Walking around in Tzfat is like walking around a resort. Everyone is so laid back and nobody wants any more than they need to support themselves financially. You won't find any beggars on the streets canning for change, or any opportunistic businessmen like the bar owners on Ben Yehuda street hustling American tourists wearing Illini hoodies inside for business. Everyone just lets it be, and even the candle shop we went to donates any extra profits to charity. People are ok with what they have.
Tzfat is a holy city. We heard a story of one lady who waited outside at 5 am every morning for the messiah, with both vanilla and cinnamon flavored tea, because she wasn't sure which flavor the messiah would prefer. It sounds pretty crazy, but these are these people's lives, and they're ok with it. The actual city is very small and over half the population at any given time is tourists just passing by. But the general air of how relaxed it is, coupled with the amazing location high in the mountains in the northern part of Israel, and the fresh air, make it a very unique experience and very refreshing.
Shabbat is something else in Tzfat. I wish I could adequately describe how amazing it is. Basically, everyone gathers outside in the town squares and instead of lining up in the pews in synagogue, with a monotone voice rabbi saying "Now we turn to page 452...", everyone is dancing and smiling and just so happy. They are so welcoming of strangers. I forgot to bring my kippah but when we stopped by one of the town squares where everyone was dancing, this one guy just gave me his (it's a very nice one) and told me to keep it with a smile on his face. He had no idea who I was. Everyone sings and dances in circles around the town square as the sun sets, and you look at anyone's face and they are just ecstatic to be there. Half of them are tourists from around the world, but it's an amazing experience to be that united for that time and it's one of the coolest things I've ever done.
The meals were great and we later went to the mikvhah, which is the traditional Jewish bath, and it was the personal mikvah of a famous Jewish Rabbi and he said that anyone who bathed in his mikvah would redeem his sins before leaving this world. So our rabbi jokes that that means we will live forever. The mikvah itself is a very small pool of water, and you get completely naked before jumping in because you are supposed to be in contact with it everywhere. It was so cold so I just did my 3 bobs and jumped out, but it was cool to do. Then we went to this gravesite of a famous rabbi and it's said if you pray there you will be happy in life and meet your soul mate within a year, I went in but after I came out we saw a sign that said in Hebrew "Cohain are absolutely forbidden", so I shouldn't have gone in because I'm a Cohain (Cohen) and we aren't supposed to be around dead bodies. Oops. I guess it just means I'll live longer since I went in the mikvah.
We met a ton of very cool people in Tzfat, anyone walking around will stop and talk to you, especially on Friday when the whole town slows down to a crawl. It's very relaxing and a nice change of pace. The only problem was our "hotel" was basically a hole in the wall so it was nice to get back to Jerusalem and have a chance to shower tonight.
I'd like to go back to Tzfat some day, it's like a resort and everyone there is just so peaceful and happy. It makes you wonder what we are missing in America, that people can't just be that happy. For all their crazy superstitions and blue railings, maybe there's something to it because these people have genuinely found peace. Also, the age gap is nonexistant. You will see grandpas and great grandpas teaching young kids who they don't even know about the Torah, and there's a huge amount of respect for them, and it's cool because they will be the ones going crazy on Shabbat dancing and going wild.
I lost my "Donate Life" wristband I wore for Pa at the mikvah, I took it off and I forgot it in one of the lockers, but I figure if there was a place I was going to lose it, that's probably the best place to lose it at.
We are off to Hebron and the West Bank tomorrow, where the kids play on swings with soldiers armed with rocket launchers and snipers behind them. Should be another amazing experience, but that's all only after class at 9 am, and it's already close to 5, so I should go to sleep. It's all good in the holy land.
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