We drove a "short forty minutes" to our next destination; the ancient and spiritual city of Tzfat. After a short tour of the city and an explanation of Kabbalah, mystical Judasim, we entered a synagogue that was hundreds of years old to see its beauty and very different style from a traditional synagogue that we are used to in the United States. The beauty and history that was shown to us in this place of worship was both inspiring and breath-taking.
We spent the next few hours on the bus enjoying stunning scenery, culminating in crossing the Jordan River before beginning our ascent into Tzfat. Tzfat's older areas date back to the 15th century with the modern portion being built during the 50’s and 60’s and is considered a city of Jewish Mysticism. We visited a couple of synagogues and met a few of the colorful characters that call the medieval city home.
On top of Mount Arbel we all sang a nigun and learned some sign language from our resident ASL expert, Rachel Greenberg. Our hike down the mountain was challenging, but beautiful, with views of the Sea of Galilee and a Bedouin village.
He was a spirit filled with love and light, and being here with him was more than an honor (or what he would call a miracle). I felt so connected to Israel and to the group in this moment, and realized that nothing is an accident. We are all here together on this journey and that is the most amazing part. After 2000 years... Israel... The first people of our ancestors to be here. Whoa man! So awesome!
As one of the few who is not actually a Tufts student, my Birthright experience has been particularly unique. All my new friendships are paired with these new experiences and I am proud to be in the presence of such incredible people as these Tufts students.
We had a busy day today, which started bright and early with a relaxing trip to a hot springs, where we bathed in the rejuvenating waters.
The art galleries, shuk, and shashuka were amazing! What really capped off the entire day was meeting with Avraham Lowenthal, a Kabbalist from the U.S. I found such wisdom and passion within his artwork and voice as he spoke of the spiritual side of Judaism and the infinite goodness he experiences within his practice. I became super inspired to study and hope to meet him in the future for more spiritual insight and teachings. Walking out with my cup overflowing, we all caught the sun leaving the sky over the mountain side-beautiful and wow worthy. #Gratitude
We finished the night with a talent show organized and hosted almost entirely by two motivated trip participants. There were a range of talents, including performance art, lip syncing, dancing, acrobatics, and our tour guide Neta playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" entirely by bopping his hand on the top of his head.
We drove to Tzfat, a historic Northern city that is known for being the center of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism. The city itself feels magical, in a way, ancient and timeless all at once. Bright blue accents lined fences, doorways, walls, everywhere you look; we learned that blue is a special color for the Kabbalah. After getting lunch - the shawarma here is absolutely incredible - we went to learn a bit about Kabbalah from a local artist named Abram. (Actually, his real name is Robert and he is from Michigan!) Hearing his perspective on this lesser-known side of Judaism was definitely an eye-opening experience, regardless of how one feels about spirituality and mysticism. He was extremely passionate.
We were able to listen to a pair of local musicians who play instruments that date back to the earliest times recorded in the era. The three instruments resembled a guitar, a piano, and a UFO-shaped steel drum. They played a beautiful set of traditional and modern music.