Report from Tzfat - Av 5766 / August 2006
from Rabbi & Mrs. Israel Rubin
 

from an email from Mrs. Rubin, Erev Shabbos Parshas Eikev, 5766 in Tzfat

our trip to israel has very intense moments, the spiritual inspirational at the holy sites, kever rochel, kosel hamaaravi, kever menucha rochel in chevron, mearas hamachpela, where jews of all kinds and flavors are pouring out their hearts to Hashem in prayer, psalms .

at this moment we ran downstairs as the sirens azaka,are blaring in tsfaet we try to take shelter under many roofs to be more protected. lmy sister sara marzel and daughters prepared many food packages with salad ingredients, cake kugel home baked and chocolate, and some canned goods to give to families.

she had someone deliver pampers, the grocery store is open and has just the basic staples. the phone is ringing off the hook, this one neeeds a home visit since a kayushe fell across the street and they are traumatized.so rivkie will go visit her, rivkie went to deliver some of the food packages with a woman from jerusalem who came up north to assist the people.

as i was writing this, there were several sirens, piercing the air, predicting an ominent danger to normal civilians and thier families. many of the people who left to the center are housed in schools, adn public buildings and are dependent upon all their needs from others, a very uncomfortable unautonomous feeling, those that are left behind, some need food desperately and are in constant fear. no minute is predicatable, we just experienced a continued bombardment of sirens and heard the kayushas falling, some of the sirens we don't even here, we reported it and they are trying to fix it...

from a phone conversation with Rabbi Israel Rubin in Tzfat, Erev Shabbos Eikev 5766

When we were in Yershalayim it was a different feeling. Jerusalem is teeming with people. The streets are full, it’s like Saratoga in August. Many northerners came down here during the rocket strikes, it’s especially hard to be up north if you have small children.

Many have left Tzfat, but plenty people remain here. Every time the siren goes off you have to run to the shelter or to the safest part of the house. The Merzels (Mrs. Rubin’s sister) don’t have a shelter but they go to the hallway which is the deepest part of the house, has no windows and is most protected from the outside. While writing an article for the Rosh Hashana newspaper we had to run three times to the hallway for shelter.

It happens a lot. The sirens wail, then you hear a major thud - a huge crash as the rocket lands. Many have landed within 3-5 miles of where we are. Then you hear the Israeli fighter jets flying above, the border with Lebanon is not that far from Tzfat. You can sometimes hear the booms of artillery even.

Tzfat is much emptier. Most with small children left for the south. Not everyone is able to leave, not everyone wants to leave. Are people sad here? Not really. They are resilient and go on with life as best under the circumstances. In the south, like in Jerusalem, it’s busy and bustling and aside for the Shochatman Wedding (relatives of Mrs. Piekarsky) that we planned to go to, we ended up being part of 2 or 3 other weddings, by chance.

We went to Kever Rochel in Beit Lechem, and then to Me’oras HaMachpelah in Chevron. Outside there was a big wedding, lots of people in white, summery clothing, dancing and singing. We even ate at that wedding! The Rabbi there, a settler leader, spoke confidently and strongly despite all the current events.

While visiting Itche and Esther (Mrs. Rubin’s brother) in Tel Aviv we went off for a walk in the neighborhood. Generally speaking, it doesn’t have the feel and vibe you get in Yerushalayim, it’s kind of dead spiritually speaking. Then we turned a corner, and saw a large group of Chassidim dressed in Shabbos finery, it was a wedding of the Koznitzer Rebbe’s granddaughter. So we joined in, and we called Moshe Losice, because Mrs. Losice’s family was from Koznitzer Chassidim, and the Koznitzer Rebbe was the mesader Kiddushin at the Losice wedding.

Bubbe Piekarsky (Mrs. Rubin’s mother) returned with us to Tzfat after the Shochatman wedding. Rivky (Mrs. Rubin’s daughter) is here also, and is assisting with bringing food and comfort to people stuck at home.

Thanks to all who sent tzedakah money along with us, the Merzels bought a lot of food and baked dozens of cakes and kugels and food to bring to many people who literally have nearly nothing in the refrigerator. A lot of the parnossah in Tzfat is dependent on tourism, which dried up completely, and people who were poor to begin with, now have even less.

The Rubins are returning in the middle of this coming week.

 

See Congressman John Sweeney's sendoff to the Rubins before their trip to Israel