Shabbat Shalom

B"H

Yesterday I did a huge exhausting trip:

I took the bus from Zfat (Safed) to Jerusalem which is about a 3.5 hours ride. After being in Jerusalem for a few hours in order to sort out some things, I took the bus back to the north. To Tiberias which is another 2.5 hours ride. I finally arrived at 10.30pm and just dropped into my bed. Today I took some time to relax and didn't even go up to Zfat (a one hour bus ride) where I was invited for Shabbat. 

Instead I am going to relax this Shabbat. Go to a Synagogue and I don't even care whether it is Sephardi or Ashkenazi. I would love to go to the Beit Midrash of Karlin - Stolin (the house of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk) but I have to find out if they have any Ezrat Nashim (women's side) there. The Kaliver Rebbe Menachem Mendel Taub has a whole center in Tiberias and guess who is also coming soon: The Toldot Aharon bought a property in order to build their own neighbourhood. I have heard the same about the TA and Zfat which is not surprising because Jerusalem as well as Beit Shemesh are getting far too expensive to live. The north is still affordable and this is why even the Haredim are moving up north. 

The former house of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk in Tiberias. Today it belongs to Chassidut Karlin - Stolin. 

Photo: Miriam Woelke

The weather is still hot and the forecasts tell us that we won't have a rainy winter this year. A catastrophe, as we urgently need rain in Israel. 

Nevertheless, Shabbat Shalom - Gut Schabbes to all of you !