Plants around Tsfat

You can tell that this picture was taken earlier in the season. By now the grasses are brown among the herbs and shrubs, the thistles also brown and full of fluffy white seeds.





The calendula in my garden is a wonderful self seeder. It withstands the hot dry summers, and with a little water always offers up some blossoms.


In my herb garden I grow a number of medicinal and ornamental herbs. This one is sage. It was in bloom recently, among my mint, jasmine, and other plants.

The Dead Tour Tsfat II

Just south of the old Tsfat Hadassah hospital, which is now the Wing B housing the psychiatric department, lies the resting place of Nahum Ish Gamzu. Nahum Ish Gamzu was the teacher of Rabbi Akiva. His motto in life was alway, "It's all for the best". Whatever happens is ultimately for the good.

The gravesite has been recently improved with a lovely wooden roof, bookshelves, and seating. The neighborhood is quiet and peaceful, a perfect place to read Psalms in the shade.

Lag BaOmer, Meron, and Bonfires

This is a low res image of Mount Meron from our perch in Tsfat by day. The right hand second "camel hump" is Mount Meron. At the base of the mountain is where you find the ritual resting place of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

By now Meron is on it's way to becoming the fourth largest city in Israel, a status it enjoys once a year on Lag BaOmer. Tents are pitched for kilometers, and the roads are already blockaded. Security is tight. Not enough for me to let my kids go alone..


This shot is from the Old City of Tsfat at sunset last summer at around Klezmer festival time. You have to admit, we've got a highly photographic little corner of the planet.



Last year we stayed in Tsfat for Lag BaOmer, not being fond of big crowds. This a cool night shot without a tripod of the kids gathering wood for the bonfire.










The bonfire a bit closer.

Remember, always follow safe fire practices, and stay upwind!

The Dead Tour I - Shem V'Ever cave

Welcome to The Dead Tour, Tsfat.

No, not the Grateful Dead of rock 'n roll fame.

The Holy Dead of Jewish fame.

This is a picture of the cave which is attributed to be the place of the yeshiva of Shem and his grandson Eber. Midrash says that Yaacov come here to learn for 7 years on his wasy to Lavan's back in Ur. Shem was one of the three sons of Noah.

The Kuzari explains that before the birth of the 12 tribes, divine influence was handed down father to son, sometimes skipping a generation father to grandson. Shem was the recipient from Noah of the tradition of divine inspiration.

Today the yeshiva of Shem and Eber is open only at certain times, and somehow I'm never there when it is. This is a picture of the door. There is a synagogue next door to it, which has prayer services three times a day.