Winter scenes in the Galilee hills

 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unedited.

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

Belated Rememberance Day

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

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

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

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!

Trees, tree, trees!

Spring is springing in Safed

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

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

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

Belated Sukkot pics

There were sukkos here, and there, and everywhere!

U'morid Hagashem

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

Belated Klezmer Festival Pictures

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

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.