Photos from Zfat in northern Israel

The Zanzer Klois in the old city

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Picture of the Day

Inside the Zanzer Shtieblach in Zfat / northern Israel.

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Photos from the Wedding in Zanz (Netanya)

B"H

Great pictures from the wedding in Chassidut Zanz in Netanya (Israel).
Look at the pictures of the Mitzveh Tanz. The bride does not have her face covered !!!

http://www.bhol.co.il/news_read.asp?id=13230&cat_id=2

Zanz - Klausenburg in Hebron

The grave of Avraham Avinu in Hebron


B"H


The Rebbe of Chassidut Zanz - Klausenburg was visiting the Ma'arat HaMachpelah (burial place of our forefathers in Hebron last Wednesday:

More pictures here: Arutz 7


Pictures from Hebron


The upper gravesites in the Ma'arat HaMachpelah are not the actual graves! The real graves can be only found many meters below the surface.
It is also said that besides the forefathers and foremothers, Adam and Chava (Eve) are buried in the Machpelah.

Yahrzeit of the Klausenberger Rebbe

B"H

This Wednesday, we celebrated the Yahrzeit of the famous Klausenberger Rebbe, Rabbi Yekutiel Yehudah Halberstam. He passed away in Jun 1994.

When religious Jews talk about the sufferings during the Holocaust, the Klausenberger Rebbe is almost always mentioned. He lost his wife and children in the gas chambers. After his auschwitz survival he founded a new family, many years later came to Israel and in Netanya he founded Kiryat Zanz and the famous Laniado Hospital.

Shabbat Shalom

B"H

Israel is going to remember the Holocaust victims next week, and this time, I am also planning to write something in English and not most of the articles in the German language.
Hundreds of thousands of Chassidim died in the Holocaust and especially the Chassidim themselves don't really write about the subject. One famous example suffering through the Holocaust was the Klausenberger Rebbe Yekutiel Yehudah Halberstam. The Satmarer Chassidim insist on mentioning their founder Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum although he got out on time on the Kasztner Train. The first wife of his nephew Moshe, however, was killed in Auschwitz.

Another group always referring to their previous Rebbe when it comes to the Holocaust are the Belzer Chassidim. I think it is FELDHEIM publishing a book about Rebbe Aharon Rokeach and his escape from the Gestapo. Nevertheless, hardly any other Rebbe is so full of doubt when it comes to the Shoah. Did the Belzer Rebbe intend saving the lives of his Chassidim and was he really such a great hero ?
I have been collecting some material and perhaps it will bring some light into all kinds of accusations.

This Shabbat I am going to spend in Jerusalem and hopefully I will make it to the Belzer Tish starting at 11pm. I haven't been there for quite a while and this is the reason I am going. The Belzer are extremely organized and the entire Tish is perfectly arranged.

Enjoy your Shabbat wherever you are:
Shabbat Shalom - Gut Schabbes ! And don't forget enjoying all the Chametz which is now allowed.:-)

The "Laniado Hospital" in Netanya

B"H

The famous Laniado Hospital in Netanya was founded by the even more famous Klausenburger (Klausenberger) Rebbe Yekutiel Yehudah Halberstam. The Rebbe was a Holocaust survivor and lost all of his children as well as his wife in the gas chambers. After the war, he married again and thus, founded a new family.

Later on in his life, he also moved to Israel where he founded the haredi neighbourhood of KIRYAT ZANZ in Netanya.

These days I am going to write a longer article about the Klausenburger Rebbe.

Here a video describing the "Laniado Hospital":



Link:

Chassidim and the Holocaust

Trip to Netanya

B"H

A big difference between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv is the "garbage". This sounds like a ridiculous statement but those who live or have been to Jerusalem know what I mean. As soon as you go downtown or to the Machane Yehudah Market (Nachlaot area), the streets are screaming out: Garbage and rats.

Unfortunately, the municipality doesn't have much money to keep the city clean and tidy. Hardly anything green unless you go to certain neighbourhoods for the upper middle class.

Tel Aviv is basically kept clean and there are plenty of trees, flowers, nice parks; all this raising the quality of life in the city. Obviously there is some money and the municipality is trying to make everyone feel more comfortable. The same is happening in most of the coastal places north of Tel Aviv. Look at Herzliya or look at Netanya.

Today was my first trip to Netanya after some years. Pessach is the time for trips and I chose seeing Netanya with its great beach and its famous chassidic neighbourhood: Kiryat Zanz.

If you want to go to the famous city about 50 km north of Tel Aviv, you should take the bus from Tel Aviv's Central Bus Station (in case you are coming from Tel Aviv). Someone recommended the train to me but this would have cost me too much time and too many efforts.
What I didn't know was that the state - owned bus company EGGED only has one line to Netanya: No. 641 via Petach Tikwah. Everything else is taken over by a private bus company called "Nativ".

I took the Nativ bus no. 605 and was surprised about the cheap bus fare. Only 9 Shekels (less than 2 $). However, the ride to Netanya took us quite some time due to all the traffic jams.
In former years I had got the impression that Netanya is almost entirely English speaking. However, today the French seem to have taken over. Even or especially the local real estate market.

Compared to Tel Aviv, Netanya has a religious touch which was pleasant. At least all the restaurants and cafes were "kosher for Pessach". I couldn't believe it. It was just a great feeling. When I returned to Tel Aviv some time later, I first had to get used to checking out all the food once again.

Netanya is easy to manage by foot. The Central Bus Station is in the city center and from there, just walk around Weizman or up Herzl and you will find cafes and shopping malls. Up Herzl is also the direction to the beach surrounded by a great park.
The beach is basically clean but pay attention to the water. The further you walk up north, the cleaner the water gets.

Kiryat Zanz is up Weizman and in the heat, I didn't really get that far. So, I missed a closer look at Chassidut Zanz - Klausenburg but will do so some time later.
Besides Chassidut Zanz I found something else: Right near the Central Bus Station was a place called: Beit Meshiach 770 -
and guess to whom this belonged to !!!




There isn't too much to do but Netanya is worth a trip. Even for a few hours. In case you want a nicer beach or simply escape the hectic life of Tel Aviv, just take the bus to Netanya. Either from the Central Bus Station of from the Azrieli Towers.


Netanya: Between beach and mall

Simchat Torah in Zanz

B"H


Photos of the SIMCHAT TORAH celebrations in Kiryat Zanz / Netanya (north of Tel Aviv).



The Zanzer Rebbe at yesterday's Simchat Thora.


Who took the pictures at all ?
Maybe they were only taken on today's "Isur Chag", because otherwise taking pictures on a Chag is forbidden. Or was maybe someone cheating ?

All photos can be viewed here:

http://bhol.co.il/news_read.asp?id=7017&cat_id=2