After our bus pulled up in Tzfat on Thursday night, we lugged our bags over to Ascent, dropped them off, and headed out to dinner. Our roommate, Eric, suggested a nice sit-down restaurant just down the street, raving about their home-made Arak (Israeli licorice-flavored liqueur), and we gladly took his advice. After downing a juicy 300-gram burger and a few l'chaims, we left the eatery in search of good ol' tomfoolery. But when you're camped in a small town where 99.99% of the residents are religious Jews, there ain't much tomfoolery to be had. So instead, we took a lap around the city (it's only a big circle after all), hung out for a bit, and called it a night.
We awoke around 10 AM the next morning and promptly headed out the door en route to the Antique Tzfat Winery. The proprietor of the establishment was a kind man who had already laid out ten different bottles in anticipation of our arrival. Needless to say we tried them all. My favorite was the Port, and I opted to purchase a bottle (and then some) to crack open when my family arrives here in late June.
Upon leaving the winery, we paid a visit to Avraham, the blissful kabbalist/ artist who serves as the main attraction for Birthrighters in Tzfat. He spoke of his journey to religiosity and how totally awesome it is to be in tune with the reality of oneness. If I were to go back in time and attend Woodstock with anyone I know, it would probably be Avraham.
When his chill sesh was over with, we put the meditation aside and went shopping. For those that don't know, Tzfat is the mystical capital of Israel, and it follows that the city houses a great Artist's Colony. We strode up and down the promenade, haggling with vendors that offered to make us very good deals (and only for us!), and when all was said and done, I ended up with a sweet Omri Casspi jersey and some postcards (I'll actually buy some art there later in June). When things were about to close down for Shabbat, we quickly made our way to a cafe, enjoyed some coffee and some really delicious chocolate mousse cake, and headed back to Ascent where I immediately passed out and woke up just in time to change for Kabbalat Shabbat.
Normally in Tzfat for Kabbalat Shabbat, in the summer at least, the town provides tourists with the opportunity to go synagogue hopping, the door of each building being open and the congregants quick to welcome stray daveners. There are also thousands of people singing and dancing in the streets. It's quite fun. But the weather (although not terrible), did not lend itself to such an occasion, and so we were left with the devastating choice of choosing one, and only one, place to settle on. We found a nice location, but were forced to leave early because Ascent had set us up with a family for dinner, and we needed to make it back to the hostel by a certain time. When we sat down to dinner at the family's apartment, their grandmother invited us to play Legos with their kids, and I felt at home instantly. The meal could not have been better, with stimulating conversation focused on religion and philosophy. Our hosts had attended Harvard and Cornell, and had become religious later on in their lives. Thankfully, our paths crossed, and we shared many a thought with each other.
I don't remember much of Saturday because I took two naps, but the highlight, besides eating lunch with a man who previously starred in the Israeli version of "Friends", was sitting outside on the porch of the hostel, overlooking the mountains of Tzfat, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a book. This was also one of my favorite things to do on my trip there this past summer. When Shabbat was over, we headed up to the top floor of the building and celebrated Havdalah with a platoon of Israeli soldiers who had also infiltrated the hostel for the weekend. There is nothing like sharing a joyous occasion with the men and women who you are so grateful and really indebted to. It was a great experience. Just after Havdalah, we caught a bus back to J-town, and here I am.
L'hitraot,
Zac
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