holy city that tends to attract those on a spiritual sojourn. Facebook, another popular social networking website is a rather new venue for Reb Moshe, who has already attra

    cted a following of 970 Facebook friends to date.

    Whisky Shots

    Reb Moshe and his wife Rochel Faiga also feed many guests at their Sabbath table and estimate they’ve hosted some 350 guests. Reb Moshe’s way is to have a small shot of whisky and allow the kids to ask him a question on any subject from Chassidut to Kabbalah. These impromptu question and answer periods sometimes last until 3 AM. The couple is now at the top of the city lists for likely Sabbath hosts and Reb Moshe and Rochel are always willing to take in, “just one more guest.”

    Reb Moshe’s hope is to reach disaffected Jewish youth and adults and help them to find meaning through his outreach. To that end, Reb Moshe’s presence can also be felt at www.ilovetorah.com, www.askreb.com where he answers questions on just about any topic you can think of, and at the www.ilovetorah.com/blog where he posts his thoughts on a sometimes hourly basis.

    Reb Moshe hopes and dreams he might one day open an institution of Torah learning, which will, of course, be named, I Love Torah. The man succeeds in reaching people because he sees each person’s unique qualities, sees each person as special. There is no coercion in his warmth and openness; it’s just love, with no strings attached.

  • The Doctor Who Sat And Waited

    Yitzchak Stern was born in Jerusalem during Israel’s War of Independence, in 1948. While Stern was educated in Je

    The Doctor Who Sat And Waitedrusalem, places in the local medical school were rare and difficult to obtain. Many Jerusalemites in the same position attended medical

     

    school in Italy, but Yitzchak had made a decision that he would study in English, thinking that having these two languages, Hebrew and English, would put him in goo

    d stead for his future as a doctor. His wife Linda points out that this, “turned out to be one of his best decisions, ever.”

    Israeli Emissary

    Yitzchak was accepted to medical school in Dublin, Ireland. During the long years of his training, Yitzchak was active in the Bnei Akiva youth organization where he served as an Israeli emissary and through which he met his wife Linda, who was a youth leader for this organization in the Stamford Hill section of London. As a result of Yitzchak’s work with the organization, many youngsters returned to their Jewish roots and heritage and not a few made Aliyah to Israel. To this day, many of these children, now grown adults, have remained

    close to the Sterns.

    At the end of Dr. Stern’s time in Dublin, the now married couple thought long and hard about where Yitzchak might do his internship. Yitzchak liked Safed for its quaint, Old City-style atmosphere, which reminded him of Jerusalem, the city of his birth. Linda had already made aliyah in 1973 and the couple hoped that by choosing to work in an intimate hospital in Safed, Yitzchak would have more free time to spend with Linda than he would have had working for a big hospital like Jerusalem’s Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital where Yitzchak might have been on call around the clock.

    Inexpensive Housing

    So, in 1979, the Sterns were lucky enough to find inexpensive housing just up the street from Safed’s Rebecca Sieff hospi

    tal. Yitzchak was thrilled to discover that the hospital had accepted him as an intern for the entire year. It was more common for interns serving at smaller hospitals to spend some of their internship working for larger hospitals, such as Rambam in Haifa. Linda moved with Yitzchak to the town of Safed where the couple lived in a large apartment block in the Ofer neighborhood in a section reserved for new immigrants. The couple had children and made many friends with people who had children the same ages as their own.

    After internship, Yitzchak gained experience for about 15 years in the Tzfat hospital’s Internal Ward (Pnimit), did a y

    ear of Tzva Keva in Lebanon in 1987 where he was instrumental in establishing the hospital in Bint Jbeil, and only then started working as a family doctor for two Israeli health funds, Maccabi and Meuchedet. This was a new concept at that time, since most patients saw doctors at branches of the funds’ clinics. The Stern’s had moved into larger quarters and turned part of their home into a clinic. Dr. Stern also opened a branch clinic for Maccabi in the nearby town of Hatzor, where no such facilities existed.

    At first, Stern sat and waited for patients. But there were many English speaking immigrants to this area and word spre

    ad that here was a physician who spoke their native language. Linda says that Yitzchak didn’t wait long for his practice to take off and soon he was, “drowning in patients.”

    Unrealized Potential

    The couple has been happy in Safed these past 29 years and the Sterns are active members of the community. Yitzchak stood for mayor in the last mayoral election, and his campaign was based on a need to exploit what Linda describes as the vast unrealized potential of Safed. Dr. Stern refused to make any empty promises and was determined to run a clean campaign. Linda feels pleased at the impact her husband has made on the local political scene and the couple continue to contribute in every way possible to the town they love, Safed.

     

  • As The Spirit Moves

    Aliza Bashkovitz is a woman whose enthusiasm for the city of Safed comes through in every word she speaks. Born

    As The Spirit Movesin the coastal city of Rehovot, Aliza left that town for her university studies in Jerusalem. Today, Aliza teaches English in a local Safed school and her American-born husband, Shalom, is a Torah scholar.

    As a young couple, Shalom and Aliza enrolled in a program called Meretz in the Jerusalem suburb of Mevasseret Zion.

    At the end of the program, couples were to move to a development town where the teaching skills they learned could benefit the resident

    s. Shalom and Aliza chose Safed.

    One of the key reasons the Bashkowitzes chose the town was due to the fact that a group of Meretz graduates were already living in Safed, and as Aliza put it, “It’s always easier to have a group when you’re going to a new town.”

    Perfect Climate

    Another reason Aliza really liked the idea of Safed was the climate. After just one year at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Aliza found visits home to steamy Rehovot unbearable. The cool, dry climate of Jerusalem, and later, the couple’s six years in a suburb with similar weather, meant that Safed was an ideal choice. Safed has weather perhaps just a bit more extreme than that of the Jer

    usalem area and is colder, windier, and drier. Aliza says that the cold “settles in your bones,” but that this is preferable to the humidity of Israel’s coastal region.

    When asked to compare life in Jerusalem to life in Safed, Aliza refers to what the Torah says about the special qualities of these two cities, both holy to Jews. “Jerusalem is ‘Esh,’ fire, but Safed is ‘Ruach,’ spirit or wind.”

    Above Reality

    Aliza explains that in Safed there is a feeling of being, “above reality,” and comments that the Hebrew name of the tow

    n, “Tzfat,” shares the same root as the word, “LaTzoof,” to float. Being in Safed, says Aliza, is to float above it all, above reality. Jerusalem felt holy to Aliza, but Safed, she says, has the same holiness, without the pressure. Safed is, “spiritual, beautiful, and relaxed.”

    Aliza also compares the quality of life of the two towns in very down-to-earth, financial terms. In Mevasseret Zion, the Bashkowitzes paid $500 a month for a 2nd floor apartment with 4 bedrooms. In Safed, the family is paying the same amount for a 2 story duplex with a garden. After living in Safed for decades, the family can state with certainty that they are getting much more for their money than they had ever dreamed. For the Bashkowitzes, Safed is home.

    *Names have been changed for this story.

     

  • Intimate Discussion With A Kabbalah Scholar

    Today, the study of Kabbalah is all the rage with both Jews and non-Jews devoting time and energy to mystical study.

    Intimate Discussion With A Kabbalah Scholar

     Kabbalah study is divided between the classic works of ancient Jewish sages such as Isaac Luria, and the popular Kabbalah studied by celebri

    ties like Madonna. Baruch Emanuel Erdstein is a local figure on the Safed scene who has been delving into the classical Kabbalistic works for more than a decade.

    Baruch hails from suburban Detroit, but he called Safed home for many years. In addition to his Kabbalah studies, Baruch was a Safed tour guide, and the leader of a band called Ingathering. All of his endeavors are flavored with a little bit of Motown and not a little of the mystic.

    Kabbalistic Background

    Q: What is your background in Kabbalah study?

    A: I originally became interested in Jewish mysticism via the teachings of Chassidut as transmitted by the Baal Shem Tov

     and his students, the works of Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov known as the Benei Yisaschar,  Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, and others. About ten years ago I began to seriously delve into the core texts of the Kabbalah, namely the writings of the Ari, and for the last two years I’ve been passionately inspired by the path of the Komarno Rebbe.

    Much more than just being vastly complex systems of seeing the world(s!), the path of the Kabbalist demands and inspires real changes in our behavior and interpersonal relationships, sensitizing us to the significance of all our actions, speech and thoughts. By not only learning the written materials, but also by being committed to the way of living as taught by the mystical masters, I hope I can honestly convey what the Kabbalah, known to be the essence of Jewish wisdom, is all about.

    Q: What do you think about popular Kabbalah?

    A: The study of authentic Kabbalah, based on the teachings of the Jewish holy sages, the tzadikim, even on the most elementary level is only good. When the terms and images are used, however, outside of their context and without the appropriate references, well, I cringe. I know that it is only because people really do want truth and meaning and are having a hard time finding it. I’m sure that if they had access to the authentic teachings, shared by people with whom they can relate, there would be no need for anything else.

    Everyday Life

    Q: How do you bring your studies into your everyday life?

    A: The studies are life. The metaphors used in the Kabbalah mirror the most basic aspects of daily life. Without living a

    normal healthy life, with all its tests, a person can’t grasp Kabbalah. And, on the flipside, the study of Kabbalah brings out some of the most profound things about life, as well as inspiring peace, acceptance, faith, selflessness, and, of course, a connection to the Divine.

    Baruch Emanuel Erdstein can be reached at: baruch@safedexperience.com or by phone: (0)52-251-5134

     

  • Tzfat Legends

    One of the pleasures of visiting a new place is the opportunity to learn the stories and legends that are

    Legends of Tzfata part of the history and the culture of the place. In addition to reading the historical facts about a location, one can research the tales and folklore to add depth, and a bit of fun, to the understanding of the site.

     

    Tzfat is one such spot where hearing the many legends and tales helps to create a b

    etter understanding of the history and culture of the place. There are many legends and myths surrounding Tzfat’s personalities and these give a more rounded picture of the town’s character and varied past.  Touring Tzfat without hearing at least of few of these legends wouldn’t be a true visit to this unique and mystical town.

    Yossi Della Reina

    One such story is that of Yossi Della Reina. Della Reina was a Kabbalistic Rabbi in the 16th century who, with the best of intentions, wanted to use the power of Kabbalah to try to defeat Satan. Della Reina and five of his students attempted to trap Satan and neutralize him, but Satan outwitted the Kabbalists and was able to escape, becoming more powerful than ever. Della Reina descended to a sinful life, and he was buried outside the cemetery by the Tzfat citizens of the time. His burial spot, then in a deserted field, is today next to the central square of the Old Jewish Quarter and it is custom for people to spit when they walk by his gravesite.

    Safta Yocheved

    Stories about the influence of Tzfat’s women also abound. Safta (Grandmother) Yocheved was a figure that many Tzfat residents still remember, as she died only in the 1970s. Safta Yocheved believed strongly in the teaching of the Zohar, the basic Kabbalistic book.  She believed that the Messiah would set forth from Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s tomb at Mt. Meron and would pass through Tzfat on a white donkey on his way to Jerusalem. Safta Yocheved worried that the Messiah would need sustenance on his journey, and every day, she would set out a plate of cookies and a pot of tea for the Messiah to nourish himself on his travels. The little narrow lane where Safta Yocheved would sit with her tea and cookies is today called “Messiah Lane” and is a testament to her incredible faith that, as tradition teaches, the Messiah could arrive at any minute.

    Safta Ita

    Finally, Safta Ita’s story is one which gave a tremendous amount of strength and support to the Jewish soldiers during the War of Independence in 1948. During the British Mandate, between 1918 and 1948, when the British ruled Palestine, the British refused to allow the Jews to arm themselves, even for self-defense. Yet the Jews of Tzfat refused to remain unarmed after the devastation of the 1929 Arab riots, and were forced to find hiding places for their smuggled guns and ammunition.

    They hid the arms in “slicks”, hiding places, often in basements of people’s homes. Safta Ita, an elderly “zaftig” (heavy) lady, had a slick in her house, and the Jewish underground often used her slick when cleaning and assembling their weapons.

    One afternoon, Safta Ita was sitting outside her house while a half-dozen Jewish underground members were inside with their weapons, when a group of British soldiers walked by. Safta Ita’s code to the men inside her house was unnoticed, and she was worried that the loud noises that they were making might attract the attention of the patrol. So Safta Ita began to make the sounds associated with a woman going into labor. The British never noticed that Safta Ita was well past child-bearing age….being the polite British men that they were, they moved away quickly, and the slick was saved.

    Tzfat abounds with legends, traditions, and tales. Visitors who wish to truly understand this special town will enjoy exploring these stories as much as they will enjoy the lanes and stone buildings of Tzfat.

  • The “Mashiach”

    Jewish Belief in the Messiah

    Waiting For The Messiah In Tzfat

     

    A core belief in Jewish theology is the conviction that the “Mashiach”, the Messiah, will come to redeem the Jewish pe

    ople. Exactly who and what the Jewish messiah is has been a matter of much controversy and disagreement among Jews for as long as norma
    tive Judaism has existed. Yet the belief that a figure will arise and bring peace to the world and will bring all Jews to the Land of Israel to live with the rebuilt Third Temple is universally accepted among religious Jews.

    Hassidic Jews have, traditionally, studied the teachings about the Messianic Era closely, and developed their own beliefs – one Hassidic belief states that in every generation a potential Messiah exists, and whether he is able to come forth is dependent on the deeds and actions of the Jews of his generation – if enough prayer and good deeds take place, the revelation of the Messiah will take place. This is a compelling and attractive concept, and has, in recent years, been accepted outside the Hassidic world as well.

    Chabad in Tzfat

    The last Rebbe, leader, of the Chabad Hassidic community, Rebbe Menachem Schneerson, pushed his followers in this direction. He directed his followers to devote their energies towards outreach. Today, Chabad emissaries are in the forefront of the Jewish outreach movement.

    Towards the end of Rebbe Schneerson’s life, many of his followers began to believe that perhaps Rebbe Schneerson WAS the Messiah about which he spoke constantly.  The Rebbe-is-the-Mashiach movement grew in strength, with the highest percentage of followers (not all Chabad Hassidim concurred) being the Israeli Chabad community. The pinnacle of this movement is in Tzfat, and in recent years, the movement has actually gathered strength.

    Since the Chabad community is one of Tzfat’s largest, Tzfat has developed a reputation as being the “headquarters” of the “Messiastics”. Public events always feature Chabad activists urging Jews, especially non-religious Jews, towards greater religious observance. They sing and dance in the streets, engage people in street discussions, and generally create a climate that may bring the “Mass

    iach.”

    Breslev Hassidim

    Another noticeable Hassidic group which believes that they can bring the Messiah is the Breslev Hassidim. Breslev is also an outreach-oriented Hassidic group. The Breslev Hassidim teach that the Messiah will come when the Jewish people are infused with joy and will worship God with their whole beings. In recent years, the Breslev community has expanded noticeably in Tzfat. Also noticeable is their street theatre – they are prone to setting up a table, booth, or simply opening the back doors of their vans and turning on loudspeakers which play their signature tune……”Na Nach Nachman M’Uman” (a salute to their founder and leader, the 19th century

    Rebbe Nachman from the Ukrainian town of Uman). They then begin to dance and jig, believing that this will bring joy to the people watching them. The locals barely give them a glance, but the tourists are entranced.

    The Kabbalistic Book of Zohar teaches that the Messiah will come from the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochi, the 1st century A.D. Kabbalistic teacher, at Mt. Meron. According to the Zohar, the Messiah will travel from Mt. Meron through Tzfat on his way to Jerusalem, where he will inaugurate the Messianic Era. The activities in Tzfat, whether accurate or not, will certainly make the Messiah feel quite comfortable on his travels.