Kibbutz life is infectious. There is something serene about being in a communal space, it brings me back to camp life. The mediteranean breakfasts are flavorful. Not your average American hungry man breakfast. Each morning we have fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives with olive oil and lemon juice. I look forward to integrating this type of morning meal back to the states.
Our first excursion of the day was "about 45 minutes" away from the Kibbutz. Unwritten rule in the Golan Heights says everything is about 40 to 45 minutes away. We arrived in Tzfat, pronounced Ts-fah-t, this is the first major city we have seen on the journey. Tzat is one of the holy cities in the north of Israel. Nestled in the mountains of the Galilee, the city's rich history is hard to ingore. We walked through an alley filled with small shops, art galleries and kitchy souvenier shops. Our destination was one of the oldest Temples in the city. Temple Hari Ashkenazi and all of this ancient city is said to hold power for miracles. Our guide, Neitsan, explained that in 1948 during the Indepenance War, a mortor landed just outside the temple launching shrapnel towards the open door of the temple. With miracles on their side, the men inside were dovening and the shrapnel went right over their heads. No one was injured and to this day you can see the small damage to the wooden structure. The ornate temple was gorgeous. The south facing wall had an artistic ark home to the Torah, covered behind a blue velvet curtain. The temple was small but detailed. On one of the main pillars was a small box containing matza. Curious about this piece, a few of those around me joked it was emergency matza. It turns out, we were right!
Not far from the Temple was a candle shop which is famous for its wax work. Every where we turned there was an interesting sculpture or design in wax. The highlight for me was the wax Noah's Ark depiction, filled with favorite cartoon charaters such as Winnie-the-Pooh, Tweety Bird and Pumba. The next stop in Tzfat was visiting a man named Avraham. Known for his Kabalistic Art, he studies and interprets Jewish Mystiscim. I was previously told that this would be an "interesting" part of the trip and I really could not say it any better. A native of Michigan, Avraham made aliayah to Israel 17 years ago to study this spiritual, yoga-centric style of Judaism. Picture a 40 year old hippy who is completely zen with the world around him. "Your name is a diiiiaaamond, your name is awesoooommmmmee," he repeated. Kabalah is not widely studied, but if I had one take away it is that life happens for a reason and we must share our experience with others.
We broke for lunch and spent an hour wandering the old city streets of fat. It was a treat to wander and explore the holy city in the husstle before Shabbat. After lunch we took a, you guessed it, 45 minute drive to the top of Mt. Meron. There is a short hike around the top of the mountain which circles an IDF (Israel Defense Force) base. The total hike took about an hour and a half and we were able to see the Israeli border with Lebenon. The border is very distinct, a signifigant line where the lush green of the north of Israel turns to a desert is where Lebenon begins. This contrast is because the JNF plants donated trees throughout the country. It is 70% recycled water that nourishes the land.
As our time wrapped up we spent a few hours relaxing and prepairing for Shabbat. To mark the end of our week and our first few days in Israel we will be spending time welcoming Shabbat, singing, praying and lighting Shabbat candles. I have never taken part in a traditional Shabbat service so I am looking forward to experierencing Shabbat for the first time in Israel.
Day two has come to a close and we have so much more to experience, so until next time, Shabbat Shalom.
-Dani Samons
