Safed dreams -- Like Living in a Picture

Livnot, the Old City, new niches

2011-12-07T20:03:00.001+02:00

Always good to have a friend visit from out of town. I found new niches that I didn't even know existed in the Old City (The Fig Tree Courtyard), and got to take some pics of this lovely place.

My light meter is failing, so I guess it will be a good excuse to get a new camera sometime soon.

Entering the Old City

Old City newer homes

Old City Alley late winter afternoon.

Roof Top of Fig Tree CourtYard

Tourists on roof top of Fig Tree Courtyard

Fig Tree Courtyard roof top observation point

Looking North, the Lebanon border.

Water Cistern in the Fig Tree Courtyard

Livnot U'lehibanot. I used to sit on a pile of rubble at night under the stars... now it's clear that it was on top of these relics from the 1600's.

Relics from the Kahal at Livnot's dig. Now a National Heritage site.

Livnot Kahal

More relics in the Kahal

Beit Shababu in the Kahal

Livnot U'lehibanot: to build and to be built.

Sculpture in Kikar Avraham Sade

Night falls on "the bridge" in Tsfat.

Awaiting Gilad Schalit's release.

2011-10-18T09:54:00.002+02:00

Tsfat awaiting Gilad Schalit also!

Klezmer 2011 starts Monday night 15 August

2011-08-14T00:32:00.002+03:00

Tonight it's still quiet in Tsfat. Three nights of klezmer party start Monday night.

About 45 minute drive from Safed -- Old Acre!

2011-08-11T22:08:00.001+03:00

Rich in history, Acre Old City has been developed by the Old Acre Development Company. You will get a sense of the layers of history, peoples, religions, and conflicts that have long held in the region.

Kidum Noar May 2011

2011-05-26T15:56:00.001+03:00

Lag B'Omer bonfire from my window

2011-05-23T23:08:00.000+03:00

Saturday night's festivities from our living room window.

Spring Clouds

2011-04-27T12:13:00.002+03:00

Shot these walking home from work one spring day before the clock changed.

More plants and flowers I have known in the Galilee

2011-04-26T16:06:00.001+03:00

Common Mallow flowers. Good to harvest in spring, dry, and save for use in home made cough syrup in the winter. Leaves and roots are also helpful.

Next few shots are of "Ox Tongue". Someday I'll find the latin name. I found out about the edibility of these plants one day from a local Arab harvesting the flower bud clusters (see below). The clusters are battered and fried. When I harvested them, my harvest bag was alive with bugs, so I didn't eat them. Very young shoots are also edible.

Ox tongue in a different light.

Ox tongue bud cluster.

Poppies!

More poppies among other friendly plants.

Come hither, Dorothy!

Mustard blooms among wild wheat, oats, and a blooming olive tree behind them.

Yup, I took this pic on my walk to work. Oh thank heaven for living close enough to walk to work!

Pointing out the wild geranium leaves.


Earlier this spring, wild nettle, plantain, and more common mallow.

Love how the April showers have increased our green and the variety of blooms!

The almond trees are beginning to bloom - השקדיה פורחת

2011-02-14T22:56:00.000+02:00

As I mentioned, on my way home from work on Sunday I saw the first almond tree blossoms. Today there were more, with the one tree pictured here already quite in bloom.

Almonds bloom and are quick to fruit. They are the first fruit trees in bloom here in spring.

Never get tired of the Galilee view

2011-02-13T23:08:00.000+02:00

I love the clouds covering the lower Galilee mountains... looking like waves out into the distance. Closer by mist gave the trees an almost smokey look.

Winter barely here. I saw almond blossoms on the way home today from work. Will try to take my camera tomorrow to get first pics of the shkedia.

Need Rain

2010-12-31T15:36:00.000+02:00

I took these shots on 5 December, and then we had a storm that I had hoped would herald a nice wet season moving in and be able to do a "before and after" shot. However, the storm moved on after a couple of days and since then we've had very little rain at all.

Things are still very dry and the water situation is serious. Please pray for rain for Israel.

Something old, something new...

2010-10-24T22:42:00.000+02:00

The Bridge, there's only one in town.


At the corner of Jerusalem Street

Fall may be here soon. Some slightly cool air, and it brings with it a melancholy of some unknown nature. It felt right to take the color out of the picture for a B &W shot.

She's one of my favorite beggars in town. Always has a smile for me, no matter how bad things are. This was a particularly sunny day, with lovely music heard under the bridge from a vendor selling burned music discs..

There's only one bridge in Tsfat. Hagesher.

A Photo Essay in Graffiti

2010-09-05T18:11:00.000+03:00

The Na-Nachers write on every surface here. You'd think it was holy spray paint.

Interesting sign

2010-07-07T23:26:00.000+03:00

Funny, I always remembered it as "The Jewish Quarter" and "The Arab Quarter", but I have never been good at history.

Now well all live jumbled up together, Sephardim and Ashkenazim.

The Caf-Bet Fountain has been on lately

2010-05-30T00:22:00.002+03:00

This is a composite photo of two shots, since I don't have a wide enough lens for my camera.

It's rare that the fountain has been on since we moved here. Recently I saw that it was on, the week after the memorials, week of May 15.

The fountain is a memorial to the 22 high school students killed in a terrorist attack in Maalont in 1974. You can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma'alot_massacre

Lovely alleys in Safed

2010-05-21T18:20:00.000+03:00

A couple of views from off the main thoroughfare in town, Jerusalem St. (And yes, Jerusalem has a Tsfat St.). Love spring!

Lovely Day in Northern Israel

2010-04-27T22:49:00.000+03:00

MHad to go to the consular services in Haifa again. Dropped off a sample from our lab to the Rambam Hospital, and then I took the train all the way north to Nahariya. The bus ride from there back to Tsfat is cheaper and less painful than the bus ride from Akko. Plus I got to go to the beach for a few minutes to take pictures!

Behind the Rambam Hospital is a beach called "Quiet Beach". It's in the middle of a heavily industrial port, but it is quiet otherwise.

It was already hot in Haifa, and I don't know the city well. So I got back on the train and went north to Nahariya. A far more beautiful town....

My favorite cafe, used to be you could see the surf from there, but now the boardwalk is a bit built up. Still, a nice place for a breakfast on the beach.

Then a nice bus ride home. Views of the green hills, and Mount Meron where the Lag BaOmer celebrations will be next week. The town sprawling on the hillside is Tsfat viewed from Meron.

Meron:

Green Hills:

Spring Again in the Galilee

2010-03-28T08:02:00.000+03:00

First the flowers! Yellow daisies and white daisies. The white ones are called Seviyon Avivi.

These are called "lashon hapara", Ox Tongue, after the prickly leaves. Shoots and pre-bloom flower clusters are edible (though heavily infested, so I've never cooked them up)

These are mallow blooms. Later they close up and have edible seed pods, called "pita aravit" by local kids happily chewing on them. The blossoms are good against coughs, so gather in the spring and dry them for winter use. Leaves are edible, young ones tender enough for use in salads. Roots are also very good against coughs.

It was windy when I was shooting these pics on the hillside, so I didn't get the focus I wanted. This is an olive tree branch with the newer green growth against the older (olive green) growth.

These are wild peas, once again not the focus I was looking for. Not edible, indeed poisonous.

If you look carefully, in the foreground is an oat grass stalk with full green oats on it. The wild oats are not yet sewing their seed.

Wild wheat grass is also growing all over the place.

Here is what the hillside looks like at a glance of riotous color and greenery. Catch it now before it all dries!

Pre-Purim costume day

2010-02-26T10:25:00.000+02:00

A small herd of brides in the pre-school..

Too cute!

There goes the teacher, lion to the students again!

Happy Purim!

Winter scenes in the Galilee hills

2010-01-31T18:50:00.000+02:00

Many days in the winter the clouds look like waves in the distance. The winter rains add a green to the hillsides. Love these views on my walk to work.

Auld Lang Syne -- going into 2010 in Safed

2009-12-31T09:55:00.000+02:00

As we finish up the solar year of 2009 and go into 2010, Safed continues to look great. Winter clouds over the mountains, green on the hills from the rain. Have a great year!

Klezmer Festival 2009

2009-08-12T19:49:00.004+03:00

The obligatory glow in the dark costume jewelry.

Hurray for fireworks!

Sarayah, the top of the festival area.

Going back for more tonight.

Haifa German Colony and B'hai Temple

2009-08-07T00:14:00.003+03:00

I had to be in Haifa last week for a lecture at the Technion Institute. Figured I'd take advantage of the trip (long and icky now that I am back to bus and train in the heat instead of air conditioned cab ride) to drop off my U.S. passport at the counsular services for renewal.

The counsulate service is on Ben Gurion Blvd 20. That's right in the midst of the old German colony buildings.

Lots of building still have German inscriptions on them.

The boulevard leads straight to the ascent to the B'hai Temple.

Sunsets, I never get tired of looking at them

2009-07-27T20:16:00.002+03:00

And I never get tired of taking pictures of them.

This was taken in the Old City, just above Kikar Gilboa.

You can see the outline of Mount Meron under the clouds.

61 years of modern city incorporation

2009-07-27T20:09:00.003+03:00

Took this picture from Egged, the Central Bus Station, on the way out of town at 5 am this month. Had a lecture to get to in Haifa by 7:30.

Klezmer festival is in August, and I suspect this decoration will still be up for that.

Summer Nights in the Old City Alleys

2009-06-30T16:39:00.004+03:00

This shot is on the path down from the Rimonim Inn. There's a really nice bench to sit on at the bend in the path. I love Tsfat nights: the quiet, the cooler air, the stars.

Summer in the Old City of Safed

2009-06-30T16:34:00.003+03:00

Unedited.

Walking through the Old City on the way home is such a pleasure (if it's not toooo hot!).

Belated Rememberance Day

2009-05-04T19:08:00.003+03:00

Took this picture back on Rememberance day, I think. I kind of liked the juxtaposition of the coke bottle with the Holocaust monument.

The new door at the Ari Ashkenaz synagogue in the Old City of Safed

2009-05-01T00:20:00.005+03:00

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. -- Helen Keller

This is the new door of the Ari Ashkenaz synagogue.

The different fruits I can fit easily into Tsfat themes, but the eye and ear? One of each? Any ideas?

View of the Galilee -- like waves

2009-03-30T22:11:00.003+03:00

On a clear day, you can see forever, but on a hazy day, it looks like waves rolling into forever.

Galilee is based on the word for waves, gal.

I love this view, never get tired of it.

Almond Blossoms (shkedia) in Adar

2009-02-27T15:47:00.002+02:00

These almond trees are above the cemetary. You can see Mt. Meron from here, the gravesite of the Ari, or north to Lebanon (yes, we're that close).

The almond tree blossoms are a favorite sign that spring is on the way.

Of course, I may yet get to post snow pictures for this year ;).

Tu B'Shvat Sameach! Tree day!

2009-02-08T22:52:00.002+02:00

Trees, tree, trees!

Spring is springing in Safed

2009-02-04T20:35:00.002+02:00

The kalaniot (anenomes) weren't up when I walked to work yesterday, but they were up when I left work. Caught this beauty in the rays of the setting sun.

This was the first almond tree I saw in blossom on the way home the day before that. Yesterday I already saw lots more beginning to bloom.

And just to keep us guessing, it rained on Sunday. We need more rain.

Once in 24 years, or so they tell me: The New Moon with Mars and Venus

2008-12-02T23:31:00.002+02:00

I don't have a telephoto lens (don't have an SLR), and I kept getting a bit of jiggle in my camera when I took the pictures, even on a tripod, but you get the idea. It was really neat.

In Memory of Rabbi and Mrs. Holzberg z"l

2008-11-30T17:53:00.003+02:00

May their precious souls be a light to all of us in this difficult, dark world.

Belated Sukkot pics

2008-10-31T10:12:00.003+02:00

There were sukkos here, and there, and everywhere!

U'morid Hagashem

2008-10-31T10:06:00.003+02:00

Wonderful rain, rain, rain. Cleaned the air, decorated the plants, accented the green. May all our prayers be answered!

Belated Klezmer Festival Pictures

2008-08-29T17:13:00.005+03:00

I always love Klezmer Festival in Tsfat: the party comes to us. Okay, it's crowded, transportation is a mess, and the trash piles up. But what a great way to spend an evening! Walking around in the cooler night air, eating ice cream, looking at crafts, listening to all kinds of Jewish music. We went up each of the three nights (advantage of older kids), and I was outrageously tired for work every day!

Udi Davidy (above) was by far my favorite music act we heard. Each of the members of his band is an excellent musician in his own. Plus his style is very rock n roll, to which I long ago sold my soul. We enjoyed a 2 hour concert at the main Saraya stage until 1 am.

Different crafts (above three pictures) are featured at several areas of vendor tables. Prices are steep, but some of it is one of a kind work (our favorite perfume suppliers from Yishuv Itamar come in for Klezmer and we stock up on natural perfume).

Ben Snoof and his band (above) are Tsfat based. Also quite enjoyable, I finally got to purchase his disc.

My fair city at night, all abuzz from the Klezmer Festival. Party!

Fireworks nightly. Reminds me of ... well, there wasn't any Tinkerbell doing a finale from the Magic Castle.

Street scenes abounded. Our kids used to be happy with these little glow toys, too. This year my favorite to watch was this glow bubble gun: pressing on the trigger lit up the gun and blew bubbles. What fun! Even the babies are having a great time at the party!!

Abu Hav Synagogue

2008-07-14T11:58:00.003+03:00

Under exposure does wonders in the afternoon on the bright stones of the Old City. Normally the stones look very flat due to how much light is reflected in full sun.

Managed to capture these pictures of the front of the AbuHav synagogue by underexposing the image.

Blue Tsfat

2008-05-02T16:01:00.003+03:00

Blue is so much the color of Tsfat, that instead of a white picket fence, you have a blue picket fence.

Spring Time in the Galilee - Tsfat is in Flower

2008-03-31T00:22:00.002+03:00

This is the type of beautiful late afternoon view I get while walking home from work. How wonderous are Your works, oh Creator!

This lovely patch of varied flowers and greens is on my way to and from work also. There's noplace as lovely as the Galilee in the spring!

Caught this view from a cab one day. The view is looking south from the eastern edge of town. The haze sort of hides the Sea of Galilee behind the forest ridge. On a clear day you can see forever.

Snow in Tsfat

2008-01-31T09:26:00.000+02:00

Here are some pics from this morning. As of now, more light snow is falling. My kids are pleased. I walked in to work to take pics and get out of the house a bit. I didn't bring my laptop in, so these are unedited.

Trinkets in Tsfat

2008-01-23T20:22:00.000+02:00

In one of the alleys, I think it's the Yosef Caro alley, there's a bunch of galleries and stores in a row. And then at one junction, there's a trinket seller. Sometimes you can find some really neat stuff among the trinkets.

Doggie in Artist Quarter Alley, Safed

2008-01-23T20:11:00.000+02:00

Reminds me of a joke. An Israeli is out walking his dog with his Anglo immigrant friend. After a few blocks, the Anglo immigrant has a very sad look on his face. The Israeli asks him what's wrong. "Even your dog understands Hebrew better than me."

Okay, it doesn't translate that well ;). I thought this doggie looked pretty cute in the Artist's Quarter.

If you're lucky, we might get snow pictures sometime in the next few days. However, the snowline will have to drop a few more hundred feet. Some cars arrived from the Canaan neighborhood today with at least an inch of unmelted snow on them, but it was only rainy here. By afternoon the skies were freezing blue again.

More Doors of Safed Old City

2007-12-12T22:38:00.000+02:00

I hadn't seen this one before. A couple of galleries moved here, which is right across from "Gan Hakasum", the Enchanted Park. When our kids were little, we used to call it "suicide park" due to rock structures and sharp inclines.

Anyway, a couple of galleries moved in, and this lovely doorway leads into a courtyard with scultpures, artwork, and a cafe. Some beautiful works of art there. Coming back out, the door is just as lovely:

Happy Hannukah from Safed!

2007-12-11T11:11:00.000+02:00

May your Hanukka be bright and light and fill you with inspiration!

Kitty Cat in Safed

2007-12-03T15:29:00.000+02:00

The life of a cat in the Old City!

Fall grape leaves, snoozing in the sun. Truly a cat's life.

Winter is late...

2007-11-18T19:22:00.000+02:00

A few images of the last few weeks.

Some stunning days of clouds and sun.

That's the view...

And on a sunnier day in the Artist's Quarter. You have to admit, painted utility cabinets are lovely.

Jordan Valley views

2007-10-02T14:26:00.000+02:00

No pics of sukkah or lulav today. I got a cold on Shabbat, and am tired and weak. The days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot I had work reasons to go to Jerusalem, and snapped these shots.

The one with the bouganvilla is at a rest stop in the Jordan Valley. I always marvel at how much the Samarian hills look like Mars this time of year.

The moonrise was on the way home and is a view east towards Jordan. The might Jordan mountains at sunset/moonrise.

Green Olives in the Holy Land

2007-09-16T04:50:00.000+02:00

“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. (Psalms 52:8)”

May everyone's year be fruitful and blessed.

Olives are an amazing fruit. While bitter and almost inedible right from the tree, when pressed their oil is prized around the world. When soaked and rinsed and then cured, their fruits can be as varied as black salty olives to tart green olives.

How great the wonders of the olive.

Elul growth for High Holydays

2007-08-22T17:57:00.000+03:00

These palm fronds will probably be cut right before Sukkot. The lovely summer growth is perfectly timed for providing schach for the mitzvah of Sukkah. Ah, Elul days leading to the High Holydays.

If only I had time to really reflect. Just call me a working stiff.

Kever Ari at twilight

2007-08-08T15:13:00.000+03:00

Took this picture as the sun set into darkness. The gravesite of the Arizal was hopping even at that time of day. You have to admit, in Tsfat, even the graveyard is beautiful.

Tourist Season in Tsfat

2007-07-25T12:14:00.000+03:00

The tourist buses are a welcome sight in Tsfat. While the average tour bus only stops for less than 1/2 hour in Tsfat, which is a pity, it does help the local economy and lifts spirits to see folks visiting our little town.

Here's a couple of shots from above the main bus parking area. You see the General Exhibition in the top photo, renovated from an old mosque. In the bottom photo you can see a tourist group walking towards the Old City. There are two alleys leading into our little mystical Old City. Some people take the path less travelled...

Summer Grapes 2007

2007-07-03T07:48:00.000+03:00

In the Old City especially, the grape vines are like living poetry.
There's something that calls out to take a picture when you see the ripening grapes.

May we see them ripen in peace...

Tsfat Alleys

2007-06-01T00:44:00.000+03:00

Behind the Rimmonim Inn in the Artists Quarter. Notice the oddly blue painted light covers. I dunno. Down the alley a bit further are some painted orange.

Iyar in the Gallilee

2007-04-19T22:26:00.000+03:00

Looking South from Meor Chaim neighborhood. Looking West from Mt. Canaan.
The hillside behind Tsahal. Love those colors.

Every day is a treat for walking to work in this beautiful place.

Adar in Tsfat and Jerusalem

2007-03-13T14:31:00.000+02:00

Oh, just too busy to blog.
This last weekend we were in Jerusalem, so a pic of the soldiers at the Western Wall.
Then back up to the Galilee for the green green green that only happens in the Hebrew month of Adar.

Winter Sunset in Tsfat

2007-02-05T13:54:00.000+02:00

Sunset over Meron and the mountains on the way home from work.

Spring is springing in Safed

2007-02-01T15:36:00.000+02:00

Signs of spring plants are springing up.I snapped these pics on the way to work.

This is Shepherd's Purse. The heart shaped leaves are the source of its name. Shepherds often went about their day with pouches shaped like these leaves.

Shepherd's purse is good for what ails your blood system, and for lots of female troubles. The activity dies quickly, so if you pick it, tincture it up the same day. Put it in a brown glass bottle with 45-50% alcohol (I get that nasty 95% cooking alcohol and dilute it in half with distilled water), and let it sit for about two weeks. Then filter off the tincture to a clean brown glass bottle. Helps with stopping bleeding.

This is plantain, plantago lanceolata. Edible, mucilageonous. Great for skin abrasions, also for homemade cough syrup, oil infusions against pain, and more. Infuse it in olive oil with garlic for homemade ear drops.

Day trip from Tsfat to Nahariya

2007-01-04T11:20:00.000+02:00

I love Nahariya. It's an easy drive from Tsfat, and the sea air is a welcome change from the hills on occasion.

Pictures of Snow in Tsfat

2006-12-28T12:34:00.000+02:00

Just a few. The morning after the snow fell. 2 out of 3 kids were meant to go to school, but one wasn't feeling well and the other has a very cold classroom. The third had school cancelled.

I still had to go to work.

Which was an excuse to shoot pics!

Road Trip from Safed to Tel Aviv

2006-12-24T23:17:00.000+02:00

It always amazes me how I feel like I'm in a different country when I'm in the Tel Aviv area and south of there.

I did enjoy the big Azrieli mall. For a small town girl, it's a lot of fun. Most importantly, there were stores with Clinique products ;).

This week I have to go to Sheba Medical Center for an afternoon workshop.

Canaan Spa, Mount Meron, Palatine Hall views in video

2006-12-17T21:28:00.000+02:00

Tsfat, another vantage. I was on the way home from the shopping center outside of town, Shaarei Ha'Ir (the Gates of the Town), and took these shots over a year ago. Strung them together with some free stock music loop.

Winter movie

2006-12-14T22:24:00.000+02:00

I got inspired by my son playing with the Windows Movie Maker with still photos. There is a bit of video in this one, with the moving clouds bit.

Another one on the way of spring views north and west from a northern point in town.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood... for a shuk!

2006-12-13T13:48:00.000+02:00

On a lovely sunny winter day, the colors, sounds, and sights of the Safed shuk (0utdoor market) awaken the senses.

Tsfat/Safed/Tzfat video

2006-11-28T18:44:00.000+02:00

Look what I did:

Things to do on the way to work.

Yeah, I filmed it with no tripod, I was on the way to work.

December 6 update: I have closed my YouTube account and replaced the embed link above with the Google Video version. Basically, within one week I got two spam emails via my YouTube account for icky videos. So who needs them, when there's Google Video?

It's winter? Sunny winter days

2006-11-22T14:54:00.000+02:00

If you haven't seen the way the electrical cabinets are decorated in Tsfat, do come visit.

Each is painted with a unique artistic flair that adds to the street elegance of the town.

On a cloudy day, you can't see forever, but sometimes you can see above the clouds.

I have the privelage of seeing this view every time I walk to work.

A very beautiful place.

Rebuilding the North, including Safed

2006-11-18T22:17:00.000+02:00

Finally rememberingto post a few of the pics of the reconstruction at the corner that was destroyed the first day of missiles.

Most of the signs of the missiles have slowly disappeared. The most obvious ones are still the many blackened areas of the surrounding forest areas on the hills. Trees aren't so easy to rebuild.

Fall rainy days in Tsfat

2006-10-29T21:59:00.000+02:00

One cool thing about working in a lab is that there are other women who appreciate cool bugs. Yes, that's right, one of my XX coworkers pointed out cool bugs and suggested a photo shoot the other day right outside the lab. I couldn't get exactly the focus and macro I wanted, but it was fun.

Same day it looked like this when I was leaving work. Not like that today. Today it rained and rained (I saw it from my window, really), and when I left, it was almost dark. Winter time is coming in.

Another cool bug, actually I hate moths. I was able to disassociate enough from my moth phobia to enjoy photographing this lovely specimen. However, when it flapped around I did have an uncontrollable shuddering fit. There is a reason that Godzilla's prime evil enemy was Mothra.

This is another common site this time of year. The flocks of cranes flying south for the winter. They are really quite lovely and graceful.

Last year they were the harbinger of Avian Flu, however. The outbreaks were considered well contained last year, and none of the strain that is contagious to humans was detected.

Still, it affects how I relate to the flocks of birds flying overhead twice a year.

Workshop at Herzliya Pituach

2006-10-18T15:22:00.000+02:00

So I got to go to a workshop yesterday for my job at the Sharon Hotel in Herzliya . It was run by Medicguide, and although not exactly what I had expected (the main presenter was full of himself), it was informative, helpful, and a nice way to get to the sea for a day.

One of the things that was most interesting was meeting people. So many interesting medical devices being developed in Israel, so many bright people. Guy named Asher Zilberstein from SLP brought up particularly interesting problems he's having with a German CE audit, but the guy running the workshop felt most of his questions were "too practical". Hrmph, the title of the workshop was "CE Registration of Medical Devices -- A Hands-on Workshop ". What better hands-on than problem solving?

The hotel site makes it look really luxurious, which isn't totally a lie. The funny thing is, the hotel is really old. The public bathrooms in the wing where we were situated were all tiled in old blue ceramic tiling, with plain old white toilets and Kimberly Clark paper dispensers. Hah, not the lap of luxury, but very clean.

Back in Tsfat today.

Simchas Torah already

2006-10-12T20:37:00.000+02:00

You'd think I'd be posting more, but all I do is w*rk, w*rk, w*rk. Finally a really cool perk is in from all that w*rk. I'm typing this from my new laptop (okay, it's not really mine, it belongs to the startup that I work for under the auspices of the hospital, but I'm #1 personnel in that project).

Don't have a lot of data yet, so it's a good thing I'm getting toys! I also don't have any vacation days. This was a major drag during Sukkos vacation for the kids. So I made sure that on the second day of Chol Hamoed I had to travel to Jerusalem on business. Of course, I took the whole family with me. The Old City was packed, and it felt very festive. After davening at the Wall, we had pizza and ice cream, then tried to go to CheaperKol, but it was closed. Then the ride home. Hey, it was my only day off.

Next week I have a whole day workshop at the Sharon Hotel in Herzlia Pituach. I went to see if they have kosher certification, and am wondering if I can sneak away to the sea water pool during a break. Check it out www.sharon.co.il/
Here's a pic of some of the rebuilding that's going on at the building that took a direct hit in the war this summer.

Some Damage Pictures of Safed

2006-08-21T21:22:00.000+03:00

The first two are building 10 of Tsahal street on the left, and building 9 on the right. I know the gal who lives in the first of three apartments that the building 10 katyusha hit. The damage on building 9 looks more like the "Grad" missiles, which are a lot bigger and carry a larger payload than the Katyusha.

Here's a closer shot of the building 10 entry hole.

Then in that "path" of destruction is the Ulpanit, a high school whose windows were blown out when a katyusha landed on the kindergarten right next to it. All of this is a direct line to the local hospital, a cachement hospital serving the whole Northern Galilee region.

A lot of pictures were taken of the damage that first day when rockets fell right in the middle of the commerce area of town. This sign over the "Beit Maimon" furniture store which was right next to a direct hit and lost windows, says "In spite of the rocket, we're continuing as regular".

A shop owner of one of my favorite household goods was hit at home directly by the third rocket of this same volley. Thankfully, she and her family, including a grandson in the home, were not harmed. However her house was left open to the four winds by the hit. She and her husband remained in town during the summer rain of katyushas for another two weeks before she was so sick from stress that they left for a week to family. Worried about their home, they returned, then left again, and are now finally getting the house repaired enough that it's not just open to the world.

This impact killed a man. There was a bizarre tropical storm hours before I passed by the spot, cleaning up the dust, dirt, and debri. Looks like nasty little gouge now. Deadly thangs.

Tsfat, home again.

2006-08-21T12:03:00.000+03:00

Ooof, can't upload pictures from work. I'll post from home. My computer in my home! Do you realize how wonderful that is?

It was even good clocking in yesterday for the first time in over a month. I generally hate clocking in. Makes me feel like an untrustworthy individual usually. Now it was a happy gesture of returning to routine... for now.

Nobody, but nobody thinks this quiet will last.

We had a very unusual tropical storm blow through yesterday, cleaning up a lot of the dust and dirt. There went my photo shoot. Anyway I had a lot of work to get caught up on.

Geula - hopefully going home soon

2006-08-14T13:41:00.000+03:00

Geula is a neighborhood in Jerusalem. It also means "redemption". However, Geula Jerusalem is a place that raises my short hairs.

The pic doesn't really capture how dirty, smelly, noisy, and croweded this area is.

Makes me want to go home to Tsfat.

So we're giving the cease-fire a couple of days to measure how well it sticks. Basically a typical cease-fire with our Arab cousins has amounted to "We cease, they fire."

We aren't pleased that katyushas were still raining on the whole Galilee region yesterday, and that WITH our troops up to and over the Litani river. Can you say "Kiryat Shmona will become a life style"? Hope not.

So we will wait until the end of the week. The kids have camp until then, and I have been invited to a good friend's celebration of her first grandchildren (twins) and a wedding this week. I can really look forward to going home.

Jerusalem Still - Teddy Stadium on Tu B'av

2006-08-09T14:27:00.000+03:00

So we went to Teddy Stadium last night to hear Rav Amnon Yitzhak. I learned several important things about going to "hear" something at a stadium.

First, if you got there early enough to find seating anyway, so sit as directly across from an ampliphier as possible. The first pic is from where we were originally sitting and it was a study in wave disturbance. Namely sound waves from one amp disturbing the other so we couldn't understand a thing, even though the sound was loud.

Second, when you leave your home for a couple of weeks in case of war, bring a sweater. It might get cold.

Third, do not in any case allow your fourteen year old daughter to insist on staying til the end when the end is later than the last bus home. It took us two hours to get home, since there were very few buses, none to our area of town, and for some bizarre reason hardly any taxis and the ones who were around were not picking up fares unless you called. I refuse to own a cellphone. So we finally took a bus to the central bus station area, got out early to walk to Angels to get a very needed late late night snack, and finally got a cab from there to finish off the last bit back to "home".

Notice I still have not tripod. I am working on truly forgiving the girl, since really I never should have loaned it to her in the first place. One of my golden rules over the last few years has been to never loan out anything I can't afford to lose or have come back in bad condition. Sadly, many people around me do not seem to be careful with others' property.

Last night was the beginning of Tu B'av, the 15th of the Hebrew month of Av. Notice the full moon rising over the stadium... cooool. Eventually the whole stadium filled up (22,000 people singing "We love you Hakodesh Baruch Hu!").

And I bought a 1 Gig thumbstick yesterday to clear my camera cards and get some more web work done. A few Photoshop graphics eat up a lot of space on wittle owd XP memory cards. Not that my graphics is much good:

Wandering Jews

2006-08-07T09:31:00.000+03:00

Have you ever had one of those plants, the Wandering Jew? They put down roots wherever they hit soil, always seem to spring back from boughts of drought, and will root overnight in water? Yeah, well, it all sounds nice, but I can't say it's a delight to be a wandering Jew.

We have it pretty easy. We're staying with relatives, their apartment is large, a minor miracle happened and the guy in charge of the salary department actually got me into the computer system so my salary was direct deposited at the end of last week, and I only have three kids to shlep around.

But it's the nature of the wandering Jew to just want to go home. Okay, Master of the Universe, you gave me a paid vacation, my kids have gotten to go to an expensive American style day camp that they never would have in times of peace, my home is still intact, everyone from my job is still alive and unharmed, and I just can't shake the strong feeling that if I had the ruby slippers, clicking my heels would have worked to get home.

My brain on war is very scrambled. Last Shabbat we were in Kochav Hashachar. I didn't take picture. The Shabbat before that we were in Ramat Beit Shemesh A. I didn't take pictures. Hey, what's a photo blog with no photos????

So I will try, bli neder (no promises), to start taking pics again so that I can make my blog posts the way I like to: a picture with only a little blurb of text.

Oh, and did I say that I want to go home?

Jerusalem Pictures

2006-08-02T10:21:00.001+03:00

Hrmmph. All my friends are blogging on time! Laurie over at http://safed.blogspot.com is also in exile, but she's blogging. Aunt Laya over at http://auntlaya.blogspot.com is still blogging from exile. And my pal who lives here in Jerusalem at http://sector-9.blogspot.com is blogging. Waaaaaaa! I'm the only one who doesn't have regular computer access for blogging. Or the time and/or energy.

Mostly just keeping the kids amused or busy this week. I did manage to get out to a meeting about the http://torahscience.org starting a university with the Gal Einei Institute ( http://www.inner.org). Other than that, I went to Geula to try to get some funds to help pay for the food that my SIL's family is so graciously providing us for now going on 2 1/2 weeks. The give-away was already finished, and the sign said, "Na lo lhafriah", or "Please don't disturb", so I didn't bother asking if that meant that no more applications at all were being accepted, or if only that day was finished. I don't like rude signs.

Over a week ago my friend Elana Rozenman invited me and other Tsfat ladies to a dinner at the Clayman's that was originally dedicated to the Sderot women who have been putting up with Kassam rockets for 5.5 years already! The setting was stunning:

This was the view from the balcony where we were treated to a gala barbeque dinner.
That's Mrs. Clayman in the sky blue turban and dress. What an amazing gift for charity they have!
These pics haven't been edited at all, since I'm not home. I don't have my programs, my computer, among other things. I can't get much done on my business, since I insist on all my programs being legal (it is for business, after all), and they all have a limited number of activations. I tried getting a laptop.. but the Ctrl button stuck. The rentals are all rented. Most people don't have the IIS installed on their systems even with XP Pro, and since most people aren't actually legal with their Windows, they can't just install it. Without IIS, I could install Apache server, but I really fobbed getting Cold Fusion set up properly with it. In other words, this lady really, really needs her vewy own waptop!
That was a long way of saying these photos are larger than usual and probably not balanced regarding light, etc.
Also, still have no tripod, thanks to one of the girls in Tsfat who borrowed it to video the 8th grade graduation show. I do hope she'll take it to heart as soon as we're all back home and replace my tripod which she broke.
That's about it right now. I'm not the greatest blogger. I really like posting the photos and short blurb. I do have my card reader, which makes it easier to post photos, but when it's not your own puter.... ah exile. Doesn't make great press, though. No real hardships.

No pics, I'm a war refugee

2006-07-19T12:44:00.000+03:00

Of course, I took my camera with me. Heck, I took all my backups, our passports, the deed to our apartment, even our kids vaccination records!

We left because otherwise I would have committed familicide after more than three days of all of us locked in the house with the trisim down. This way the kids can have a life, and I can try to figure out whether I can work on the road. Remind me that for a computer addict, it's really, really stooopid not to be mobile capable.

Not sure what will be. Looks like the Almighty has quite a ride in store for us. Fasten your spiritual seatbelts.

Alleys in Tsfat

2006-07-13T12:49:00.000+03:00

Nope, not gonna show you pictures of Katyusha's falling. It was very noisy last night as war rumbled in the air. Ah, nothing like the sound of Apache's all night long. Oh, was that our artillery bombing them, or their Katyusha's dropping on us? It was noisy all night long.

These pictures are of quieter times in the Old City of Tsfat. We just finished Klezmer festival. I would have taken more pics, but I loaned out my tripod (STOOOOPID), and the girl returned it missing the piece which actually attaches to the camera. No tripod, no night shots. I actually need it for some video ideas, too.

Anyway, this alley is one of the "famous" alleys, with me being fascinated by the lamp rewired sideways.

Grapes of Joy -- Safed grapevines

2006-06-19T22:32:00.000+03:00

Friends of mine have this wonderful grapevine in their front courtyard. The house is multiple rooms looking onto the gated courtyard.

Right now the grape vine is in full greenery, with grape clusters ripening in the early summer air. Truly lovely.

This one makes you want to say , "Is it live or is it Photoshop?". The grapes look almost like plastic grapes right now.

Looking up at the clusters from below, with the sun on the leaves.
You have to admit, I live in a very picturesque little town.

Windows of Opportunity

2006-06-06T23:15:00.000+03:00

I was purchasing some stock photography today, and realized that maybe I could sell some of my images as stock photos.

Many of the photos that look good on screen don't print as beautifully. I like to send my pics to print to make sure they'll look good printed.

The local digital photo store has a website to upload images. Then I just drop by to pick up my prints and pay for them. It's a little store in Tsfat, but I really like sending in my prints via the net. http://picdigital.co.il/

So I'm thinking that pics that don't print quite as stunningly as I like (who me, picky?), I could sell as stock photos. Have to check into the specs. My camera is only 4.5 Mb memory, so there's a limit to the size that prints well at all.

For instance, this picture is very pretty, but the really nice shot of this window can be seen at http://www.jewishbyte.com/store.php?i=105799517/roshhashanah.29667456

Plants around Tsfat

2006-05-30T13:16:00.000+03:00

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

2006-05-18T00:50:00.000+03:00

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

2006-05-14T19:53:00.000+03:00

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

2006-05-03T21:06:00.000+03:00

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.

Kol Rina looks out over the Ari towards Meron

2006-04-30T17:20:00.000+03:00

Recently a new structure appeared on the stairs leading down from the Old City to Meor Chaim. It's a new Beit Midrash (house of study). The sign says that on the premises there is Torah learning, an institute for (learning for) bar mitzvah and chazanut (cantorial duties), "shirat habakashot", which I would loosely translate at poetry of supplication, and various study groups of Jewish heritage.

Looking up a bit, you see this open door structure that is labeled "Across from Rashbi Beit Midrash Kol Rina V'yishua". The voice of joy and redemption. It sits a top a hill overlooking the cemetary towards Meron, thus the allusion to Rashbi.
Ah, such a view from the Beit Midrash!

But what's that in the right hand corner of the picture? Garbage?

Alas, as with many construction projects in Tsfat, this one has yet to clean up the resulting pile of rubble, refuse, and general dirt that resulted from the building.

Hopefully they will, so that it looks as lovely from the outside as I'm sure it does to look out from the inside.

Tel Hatzor nearby

2006-04-20T00:54:00.000+03:00

On Monday of Chol Hamoed, we went to Tel Hatzor. I've been wanting to go for over a year. There was an article last summer in the Shmurat HaTeva publication "BaShvil HaAretz" about the dig which sounded very interesting. We went on a day when there were guided tours. Definitely made the day. The kids again really enjoyed hearing all about how the Israelites entered the Land, and see signs of our history from then until the times of King Ahab. Quite impressive water works, a palace, and other interesting remains. There was also a mud brick making activity for the kids. Weather was great, with a fierce wind picking up on the late afternoon. I used my Photoshop Elements to try out some panoramic pastes. Since I didn't use a tripod, the fits aren't exact. But you get the "picture" of how lovely the views are.

This is a view from the western prominent citadel north towards part of the "lower city" which has not been much excavated. To the right of the hill is a major "dent" in the slope, part of a temple.

I just had to share this picture of the most amazing looking beetle we saw while there. I took pictures of three bugs while we were there. One is this green and gold cousin of the cockroach. Another was a water beetle we saw on the descent to the water works (9 stories deep in the earth). The other was a nasty spider that the Nature Reserve volunteer said sucked blood and was only mildly poisonous.

This is the view from "area G" when you first go up on the Tel. The view at the left most is looking north and a little west to the Naftali mountains. My the right most, you are looking toward the Golan Heights.

Meiri Musem Safed

2006-04-18T18:13:00.000+03:00

On the first day of Chol Hamoed we went to the Meiri Musem for a tour. There was a nice guide who had done a Master's thesis on Tsfat. The museum is full of interesting old Tsfat collectibles, facts, documents, pictures, and more. Highly recommended.

It also fit in the budget really well. 18 NIS per adult and 8 NIS per child. It was a touch rainy, so no major outings seemed appropriate.

Our kids 9 and 11 were the perfect age for the museum. They've had enough history background to enjoy it, and listened carefully to the guide.

This is a view of a "house for 8" that is made of typical Tsfat houswares of old.

This is a sweet display of wooden walking sticks of "Ziknei Tsfat", the Elders of Tsfat. The hall is dedicated to that mythical creature, the elderly sages of Safed. Only all the biographical material is real.

Cloudy Spring Days over the Galilee

2006-04-04T23:27:00.000+03:00

When you look south of Safed, you look out over rolling hills that look like waves in the distance. The clouds add even more of a wave appearance some days. The word "Galilee" is "galil" in Hebrew, and is related to the word "gal", or wave.

Right now the hills are a lovely green, and the cloudy grey skies bring out all the different variations of green.

I took this picture as two pictures and played with the panoramic scene setting in my Photoshop Elements. That was fun! I own Elements because it costs 1/10 of the price of the full Photoshop, and suits my needs for almost everything. It's a lot of fun.

More spring in the holy Safed Cemetary

2006-03-27T14:16:00.000+02:00

This view is looking out from the corner of the "tiyelet" towards the holy Ari's gravesite. The large blue monument with lots of people around it towards the enber of the image is the Ari's grave. There are many famous Jewish scholars, mystics, poets, and even a prophet (the prophet Hosea ben Beiri) buried in the Safed cemetary.

Some of us have children there, too.

On the horizon of the picture, you can see the flat hills, beyond which is Lebanon. We are actually, as the crow flies, only 15 km from the "Good Fence" passage from Lebanon.

As the season gets hotter, the green will gave way to brown. But for now, the new life of spring is abundant even in our holy cemetary.

Springtime in the .... cemetary

2006-03-26T16:39:00.000+02:00

It's already the "yellow wave" of color here. Thick green growth covers the ancient cemetary of Safed right now, and the yellow of the mustard is the dominant color. The "red wave" of kalanit (anenome) has finished, with the red wave of poppy not quite in yet. Later, as the green dies down, there is a "purple wave" of various thistle blooms.

This view will be brown, maybe even blackened from small brush fires, by the time the Ari's hilulah comes around on 5 Av. Right now, it's grand spring colors.

Purim in Tsfat

2006-03-16T23:21:00.000+02:00

In case you didn't see enough happy Jewish children enjoying Purim, I'll share some of the Tsfat views with you.

I think this was the first time in 11 years my kids didn't need to wear their coats on Purim. It rained on Shushan Purim, though. But then, we weren't in Jerusalem.

Not a Purim picture yet

2006-03-13T11:14:00.000+02:00

I took this pictur before I bought a tripod. You can tell. It's a night pic from the stairs that lead down from the Old City to Meor Chaim looking towards Kiryat Breslov at night.

Lately, Kiryat Breslov is not totally lit up at night, so I haven't gotten a repeat shot now that I own a tripod. Ah, well.

Hopefully I'll have some quaint Purim pictures after Purim. Yesterday there were all sorts of cute costumed kids all over the city. It's a delightful time of year here.

Artist Quarter Bouganvilla and green fence

2006-03-09T23:37:00.000+02:00

This is just one of many views of the beautiful spring colors here in Tsfat. This alley in the Artists Quarter is one of my favorites for odd pictures.

Center for the Blind

2006-03-08T13:11:00.000+02:00

This building is being expanded even as I write this. I'll try to grab a picture of it when the new addition is finished. They're adding a new floor to the existing structure.

Down the street from here is the Old Hadassah Hospital, now the psychiatric wing of the Rebbecca Sief hospital. Across the street is the main post office and Yigal Alon Cultural Center.

The iron work gate is common in Tsfat.

Artist Quarter Corner

2006-03-07T15:57:00.000+02:00

This view is of what used to be the Spier's studio, and is now Shaarei Bina Seminary. This is the back view, looking towards Kiryat Breslov.

One of the things I find interesting in photographing Tsfat is that the stones look really washed out and white in full sunlight. I've actually had more success with certain shots on cloudy days when the stones don't reflect so strongly.

The Palatine Hall

2006-03-06T10:40:00.000+02:00

This is a view of the Palatine hall in the foreground. It sits on the hill just above the Central Bus Station. Behind that you see buildings belonging to the local branch of Bar Ilan.

View of Kiryat Breslov in Safed

2006-03-06T10:15:00.000+02:00

This was taken from the stairs that go down the hill near the Or Yakar yeshiva looking in the direction of the cemetary. The older wall is part of the old shul, I think. In the upper right you see the bottom of the new synagogue of Nachal Neva Makor Chachma, the large Breslov shul in Safed. I really like the Magen David in the old window.

Pictures of Tsfat

2006-03-05T16:24:00.000+02:00

Don't you love digital cameras? Tsfat is so beautiful, you could just take pictures all day.